One of the other courses Grandmaster Wong will be teaching in St. Paul this October will be a Selection From the 18 Jewels. While many people are familiar with the 18 Luohan Hands, a well-known set of qigong exercises that I teach in my weekly class, the 18 Jewels are a lesser-known, yet still extremely powerful group of qigong techniques which are used to tackle specific conditions in Qigong Healing.
Formerly known as the 18 Therapeutic Exercises, the 18 Jewels were developed by Grandmaster Wong following much observation of how specific qigong exercises generated specific types of qi flow in various parts of the body. While some patterns serve to quickly generate a vigorous qi movement throughout the body, others generate qi flow which largely works in specific areas, such as the hands and wrists, legs, abdomen, chest, and so forth. In this way, the body's qi, or intrinsic energy goes where it is needed most, and students have found relief from an astonishing array of ailments, such as carpal tunnel, herniated discs, sciatica, endometriosis, depression, and hypertension, to name just a few. In fact, one of my own students used a specific pattern from the 18 Jewels as part of his recovery from a tibial plateau fracture without surgery or pain medication. His doctors were all surprised at his rapid healing and he is now back training kungfu with me and doing what he loves.
The 18 Jewels are really about using the power of qigong to take back your health. It's hard to look ahead and seek peace and spiritual fulfillment if you're constantly in pain. Even if your baseline is relatively healthy, it's easier to get up in the morning and do the things you love, like biking, running, playing golf or playing tennis, if you know that's it's not going to be followed by a bevy of sore knees and elbows, or aching back, neck and shoulders. Still, the body constantly seeks homeostasis, it wants to correct itself and be healthy. Using these patterns, we can help it along using our own energy, returning to a pain-free state of vitality, which lays the groundwork for the even more marvelous aspect of qigong: spiritual expansion. But more on that later (wink!).
In Five Element Theory in Chinese Medicine, each season has it's own corresponding element. The element of fall is metal, and the nature of metal is change. Fall is shaping up to be a fantastic season for qigong and kungfu here in the Twin Cities. Between the weekly classes and Grandmaster Wong's visit, lots of people here are about to experience their own personal change. Are you ready for a change? Get signed up and take the first step.