Hello, my name is Claire and I’m twenty eight years old. I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the age of five, and spent the next ten years in and out of hospital being pumped full of loads of drugs. I was in a cycle of treatment which involved six weeks bed rest in traction, followed by six weeks of physio. As you can imagine I hated it. When I was on bed-rest, I was in hospital and couldn’t go to school and be with my friends. For the second six weeks I’d be at home with a tutor three hours a day. Everything I wanted to do including going outside with my mates was impossible. From the age of ten I spent most of my time in a wheelchair which I absolutely hated. They eventually took the large wheeled chair away from me (which you can control yourself) because I was doing stunts in it and was classed as a danger to my own health! I was in cycle of flare ups which meant there were times when I felt o.k. (and made the most of it!) and times where I was completely incapacitated.
At fifteen, I swore I would never use a wheelchair again. I became a stubborn teenager and decided I would be like everyone else and my body would just have to cope. I started doing all the normal teenage stuff and I often overdid things which meant I’d be laid up for a few days but I always thought it was worth it! I decided to get a motorbike. My family and the doctors were NOT HAPPY. It seemed that I was not in any worse health for taking matters into my own hands, and in fact I felt a lot better and stronger because I was actually getting up and moving. I certainly felt different through moving a bit more. At seventeen the head doctor signed me off because not only had I improved, I’d also stopped taking advice from him.
For the next few years I wasn’t too bad. I was busy, I’d worked, I had a social life and I drank a lot of alcohol. Unfortunately, this didn’t last and my back started to get really bad which meant I was back to being laid up and couldn’t work. At this point I was forced to register myself disabled. I hated the label and the thought that people might feel sorry for me. In my mind it felt like giving in.
Possibly due to being laid up so much, I developed a spinal abscess and then over the next two years I had a back operation every four months. This did me in. I never had time to recover from one operation before I was having the next and the pain was indescribable. Halfway through this treatment I tried a Tai Chi class a couple of times with Sarah B. I liked it but was still going in and out of hospital.
I kept Sarah’s number and after the last operation took it up again as I thought it might help me recover. At the beginning I did one class a week and then would lie down for the rest of the week! Slowly I started to regain strength and there were fewer days in bed and more on my feet. Sarah was doing Buqi which I’d never heard of and encouraged me to come for some treatments and massage. I thought Buqi was weird. The idea that someone could influence my health without touching me seemed like a load of crap, but it really works! Sarah also managed to get me to attend the Taijiwuxigong classes. I have to say, the first experience of a Taijiwuxigong class was nuts! I felt like I was in the loony bin. It was different to anything I’d ever tried. Strangely I started to feel a lot better and had a lot more energy. Over time, my health has significantly improved. I’ve gone from being a weekend binge drinker to not drinking at all. My body just seems to not like me to drink anymore. The other surprising thing is that I’ve managed to come off the codeine that I’ve been completely reliant on for the past fifteen years. This has meant that all the horrible side effects have gone. I now attend at least three classes a week and am able to do all the things I want nearly all the time. There are times when I overdo things (this is my nature!) but I am learning that I do have to pace myself. One of my friends put it very well….In the past it was rare to see me walking without a limp and in constant back pain. Now it’s rare to see me with a limp and my back is just so much better. At the moment I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been. Sarah has shown me a system that has turned my life around. I have always wanted to have some control over my body and now I feel like I have. I can do as much or as little as I want, but if I do work, I get the result. I think Dr Shen’s system is brilliant.
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How I got into Taijiwuxigong and why I continue to practice it in class and at home
By Eleanor Sargosie
At a health crisis point in my life, I started Tai Chi. I then moved on to Taijiwuxigong which enabled me to work fully on releasing emotions and blockages held in my muscles for years.
I continue Taijiwuxigong classes as the benefits of the sessions have increased over the last year. The benefits are as follows: My back has become less rigid and more comfortably upright. The release of emotion whilst doing some of the exercises, have freed my mind to work more clearly and effectively for longer periods of time. The increased ease that I feel at times in my body as a whole is such a pleasure -giving me greater confidence and pride in myself.
Lastly, I need to add that the class teacher, Sarah, although directive i! n class, is always flexible and responds not only to individual members needs, but to the needs of the group as a whole.
Yes, I thoroughly recommend Taijiwuxigong for better health and well being.
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Nobody was more surprised than me when I had a stroke three years ago aged forty eight. I have been a vegetarian half my life, was careful with my salt intake and as a good cook, I know I was eating properly. In general, I felt I always looked after my health very well. I ended up in hospital unable to speak and unable to move from my bed. I spent three months in hospital and although I’ve no complaints about the treatment I received there, as an out patient there was virtually no support and the treatment dwindled off to nothing. Once I had refused botox treatment (mainly because no-one gave me any information whatsoever, about the side effects or the long term implications) I received little help. After six visits from the physio, that was it. When I was distressed about the lack of assistance, I wrote to the hospital and was told there was a ‘gap in service’ which could be because of lack of funding, or because occasionally there were no staff trained to further the work In other words, a few short sessions of physio and you were left to your own devices.
Of course, stroke does not just affect the physical body and I feel at that time, I was quite literally mentally impaired. I couldn’t understand a lot of what was said to me and making my own decisions was impossible (I am still fighting to this day to get my brain working on all cylinders). Once I came home I felt it should have been essential to my recovery to receive ongoing monitoring and assistance, with the absolutely vital exercises that were needed both to stimulate my brain and to encourage my muscles to work and relax. I left hospital doing press ups and am only just starting to work towards that again now.
I decided to go in a different direction for help and started by visiting a local Chinese Doctor, where I had some acupuncture and massage. I then got in contact with an acupuncturist friend who had also studied Buqi with Dr Shen Hongxun. The treatments I received from him were, I feel, better than that I’d had from the conventional doctors.
The opportunity came to meet Dr Shen, as he was giving a talk in Bristol and my friend encouraged me to go. He suggested I sit at the front and then if Dr Shen was to give a Buqi demonstration, I might be the recipient of a short treatment! I was lucky enough for this to happen and I came away interested enough to pursue it further and booked a treatment with one of the practitioners there and then.
I then discovered there was a Taijiwuxigong class starting in Bath and took myself along. The class is run by Sarah and I have been attending now for eleven months. I know that I am receiving a lot of benefit from these classes and although there are many exercises I can’t fully do, I still feel better both mentally and physically. I believe the combination of treatments I now receive, (Including, with Sarah, weekly Buqi treatments, massage therapy and Taijiwuxigong,) help me to feel a great deal better and are giving me more movement slowly but surely. All my therapy for the past two years has been with people who have worked with Dr Shen Hongxun. Six months ago I couldn’t rely on my memory, whereas now I feel both my thought processes and memory are becoming more effective.
This has led me to regain my self-confidence.
Stephen Coles
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I came to Sarah’s class after a long period of alcoholism and depression. I had stopped drinking and taking medication, but was still experiencing difficulties with my mental attitude and dealing with my emotions. I found Taijiwuxigong very beneficial compared to the counselling I was receiving. In class I work through my stuff physically rather than just talking about it. I have found it particularly good for releasing anger and stress, often leaving me laughing uncontrollably! As well as complimenting my experience of other holistic therapies, Taijiwuxigong has given me a deeper understanding of my potential for self-healing and helped me to utilize it.
TOBY AGED 34
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I have found Taijiwuxigong to be second to none in terms of exercise to improve strength, flexibility and posture. As a healthcare practitioner, I also find that it gives me the energy and positivity I need to deal with the illness of others. Sarah is a very supportive and enthusiastic teacher and is able to work effectively with people of all ages and abilities, while at the same time creating a fun, learning environment. ELAINE -CHIROPRACTOR
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How I got into Taijiwuxigong and why I continue to practice it in class and at home
By Eleanor Sargosie
At a health crisis point in my life, I started Tai Chi. I then moved on to Taijiwuxigong which enabled me to work fully on releasing emotions and blockages held in my muscles for years.
I continue Taijiwuxigong classes as the benefits of the sessions have increased over the last year. The benefits are as follows: My back has become less rigid and more comfortably upright. The release of emotion whilst doing some of the exercises, have freed my mind to work more clearly and effectively for longer periods of time. The increased ease that I feel at times in my body as a whole is such a pleasure -giving me greater confidence and pride in myself.
Lastly, I need to add that the class teacher, Sarah, although directive i! n class, is always flexible and responds not only to individual members needs, but to the needs of the group as a whole.
Yes, I thoroughly recommend Taijiwuxigong for better health and well being.
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– Hi, where are you off to? Not an exercise class? You’re not the type.
– Actually I AM going to a class it’s called, Taijiwuxigong.
-Come again???
– Taijiwuxigong, but as it is such a mouthful we call it Qigong.
-What is it all about?
– It’s a set of exercises drawn from Tai chi. During the movements we concentrate on different parts of the body…shoulders, chest, back etc…
It was devised by Dr Shen (he’s a Tai Chi Grandmaster and a qualified doctor). He taught Sarah, our instructor.
– I’ve heard of Tai chi and seen those people in red on the BBC. Never heard of Qigong.
– Sarah is also a buqi therapist, she trained with Dr Shen for that too.
– OK. What’s buqi?
– It is part of Qigong. It is a way of healing yourself. Everyone is so stressed out these days and this leads to backache, tension, depression….
-And you’ve been there, done that and got THAT t-shirt, right?
– Too right! But since I’ve been going to Qigong I feel absolutely great: no more headaches, no tightness across the forehead, no more crying for no reason. I’ve come off the pills and am really calm.
-Yes, I’ve noticed the difference. You look better too.
-Thanks, was I that bad before?
– What happens in class?
-Sarah carefully takes us through each exercise, step by step. We follow what she does. She is so patient. If you don’t get it right at first she helps you get your body in the correct position.
After a few weeks you get to know how to do each move. The moves are slow and you concentrate on making sure you are in the right position. At first I didn’t think much was happening but I’ve been going for 6 months now and I can really feel a difference. My back is straighter, and I’m getting less pain. My osteopath says he can see a big change too.
-Can anyone do it?
– Course. If you are bit unsteady, most of the exercises you can do sitting down.
Sarah is just amazing. We have good laugh in class too.
She runs classes in Bristol, Bath and Weston-super Mare.
– Perhaps I’ll try it.
– It will be the best thing you’ll ever do! If I hadn’t gone to a class I probably would still be screwed up.
Maggie (56yrs) Teacher
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Since practicing Taijiwuxigong I have felt stronger and more flexible, both really good things to happen as you get older. If I practice first thing in the morning, then it gives me a ‘jump-start’ for the rest of the day.
All in all, I wouldn’t be without it, but you do need a good teacher, and Sarah is that.
Angela
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Sarah’s classes are relaxed and enjoyable, but with a serious purpose. While students at some classes seem to come and go, the numbers at Sarah’s classes just seem to keep grow! ing. She is particularly good with new students. I have been a student for Taijiwuxigong for over three years and have studied with Dr. Shen and other teachers, but I still get to Sarah’s classes as often as I can.
Sarah’s classes are so deceptively down-to-earth that it is easy to forget that what she is teaching is way beyond the ordinary. JR
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I used to suffer from insomnia, but since regularly attending Sarah’s classes, I have a good night’s sleep every night. Sarah’s Qi Gong classes have really helped my post-natal back problem. I also used to get a lot of shoulder and neck pain, especially when driving, but since attending Sarah’s classes that has all gone. Sarah is a very
knowledgeable and experienced teacher who always gives a lot of individual help and advice within her classes. I always feel a million times better after one of her classes and I would recommend them to anyone.
R. Curnow
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Hello, my name is Valerie. I am seventy two years of age. I have been doing Tai Chi for eighteen months. I really enjoy it and it has been so beneficial for me. I was anxious about starting because of my health problems, but I find it has helped with my mobility and flexibility. I feel more confident and my health has improved. Sarah, my instructor, has been great. She is patient with us all and instils confidence and fun. I am so glad I started. My great Granddaughter, aged nine, has started with me, so it proves you are never too young or too old to try new experiences.
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I have been learning Tai Chi with Sarah now for eighteen months. I have really enjoyed this form of exercise, which has helped to give me a more positive outlook on life. I always feel a mixture of relaxation and exhilaration after every session. I am not very good at remembering sequences of moves and copying mirror images, but Tai Chi has enabled me to do this in a way I could not have imagined. I have also noticed that my fingers and hips have become more flexible and less painful. Most exercise doesn’t work on these two areas and it is lovely not to feel those old aches and pains when the Winter comes on.
Recently I have started the Taijiwuxigong session and have felt even greater benefits from this. I have felt energised in my daily life and more willing to change. The only way I can describe this Qigong is like having an internal massage and feeling good afterwards. Not without effort though! Vicky
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I’d been ill for many years with M.E, and during that time was always looking for a form of exercise that was compatible with my level of disability. I had tried Yoga but had found this too strenuous, and it didn’t really suit me. In Taijiwuxigong I found a form of exercise that was able to accommodate whatever state I might be in. If I could only lie down and do it, that was okay; if I could only sit and do it , that was okay; if I could stand that was okay too. Now having done Taijiwuxigong for a year, every part of my body feels stronger and more connected. I find a practice that incorporates energetic work much more stimulating and interesting than conventional forms of exercise. Not only is my physical self being helped, my energetic self is being strengthened. Through this practice, I seem to be able to separate my feelings of illness from my sense of happiness, so even though I still have M.E and am somewhat disabled, I feel much happier in myself. What I really like about Taijiwuxigong is that it’s a form of exercise and healing that I can do at any time, so I’m able to help myself.
Sarah’s strength lies in the fact that though she has known illness herself, she has found a way out of the maze of illness using Taijiwuxigong and Buqi and this comes through very clearly in her classes. She practices what she preaches.
Tim Aged 54