Note: this is a guest post by Heidi Magnus, a long-time student of Flowing Zen Qigong, and a qigong teacher in her own right. Internal power is a captivating and compelling force. But what is it, really? In movies, we’ve seen the hero who cultivates internal power before running up buildings and flying through the air. This fictional scenario is obviously romanticized, but we’ve all heard about the man who lifts a car off his nephew or the woman who fights off a polar bear with her bare hands. People with zero training can exhibit incredible, if momentary, power. What’s happening here? Is ..read more

Twenty-two years ago, I made a decision that would ultimately save my life. That decision was as follows: I vowed to practice a particular qigong exercise (called Lifting The Sky) 10 times every day, no matter what. This decision eventually led to a solid daily qigong practice – a practice that has managed a debilitating and life-threatening case of depression for over 22 years. At the time, it didn’t seem like a big decision. I mean, it takes less than 2 minutes to do. All I knew was that I needed change. I also knew what hadn’t worked for me in the past: Resolutions. It’s ironic because thi ..read more

In this edition of Ask Sifu Anthony, you’ll learn about: knee pain and qigong; the order of qigong sets; qigong and cancer support; neigong vs. qigong; lifting the tongue; post-pandemic depression and anxiety; and qigong for autoimmune conditions. About this series: I believe that students should be able to get practical, no-nonsense answers as they learn the art of qigong. Q&As are critical when learning an esoteric, ancient art in the 21st century. Since 2005, I’ve been answering questions in my classes, in our Facebook group, inside my online programs, in our live webinars, and here on ..read more

Years ago, if you had asked me if it was okay to practice qigong while listening to music, I would have told you no. I was taught not to practice qigong to music and so I repeated the same thing to my students. Simple, right? Today, I’m a more mature teacher. I’ve learned to think for myself rather than just parrot what my teacher (or ex-teacher, as the case may be) told me. As a result, I’ve changed my mind. You might even say that I’ve changed my tune. Har! Let’s take a more modern and practical look at this question. The History of Qigong & Music There is no historical precedent for ..read more

In this edition of Ask Sifu Anthony, you’ll find questions about the number of repetitions in qigong, practicing qigong under stressful circumstances, practicing tai chi and qigong together, neigong vs. qigong, qigong for insomnia, and a timeline for future Flowing Zen projects! I believe that students should be able to get the answers that they need. That’s why I work so hard answering questions in our Facebook group, inside my online programs, in our webinars, and here on the blog. Seeing other students asks questions that you might have asked yourself – and then reading the answers – helps ..read more

Me, traumatized? Don’t be silly! So many people out there had it way worse! I’ll be fine. Nothing to see here…move along… This just about sums up my understanding of trauma until the year 2020. In other words, I was clueless. I remember when I first heard a student talk about something called Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). I remember this because, whereas it was easy for me to trivialize my own trauma (see above), I could not do the same to her. This student had plateaued with her qigong practice and was asking me for help. Around the same time, another student came to me wit ..read more

In this edition of Ask Sifu Anthony, you’ll find questions about strength training, the importance of energy circulation, online learning, Scholar’s Qigong, the karate kiai, and more… I believe that students should be able to get the answers that they need. That’s why I work so hard answering questions in our Facebook group, inside my online programs, in our webinars, and here on the blog. Seeing other students asks questions that you might have asked yourself – and then reading the answers – helps too! This helps us all to feel connected to a global qigong community. It also helps those who ..read more

In this edition of Ask Sifu Anthony, you’ll find questions about cancer, pain, self-compassion, qigong fasting, long-covid, and dantian theory. I believe that students should be able to get the answers that they need. That’s why I work so hard answering questions in our free Facebook group, inside my online programs, in our webinars, and here on the blog. Seeing other students asks questions that you might have asked yourself – and then reading the answers – helps us everyone feel connected to a global qigong community. It also helps those who are too introverted or too shy to ask a question ..read more

A month ago, we lost the great Vietnamese Zen master and peace activist, Thich Nhat Hanh, or Thay as he was known to students around the world. What would Thay (master teacher, pronounced “tay”) say about Ukraine, Putin, and the threat of nuclear annihilation? I imagine that he would tell us, first and foremost, to breathe. Much of Thay’s teachings can be summed up in 2 sentences: As you breathe in, know that you are breathing in. As you breathe out, know that you are breathing out. Note: Read his book “Breathe, You Are Alive” for more in-depth instruction on breathing and mindful ..read more

We’re 11 days into 2022. Are you being kinder to yourself so far? Or are you beating yourself up for not sticking to your New Year’s resolutions? I mean, why do we beat ourselves up when we already know it won’t help? Why do so many of us struggle with self-compassion? Is there another option? In the 2003 movie, “The Last Samurai”, there is a scene where Algren (Tom Cruise) is defeated in a sword sparring match by a samurai named Ujio (Hiroyuki Sanada). Another samurai, Nobutada, says in broken English that Algren’s problem is: “Too many mind.” “Too man ..read more