In early July 2016, Tai Chi Australia (TCA) was privileged to co-ordinate and host the 12th Health Qigong series of workshops and the first Health Qigong Instructors Training Course held in the Oceania region. Led by the Vice President and Secretary General, International Health Qigong Federation (IHQF), Chang Jianping, Professors Wang Xiaojun, Wei Shengmin and Hua Hua enthusiastically shared their extensive knowledge and expertise of Health Qigong in Australia and New Zealand.
The highlight of the visit was the 1st Oceania Health Qigong Instructors Training Course, which was held in Melbourne from 7-10 July at Tai Chi Australia’s new purpose-built Tai Chi and Health Qigong facility.
As Australians are increasingly becoming aware of the health benefits gained by the regular practice of Health Qigong, an integral part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), much interest was shown in the Instructors Training Course. It is now widely recognised that Health Qigong guides and encourages the free flow of energy throughout the body promoting health well-being and longevity.
Participants from Victoria, NSW, ACT, Queensland, Tasmania and Auckland, New Zealand attended the Instructor Training Course. At the Opening Ceremony, Mr Chang told participants that there are currently millions of people practising Health Qigong world-wide. He emphasised that benefits such as, improved health in mind and body, enriched the quality of life and happiness. Furthermore, he stressed that Health Qigong has become an important and well-loved part of normal life.
The main aim of the Training Course was to improve the theoretical and technical level of the local Health Qigong instructors and practitioners by sharing their knowledge and expertise in Health Qigong. Teaching, demonstrating and lecturing at workshops to the general public further promoted Health Qigong.
The acting Consul-General, Mr Huang Guobin, the People’s Republic of China in Melbourne, said that “Health Qigong’s unique charm will become a link between the peoples of China and Oceania and in the future will contribute to the promotion of friendship in the region plus improving people’s health”.
As well as the practical theoretical and technical levels, the Instructor Training Course concentrated on performance. Professor Wei Shengmin gave an excellent talk on the relationship between human beings and nature and how to live harmoniously with nature; she also discussed at what time of the day Health Qigong should be practiced and in what order to maximise the benefits.
Guest speaker, Iliya Bircanin, well-known Consulting Occupational Therapist, discussed how people who have stress and hypertension in their lives benefit from both TCM and western medicine. His talk gave a view into the health benefits if Tai Chi and the intrinsic value of Qigong. When discussing TCM his focus was Health Qigong and how health and tranquillity can be achieved by means of moving without strain. He emphasised that by training body and mind a longer life is achieved. He explained how training and self discipline built chi which, in turn strengthened and revitalised the entire body, calmed the heart clarified thinking and concentration, increased blood circulation and gland activity, nourished muscle tissue and sensitive joint receptors and stimulated the nervous system.
In a Question and Answer session, Professor Wang covered the theories and philosophies of both TCM and Health Qigong. Tai Chi Australia, Instructor, Judy Maynard described the session as “educational, informative and an eye-opening experience.” All participants enjoyed Professor Wang Xiaojun succinct explanation of the concepts of TCM and how if stress was well managed a healthy, relaxed and long life could be achieved.
Eager participants attended the Health Qigong Liu Zi Jue (Six Healing Sounds) Workshop. Taught by Professor Wang Xiaojun it included its application in helping people with Stress and Hypertension (Health Qigong Exercise Therapy for Stress and Hypertension). He passionately taught simple, effective, easy to learn exercises, breathing techniques and healing sounds to alleviate the feeling of tiredness, stress and depression. All participants gained life long knowledge. At the end of the Workshop he patiently answered every question in simple, concise language.
Professor Wang also explained how to become a quality, professional Health Qigong instructor and emphasised that it is a long journey and an endless learning process stressing that it could not be achieved over night or over a weekend.
Whether it was because the rain held off or the amazing energy that the three visiting professors brought with them from China we will never know, but the last morning of the Instructor Training Course proved to be an unforgettable triumph. Over 100 Course participants including Health Qigong and Tai Chi Practitioners from Melbourne, Interstate and overseas were joined by interested members of the public to practice Health Qigong, Liu Zi Jue, Ba Duan Jin and Dao Yin Yang Sheng Gong Sh Er Fa and Tai Chi 24 Form. Held at Federation Square, the chosen destination for members of the public in Melbourne to learn or experience Health Qigong and Tai Chi, the practice and demonstrations were an unforgettable experience for all those who attended. Many onlookers were seduced by the haunting music and the graceful movements and followed the three professors on the big Federation Square stage.
On the final day a Certificate of attendance was awarded to all who successfully completed the course.
The 1st Oceania Health Qigong Instructors Training Course was a great success due to the highest international tuition available. Each session was a Master Class in its own right. Every participant recognised how special it was to learn from Professors Wang, Xiaojun and Wei Shengmin. All benefited from the experience regardless of his or her knowledge or standard. Everyone was stimulated by their newly gained knowledge and encouraged each other to practice in the future. Every participant enjoyed the entire Instructors Training Course and the positive feedback was overwhelming.
With the increased popularity of Health Qigong in Australia and the Oceania region, TCA in conjunction with the International Health Qigong Federation eagerly anticipates the 2017 Series of Health Qigong Workshops for the entire Oceania region. A follow-up workshop for the participants in this Training Course is planned on the weekend of 12-13 November 2016 when another professor from the International Health Qigong Federation is coming to Melbourne. Please keep your eyes on our TCA website for details.
TCA runs FREE health Qigong class at Federation Square every Friday from 8.00am to 9.00am, and FREE Tai Chi class every Tuesday from 7.30am to 8.00am. TCA thanks the continued support of the Federation Square management.
