Qigong for Health Video

by Martha Lovette

Good news for the millennium! The ground-breaking video, Qigong for Health is in its third printing and will continue to be available for those who want a down-to-earth, professional video to support their qigong practice, or to introduce this healing work to patients, students, or friends. This 2-1/2 hour, two-tape instructional program is easy for anyone to use, and while it assumes no prior knowledge of qigong, it is not over-simplified.

Qigong for Health introduces the first-time student to basic movements and breathing exercises of qigong (pronounced "Chee gong"), a gentle form of traditional Chinese therapeutic, low impact exercise practiced by millions of people all over the world to ward off disease and stay healthy. It teaches two popular forms that can be practiced at home to relieve stress, restore physical energy and strengthen the bodyís immune system. This cutting-edge video makes learning qigong easy and enjoyable.

Qigong, a component of Chinese medicine, is a comprehensive system based on the fundamental idea that it is better to prevent illness than to try to cure it once it occurs. A premise in Chinese medicine holds that when the mind is quiet, the body begins to heal itself. The mind is always normally thinking of the present or the past, even in sleep, but with the practice of qigong, the mind is brought to rest, so that healing can occur and balance can be restored. The health benefits derived from the practice of qigong have been discussed on local and national radio/television programs around the country, programs such as CNN news, Regis and Kathy Lee, Bill Moyers specials, etc.

Qigong for Health began airing nationally as a television series on PBS stations on December 3, 1996 and will soon air on station on KWCS-TV, Channel 31 in Central Florida.

Emilio Gonzales and George Wedemeyer, the instructors, collectively have over fifty years experience studying and teaching tai chi and qigong. Their efforts in providing free qigong classes to the chronically ill have been captured on the front pages of most major newspapers in California and in national media such as Menís Health and CNN news. They periodically appear on national television and radio talk shows.

The first tape opens with a short film of Gonzalez practicing his own form, after which he briefly explains the difference between tai chi and qigong. A few students describe what the practice of qigong has done for them, and the viewer gets to watch a few moments of a group class. After this five minute introduction, Gonzalez leads the viewer through a set of warm-up exercises that last about forty minutes, and include some self-massage and breathing exercises, introducing the dan tien and the importance of breathing as one practices qigong.

As Gonzalez leads the practice, he is flanked by two students, giving the viewer a feeling of participating with others. This warm-up is followed by a brief demonstration of qigong in practice by Dr. Ziang Hong-Lin, a qigong master and director of the Chinese government qigong research center in Beijing, with an introduction to what he calls "qigong mind."

The second tape leads the student through the warm-up exercises, the six healing sounds exercises, and the practice session of Tiger Mountain, without detailed instruction so that the student can follow along and develop the state of qigong mind.

Like everything in life, this instructional video set reflects the ground from which it sprang. Teachers Emilio Gonzalez and George Wedemeyer have long been devoted to promoting the practice of qigong to as many people as possible, particularly those with challenging health problems. When they met in San Francisco in 1989, Gonzalez had been teaching tai chi for ten years, and Wedemeyer had been practicing qigong for several years. Both felt the practice was vital in their own health programs and they were aware that while there were a number of teachers in the city, their classes were too rigorous for people who were sick.

At their own expense, and with the approval of Master Kai Ying Tung, they began to offer free qigong classes in San Francisco, and over the years taught over 6,000 students, most of whom were diagnosed with cancer, HIV/AIDS, or other chronic immune diseases. Many of their students were referred to their classes by acupuncturists, hospitals, and doctors. The results they saw with their students turned Wedemeyer and Gonzalez into crusaders for qigong.

In 1993, both were presenters at the first International Conference on Chinese Medicine, AIDS and HIV, at San Francisco State University, and they have continued to make presentations at this and other AIDS-related conferences around the country. Convinced of the immense value of traditional Chinese medicine in increasing the survival rate and improving the quality of life for those with cancer, AIDS, and other serious illnesses, they have extended their efforts to bring about reforms in health care policies that will make these treatments available to more people.

Qigong for Health was made in response to the requests of students and conference attendeesóboth patients and health care providersófor a video to meet the needs of people who were either too weak to attend classes on a regular basis, or who lived in parts of the country where no classes were available. An extraordinary community effort made the video project possible. The two collaborators put their heads together and enlisted the financial support of friends and the volunteer participation of a host of creative people to produce Qigong for Health. "We had over a hundred and sixty contributors," says Gonzalez, "who donated fifty dollars each in exchange for a video when it was done."

In addition, contributions of labor, technical assistance and facilities came together to fulfill a common vision. Production crew, producer, director cameramen, make-up artist, all of whom worked for PBS station KQED-TV, San Francisco, volunteered their time and talents. Chevron Corporation donated the use of their San Francisco sound-proof studio and San Francisco Symphony musician Roger Weismeyer composed an original score which was performed by Marie Tamburino on flute, both pro bono. The high quality of professional involvement and the sincere motivation of the instructors make this video an excellent guide to developing a successful qigong practice.

Not content to stop his crusade with the production of Qigong for Health, Wedemeyer continued to lead his community in the acceptance of traditional Chinese medicine. In 1995 and again in 1999, he persuaded the City of San Francisco to include acupuncture and herbal medicine in their health care coverage for city employees, and convinced City officials to provide funding and increase the use of acupuncture in drug/alcohol detoxification programs.

Wedemeyer was helpful in organizing the National Guild of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine under the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) AFL-CIO. As vice president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFL-CIO), Local 2391, he recently led a delegation of unions and insurance companies to Washington, DC. The group met with members of Congress and top administrators for the Insurance Policy & Information Division of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to discuss the expansion of federal employeeís health benefits coverage to include acupuncture and herbal medicines. Federal employees are the largest purchasers of health care in the U.S. and have historically set new standards for the nation as a whole.

Officials of OPM pointed out to the delegation that they could not direct HMOs to include acupuncture in federal health care coverage but later sent out a newsletter asking HMO's to begin considering the inclusion of acupuncture in their health coverage for federal employees. OPM agreed to confer with the National Guild of Acupuncture as they implement policy in this area particularly in the area of Drug/Alcohol programs.

As community activists, Gonzalez and Wedemeyer turned their classes into a community project and became crusaders for Chinese medicine. Now they ask you to be a part of it!

Anyone interested in taking responsibility for improving or maintaining their mental and physical health and well-being will find this an inspiring, useful, and effective tool. Itís a great gift for your loved ones, and a powerful prescription for your patients. Qigong for Health is available now for $39.95, through Immune Enhancement Project, Tel: 1-800-835-6555, a community-service acupuncture clinic in San Francisco providing health care to low-income patients, and the recipient of all proceeds of the sale of the video.

This is a gift that benefits not only the recipient but also the acupuncture community as a whole.