Part Two: From Psychology Student to Qigong Teacher

Driven to help

After a year of practicing Qigong, I was feeling fit, calmer than ever, and just plain well in my mind and body. My back felt better and I was exercising more than I had before and without injury since all of the exercises in Qigong, even the more intense ones, are all done in such a state of relaxation.

I enjoyed it so much that other folks were noticing too. One day my husband asked me flat out why I wanted to be become a psychologist. I replied that I want to help people! He replied, “But you seem to love this Qigong. So much. Have you thought that maybe this would help people even more?”

His comments, combined with how amazingly well I was feeling thanks to Qigong, made me think he might be onto something… Maybe this would be the best way to help people and at the same time give myself the fulfillment of giving back that I was so craving in this season of my life.

My mind made up, I decided to leave my psychology program and pursue Qigong teacher trainer with Lee Holden, the person who is largely to thank for translating Qigong for Western students. Lee, whose name might ring a bell if you watch PBS, offered an excellent teacher certification program. It was exactly what I wanted: something in-depth, accessible online, and that would give me a change to connect with other students from all over the continent.

In my intensive 16-week, 200 hour Tier 1 course, I reveled in exploring topics ranging from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and the Five Element Framework, the importance of balance among our organs, the power of breath, and the inextricable connections between our body, our emotion, and our thoughts.

As the weeks slipped by, I was excited to be growing into a position to share my knowledge and yet at the same time I wondered how I would ever remember everything there was to remember!  Not only would I have to know hundreds of different movements, what organ system, acupressure point, which of the five elements it was connected to…  I would have to explain all that and remember how to breathe myself! Even just talking about Qigong could be intimidating, since most people in North America haven’t heard of it and can barely pronounce it

Thankfully, I had faith in myself and came to realize my lifelong vocation for teaching.  After all, in every job I’d ever had I’ve always been the one sharing what I know with others. And one of my longest and most successful career paths was as head of the customer support training department for a large computer company back in the 80s. I could do this!

Finally, the time to prove myself was at hand.  To complete my course and earn my certification, I had to prepare multiple training videos, have one-one coaching AND write a final exam. Good thing I had a whole new level of Qigong skills to steady my nerves.

By the summer of 2018, certificate proudly in hand, I was teaching my own students and loving every minute of it!