Why I became a Qigong Teacher

 

Here is my story why I became a Qigong teacher: Two and a half years into a South Pacific sailing journey, I docked our cutter in Nelson, New Zealand. A few weeks later a woman in pink gumboots handed me a book called Voyage to the Shore. Maybe it was the serendipitous title or the feeling of the book tingling in my hands, but either way I accepted her mini backyard Qigong lesson and then hid away reading for two days.

The Healing Benefits of Qigong

I read about Qigong, Qi (the life force), and the deep wisdom that can help us to live life with an internal focus. My decision to sign up for Qigong teacher training with the book’s author, Yuan Tze (founder of Ren Xue), was both intuitive and pragmatic. The intuitive side was that I had been seeking more information on being aware of my thoughts, emotions, energy, and how to live life differently. In retrospect, I realize I’d been seeking this information for my entire life. What made this book special was that this wisdom was in one place with more depth and detail than I’d found elsewhere. The teachings were somehow different than what I’d previously learned and they resonated deeply with me. The practical side was that Yuan Tze was beginning a new series of teachers’ training within the year and a prerequisite for that retreat was passing level one.

 

Yuan Qigong Teacher Training - Uplift yourself and help others

In Ren Xue, a guiding concept is “Zi Du, Du Ren” which means “uplift yourself and help others”. My experience with Ren Xue has helped me do both. 

My first teacher training retreat was humbling. I soon realized how depleted I’d become from a life of spending Qi without the knowledge and skills to gather it and keep it. Qigong was teaching me those missing skills. I began to feel increased Qi levels in my body and felt better - even in those early days. 

I returned to in-person teacher training for six years. I wanted to learn this information immersively. Over time, my mood became better and my focus improved. I also felt very at home with my fellow teachers. We easily discussed issues that mattered. We believed in living life with meaning. We grew together and helped each other heal and learn – we still do. They became my friends and a family who understood why I wanted to live a life of self-inquiry. 

Teaching others this information has helped me learn it in greater detail. Watching students  learn and grow sparks my joy. Feeling their hearts expand lights my heart up too.

This is the “uplift myself” side of the story. 

It’s an important side of the story because, without it, I’d be unable to teach with true understanding. I needed to see for myself how my life benefits from these practices and feel how my internal state has shifted. I needed to experience how this calmer state and my growing ability to access my heart has given me clarity and peace when external life presents challenges.

This experience is the foundation of how I “help others” in addition to the more technical aspects of teaching.

Why teach Yuan Qigong

But I’d really like to end focusing on “why” I continue to teach now.

As my Qi increases, as my heart qualities such as openness and love manifest, and as I work on understanding the times when my heart closes, I become more connected to the real me – the place of peace and unconditional love. From here, I am also more connected to family, friends, strangers, and nature. From here, my ability to experience calm and clarity grows. 

In Ren Xue, from deep within our hearts we experience life in a more loving and connected way. The capacity to cause harm declines and we find creative solutions that benefit everyone including nature. 

We all have this place within us. 

When I connect the dots backwards, I see my journey leading to the incredible gift of these teachings that have taken me to this place of understanding. I believe this is our way to create a new kind of humanity.

I feel it is both my role and responsibility to help lead others – step by step – to their hearts and inner voice. Together, we can create a world that is more joyous, peaceful, and loving. We do this by developing an internal focus, connecting inside, and developing our hearts. Yuan Qigong teaches us this.

This is why I teach.

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About The Author

Stephanie Ross

Stephanie Ross

Canada
When I sailed into New Zealand, a woman in pink gumboots handed me Yuan Tze’s book “Voyage to the Shore.” Becoming a teacher was clearly my next step! Now as a senior Ren Xue teacher, I use a trauma sensitive approach and over a decade of embodied experience through some intense times to compassionately guide people inward towards their innate wisdom. I’ve brought these teachings into homeschooling my highly sensitive children, a trauma recovery program, and a residential addiction recovery center for women.

I teach Deep Dives and one-to-one sessions for RXA; publish life-cultivation articles and poetry internationally; facilitate online workshops and Qi Writing circles; and mentor individuals seeking guidance on their quest for life transformation and higher levels of consciousness. Living a Ren Xue life has had a profound impact on how I am, how I’ve raised my children, and how I view living in this world.

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