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April 2012 group at the lakeside restaurant (Mina, front row, second from right; Rick on back row)
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Radiating smile reflection of springtime calm lake |
What our students say......
"I'm convinced that if I lived in China for the rest of my life I will always be awed by it's beauty and mystery. For me it is a grown up playground that makes life worth living. It is clear to me why you feel it is so necessary that the serious students of QiGong need to come to China. In fact I would say that the QiGong student who does not experience China will never understand the true wonder of the art. " - Tom Shirley, USA
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“Luke Chan's generosity of spirit is astounding. It is totally effortless as it comes from love. He loves the Tao, so he transmits love. Natural Long Life Tao - love yourself, love others, love nature. He is what he teaches, reminding us with passion that we are all born masters, on the way to returning to being One, like when we were babies.” - Mina Seymour，England
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"We have learned several qigong skills, each one of which yields a new and positive result. The purpose of the training is to improve memory, personal power, creativity and health. It is extraordinarily well designed and yields multiple benefits including more energy, vitality, relaxation, and calmness. Luke enriches the training with stimulating discussions on the I Ching, the Tao Te Ching, Taoism, Buddhism, and Confusionism. He is extremely knowledgeable and well-informed. Luke models the practices and does not impose his point of view or values on us. He encourages us to find our own way. Every day there are delightful surprises and new challenges." - Rick Bellingham, USA
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"The New Year began and I sensed that my qi gong practice was incomplete and unfocused. Then I saw the invitation to study for a month in China with Luke. It seemed like it was meant to be. Here was the opportunity to learn in a small group situation, have the program tailor-made for my level and capability, be taught Eastern knowledge in a way that is accessible to my Western mind! As far as I know, there is nothing offered like this elsewhere. I decided to accept the invitation and enter into it without preconceived notions of what it would be like. Now that I am back home, it is starting to dawn on me how rare the month of May was for me. I believe that Luke's unique contribution to the study of qi gong is his devotion to helping his students build a solid foundation. The smallest beginning step in connecting with the chi field is the most important. He refuses to hurry a student into superficial "progress." Instead he gives his all trying to impart to his students to what is basic and so they can appreciate that working at mastery of the simplest level is the key to a most profound qi gong practice. It was truly amazing to perform the same movements I had been doing and see how they were a completely new exercise once I had a different mindset toward them. We did the same movements over and over, day after day. And with each day came a newness to the repetition. I feel humble about my accomplishment this past month, but I also feel greatly encouraged and excited knowing that I came home with a clear idea of what direction my qi gong practice should take. The setting in Zhongshan was ideal. What an experience for us students to be the only foreign faces for the entire month! The city is thriving, yet relaxed. Mango trees line the avenues. I'd never been somewhere that umbrellas were used as parasols. And the food...! I indulged in all the lychee fruit I could possibly eat whenever I wanted it. I will never know the names of many fruits and vegetables, but I purely enjoyed them without labelling. (That applies to the home cooking as well as the restaurant fare.) Our month occurred at a time of intense change for Luke's household since son Peter was just two weeks old when we arrived, yet they opened their hearts as well as their home to us. It is impossible to separate what I learned in qi gong from the atmosphere that surrounded that learning. Although a bit nostalgic as I write this, I am glad to be home and get on with my life. I am fueled by what I experienced - literally. Life is good! " - Danuta, Canada
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"After a few years practicing yôga with good attendance, certainly I have seen improvement, which always seemed to me very fast, leading me inevitably to acquire a certain body awareness. However, some limitations have not yet been overcome and the advance became slower with time.
Continuing the practice of Chi Lel, before the end of the second week I could finally feel accomplished, realizing significant changes in me. My body awareness has changed incredibly. It was not noticeably gradually over months or years, as in yôga, instead it happened almost instantly.
Noting this change I decided to do some ásanas, and then came the big surprise: "suddenly" I was able to remain in positions of standing balance that until the day before I absolutely couldn’t, as for example vakra jánúrdhásana. Then I took a step further: I tried it closing my eyes and although it was not so stable, of course, I still could stand. I never managed to do it before.
During these days here in China I observe significant changes in my friend Jailto, who is 70 old since November, and who is transforming his life so deep that many 20 years old people think they will not have enough time to do! Changes take place at all levels, physical, spiritual and emotional. He is healthier, happier and more stable than I witnessed since I first met him.
The clarity and stability experiment by me in moments of sitting meditation has also been incredibly different from what I could achieve in previous years, but certainly I can speak more broadly about the whole experience after the next few days, when I return to daily life and better integrate all learning." - Bergson from Brasil
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