Qigong course by Shaolin Wahnam Singapore

Sleep better, stay healthy and be filled with enery by practising just 15 minutes a day

A Shaolin Wahnam qigong class in Singapore (the Foundation Course) - where you will learn powerful skills to restore the good health you deserve

[Quick summary: If you are suffering from poor health, long-term illnesses, pain or a general lack of energy, the skills you will learn in this 10-week course will let you get back good and even great health. Read on to find out why we can tell you that you can be cured of just about any illness or health problem. The course comes with an unparalled 100% satisfaction guarantee.]

"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." - World Health Organization, 1948

"Just because you're not sick doesn't mean you're healthy." - Author Unknown

What is good health? Seems like a simple question, but it is surprising that many people cannot put a finger on it. Most people think that "not getting sick" or "no heart attacks" means health. I don't know about you, but that concept of health is nothing short of tragic. Health is not the absence of illness but being filled with energy, vitality and enthusiasm for life. Now, would you prefer just to keep serious illnesses at bay, or be full of zest AND free from pain and sickness?

Have you ever asked yourself if there is another way to good health without popping pills and vitamin supplements, and relying on tonics all the time? There is nothing wrong with supplements and tonics, but when they become the primary (or only) way for you to feel better, isn't that something to worry about? Years ago, I met a friend of mine working in a large law firm, and he recounted to me the sad stories of his firm's partners (in law firms, "partners" are not people who work with you but rather the owners of the firm - apologies to those who already know this).

These partners, he told me, were in a perpetual state of malaise. When they finished sneezing and sniffing, they would start coughing and feel feverish. He would see them pop pills in their mouths, day in day out, for every single week of the year. Some of these partners had an impressive cocktail of vitamin supplements from A to Z on their desktops, which they ingested religiously. But as anyone who has worked in a high-stress environment can tell you, supplements help very little when there are looming deadlines and incessant phone calls.

Health problems are of course not limited to highly-paid professional on the cutting edge and high-stress environments. An alarmingly large number of all office workers suffer from chronic neck, shoulder and back pain. The increasing number of massage outlets offering a quick lunch-time 20 minute neck massage tells you that this sort of problems are fast becoming a trend - an unhealthy trend.

I had an ex-colleague who, after 5 months into the job, began to complain to me that he could no longer sleep at night, and if he could, it took him hours of tossing and turning. At that time, having already practised my Shaolin Cosmos Qigong for a couple of years, I was initially caught by surprise because I had totally forgotten what it was like to suffer from insomnia. Then, I went around the office quietly surveying who else had problems sleeping at night (actually, it was more like early morning, given our work schedules). The answer stunned me - everyone I asked! No one could sleep well at night!

You have the right to be healthy

“Health is a large word. It embraces not the body only, but the mind and spirit as well; ...and not today's pain or pleasure alone, but the whole being and outlook of a man.” - James H. West

If any of the case studies above describe you and your current situation, you are definitely not alone. But I would like to let you know an inspiring truth that has already brought hope to thousands of people: Good health is your birth right. That’s right. You don’t have to settle for being ill all the time.

The lifestyle of the modern Singaporean (or an average person in the modern economy) is very damaging to the body and mind. Problems like stress, migraine headaches, persistent cough and colds, depression, insomnia, fatigue have become a part of our lives – and they should not be!

Even trying to deal with these problems can become create worse problems. You could take pills to help your insomnia, but you know in your heart that popping pills are not good for you.

I love going for spas and massage sessions myself, but they can be inconvenient. Even with a premium membership, you cannot always walk in at a moment's notice for an instant "help-me" session when your shoulders and neck are screaming in pain. Worst of all, you end up being totally dependent on something or someone else to temporarily relieve (not eliminate, mind you) your problems.

Wouldn't you want to have the power to totally heal yourself, rather than rely on someone else who may not be around when you need him most?

If you are currently experiencing any chronic pain or illness, Shaolin Cosmos Qigong may just what you are looking for. Once you have the basic skills, you only need to practice 15 minutes twice a day to turn your life around and purge harmful toxins from your body, mind and emotions. With regular daily practice you will positively be amazed at the changes taking place in you. And as my fellow instructor, Chief Instructor (UK), Marcus Santer puts it so well, “the best bit is there are no expensive annual memberships, no need for any special equipment and you can practice in the privacy and convenience of your own home or wherever in the world you may find yourself.

Grandmaster Wong practising Liftng the Sky

Now, you may be thinking that this is all too good to be true, I know I did when I first started practising Shaolin Chi Kung 8 years ago. So it will interest you to know that up until 30 years ago, the … Shaolin Chi Kung was a very closely guarded secret of an elite few. But thanks to the pioneering work of my teacher (4th Generation Shaolin Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit, or Sifu as his students call him) you now have the incredible opportunity to apply and benefit from the health defence art known as Shaolin Chi Kung. Sifu realised that there was an urgent public need for Chi Kung, particularly in overcoming degenerative and psychiatric illnesses.

Sifu is one of the few masters who have generously introduced the once secretive Shaolin Chi Kung to the public, and has helped many people to obtain relief from or overcome so-called incurable diseases like hypertension, asthma, rheumatism, arthritis, diabetes, migraine, gastritis, gall stones, kidney failure, depression, anxiety. I consider myself blessed to have been taught these healing arts by Sifu and to be able to share them with my own students.

The practise of Shaolin Chi Kung won't make you a super human being or stop unwanted things happening in your life. I'm sorry to say that problems and stress are a sign of life!

The practice of Shaolin Chi Kung will allow you to increase your resistance to illness, increase your ability to handle stress, increase your ability to harness the power of your wonderful mind and increase your joy for life. This same Art can help you to get rid of pain and illness from your life for ever.

It may seem confusing that Shaolin Chi Kung can overcome pain and illness, whatever your symptoms, and at the same time maintain and enhance health if you already have it. But this is the beauty of Shaolin Chi Kung and one of the main aspects that makes it so powerful if you want to live a long and healthy life. No matter where you are starting out from. Whether you currently have a so-called incurable disease or enjoy poor health or are already fairly healthy, the practise of Shaolin Chi Kung will be of great service to you.

Shaolin Chi Kung is the art of deliberately managing your vital energy - the energy that keeps you alive. It is built upon the scientific principals of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a model of medicine (there are many approaches to medicine, Western medicine being one of them) that has kept the largest population on the planet healthy and happy, and helped them to successfully overcome all illness, for the longest period of accurately recorded history. Put simply - it works! In fact, in the TCM model of health there is only 1 illness (you'll have to buy the book to find out what it is and how the practise of Shaolin Chi Kung can overcome/prevent it).

Shaolin Chi Kung consists of simple, gentle movements of the body, co-ordinated with the breath, performed in a meditative state of mind. It is simple, direct and effective. It is a joy to practise and quickly brings benefits that make your daily practise something which you will look forward to doing each day.”

(Chief Instructor (UK) Marcus Santer is also the author of what is one of the best books on qigong available to the public today. Click here to read about this fascinating book.)

Don't be a slave to pills and drugs

“The longer I live the less confidence I have in drugs and the greater is my confidence in the regulation and administration of diet and regimen.” - John Redman Coxe, 1800

“Sometimes I get the feeling the aspirin companies are sponsoring my headaches.” - V.L. Allineare

Now, how is it that we can say that qigong can give you back your health, when even the best-trained doctors may not? First of all, we are not saying that you should stop taking your medication (if you have prescribed any) or that you should not see a doctor if you are feeling unwell. Qigong is not a panacea for every ailment under the sun. If you have been hit with a bout of food poisoning, the smart thing to do is to take a course of antibiotics to kill the germs causing you the pain, not take a month-long course of qigong to slowly purge the toxins (but you can certainly use the qigong course to rebuild your health).

But far too many of us have been addicted to a pop-a-pill culture. Both Marcus and I, as well as the other Shaolin Wahnam instructors, feel very strongly about modern society’s addiction to quick-fix drugs. When you are in constant pain, suffer from chronic fatigue and feel lousy, taking Panadol all the time is not the way to go.

At the risk of repeating ourselves, good health is your birth-right. You will hear this time and again, if you participate in our classes. Stop for a moment and consider how inspiring this is. You were born with the natural ability to be healthy, to combat and conquer all those viruses and bacteria that are in the air around you, and to live your life to the fullest. We who are alive have much to rejoice about.

How Qigong works

To understand how genuine qigong works, you need to understand the basic philosophy of Chinese medicine and healing. As my teacher, Grandmaster Wong explained at the Second World Congress on Qigong held in San Francisco from 21st to 23rd November 1997 where he was presented with the "Qigong Master of the Year" award:

“According to statistics, one out of five persons in the United States suffers from cancer, and the situation in other parts of the world is equally bad. Yet, the top killer today, especially in developed countries, is cardiovascular diseases. Other chronic, degenerative diseases like asthma, diabetes, peptic ulcer, arthritis, rheumatism and other bodily pains are also causing much suffering.

The crucial point I wish to share with you today, and with the world, is that cancer and chronic, degenerative diseases can be cured by practising qigong. This claim, made earnestly, is based not only on sound medical philosophy but also on my many years' experience in curing patients from these diseases. Many other qigong masters also have similar success. I shall present the philosophical explanation of qigong cure in this plenary session, then demonstrate relevant qigong techniques in subsequent workshops.

To understand how and why practising qigong can cure cancer and chronic, degenerative diseases, it is necessary to be aware that the conventional western medical paradigm is not the only correct way of looking at health care and disease treatment. Another way, time-tested through many centuries, is the traditional Chinese medical paradigm. It would be inspiring for us to know that the Chinese medical system is the one that has maintained the health and sanity of the world's largest population for the longest period of known history.

According to Chinese medical philosophy, there is no such a thing as an incurable disease, although a patient may be incurable if his disease, even a simple one, has done damage beyond a certain threshold. The starting point of Chinese medical practice is that every person is by nature healthy. Just a few minutes of reflection can verify the truth of this premise.

All round you, as well as around everyone in the world, are literally millions and millions of germs that can cause deadly diseases. You are constantly subjected to wear and tear inside your body, and exposed to all types of stress as well as to powerful radiation from outer space. Yet, despite all these disease causing factors affecting you all the time, you remain sane and healthy. Indeed, if not for our natural ability to overcome diseases and regenerate ourselves, no one can stay alive for even a short time.

Then, why do diseases occur in some persons? It is because their body systems have failed to adjust themselves to the disease causing environment. In Chinese medical philosophy this failure is referred to as yin-yang disharmony, yin symbolizing the body systems, and yang the disease causing agents. Happily, the norm is yin-yang harmony: health is our natural birth-right. Illness by whatever names we may label its symptoms, is unnatural, and can be remedied.

Let us take cancer as an example. It is an undeniable fact that we are literally living in an ocean of carcinogens, and are bombarded by radiation every moment. In other words, carcinogens and radiation that cause cancer in one out of five persons in the United States and elsewhere also affect the other four persons. Indeed, what we should ask is not why one out of five persons gets cancer, but why four out of five do not. Actually, according to cancer experts, everyone gets cancer not once or twice, but thousands of times in his life-time, and the same thousands of times he overcomes cancer usually without his conscious knowing. It is only when a person's systems fail to function as they naturally function that cancer or any illness surfaces as a clinical disease.

Let us take another example, that of arteriosclerosis. If too much fat is deposited at the inner walls of an artery, it will restrict the smooth flow of flood, resulting in serious problems. As western medicine at this present stage does not understand the cause of the symptoms collectively labeled as arteriosclerosis, it cannot offer an effective cure. The public have a general impression that if one eats too much fat, he is more likely to have arteriosclerosis. But actually you and most people take more fat than arteriosclerosis patients, yet you do not suffer from the disease. This is because your body systems can adjust to the fat, whereas the body systems of the patients have failed in their natural function.

The therapeutic approach in conventional medicine is to prescribe a particular treatment for a particular disease. This is effective when the cause of the disease is known, such as in malaria and tuberculosis. But when the cause is unknown, as in cancer and chronic, degenerative diseases, prescribing a treatment to cure the disease becomes theoretically impossible. Treatment therefore is relegated to the purpose of relieving symptoms, not actually relieving the disease.

You may be interested to know that in Chinese medical philosophy, physicians do not treat the disease -- they treat the patient. Chinese physicians are not concerned with treating cancer or arteriosclerosis, but with getting their patients well. Superficially, treating diseases and restoring patients' health may appear the same, but a deeper examination will show that they are crucially different, and in the case of cancer and chronic, degenerative diseases, it is a difference of resignation or hope, of suffering or recovery.

The Chinese physicians restore the patients' health by restoring yin-yang harmony. In more familiar western terms, it means restoring the natural ability of the patients to overcome illness. Let us not forget that the same factors that cause cancer or any chronic, degenerative disease in a patient also affect other people, but other people do not succumb to the disease despite the presence of disease causing factors because their body systems function naturally to overcome them. More significantly, before the onset of the disease, the patient himself has this natural ability.

While they may be countless immediate factors causing the body systems to fail in their natural functions, the root cause is due to the following two factors

Energy blockage disrupting the flow of energy to work the body systems.
Insufficient energy to work the systems.

For example, if the energy flow informing the body that there are cancer cells or fat is interrupted, the body would not trigger the necessary natural mechanism to adjust to the disease causing environment. Or if the body does not have sufficient energy, it would not be able to adjust to the environment effectively. After all, life is a meaningful flow of energy. If this energy flow is disrupted or insufficient, illness would occur.

Qigong is the art of energy, and its fundamental objective is to promote harmonious energy flow. In western terms, this means ensuring that the energy that provides the feed-back system, that produces just the right hormones in the body, that repairs wear and tear, that disposes off toxic waste, that provides immunity and self defense, and that does countless other tasks that keep you, me and everyone else healthy and alive, is functioning naturally. This is achieved in two main ways, which are also the two main aspects of qigong training, namely:

Clearing energy blockage.
Increasing energy level.

When energy blockage is cleared and when there is sufficient energy to work the body's natural functions, yin-yang harmony is restored. Qigong accomplishes this very well. Qigong is a viable and essential practice for enhancing everyday life, as well as an effective factor in mainstream health care. Medical professionals trained in other medical systems apart from the Chinese, but interested to employ qigong in their noble work to save lives, need not abandon their own training. Qigong can be effectively and rewardingly incorporated into their present practice. This Second World Congress on Qigong where some of the world best known qigong masters and medical professionals meet, provide the opportunity and platform for this urgent co-operation for mutual benefit.”

My journey

“In order to change we must be sick and tired of being sick and tired.” - Author Unknown

For almost all my life, I suffered from acute chronic sinusitis, and generally a weak constitution. I had tried everything imaginable – from aromatherapy essential oils to the strongest antibiotics to surgery with zero effect (but some people have been cured using these methods – good for them). Qigong was my final hope.

After a few years in the fast-paced corporate world, I also suffered from chronic pain in my neck and shoulders. I can still remember one afternoon when the pain became so agonising that I simply could not work at all. In desperation, I asked all my colleagues if there was any place I could go for a massage to remove the pain. One of my colleagues recommended a tui-na place in Bishan. On my way there, I was in so much pain that I was literally in tears. During the massage therapy, I relished the painful massage which brought me blessed albeit temporary relief.

I quickly realised that I could not depend on another person for my health. I remember thinking what would happen when the old man giving me the massage passed on and there is no one to continue his good work. There and then, I decided I had to take personal control of curing myself of the terrible pain in my body and my sinuses for good.

If you live in Singapore, you know that qigong classes are everwhere, from the CCs to various parks. There are so many qigong classes – Taiji 18 steps, Zhineng qigong, Waidangong, Wild Goose and others which names I don’t even know. Years ago, I checked each of them out myself (back then, they weren’t even on the Internet yet).

I found a Taijiquan school teaching what I believed was genuine qigong. Interestingly, I was already in email contact with Grandmaster Wong who would later become my Sifu. I found the qigong course excellent. During my first session, I could feel something happening to my sinuses.

But after finishing the basic Taiji qigong course, I found something lacking. While the course let me feel some tangible effects, I could not help but feel that I was only scratching the surface of qigong. More crucially, I was still not confident that I could be free of my many health ailments.

I then decided to go for an intensive course with Grandmaster Wong, and this course changed my life. That course was the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship with my Sifu and Shaolin Wahnam. When my Sifu asked me to spread the Shaolin arts, and teach qigong (and the other arts) in Singapore, I was initially unwilling because I have always felt that students in Singapore should learn personally from my Sifu, as I did. After all, Malaysia, where my Sifu lives, is just across the border. But it soon dawned on me that this was unfair to those seekers who wanted to learn genuine qigong in Singapore. Not everyone can get away for an intensive course with my Sifu, and some just prefer to learn in Singapore and go back home to their families after class.

Why do you need an instructor or master anyway?

“The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book.” -Author Unknown

Anyone who has learnt martial arts, qigong, yoga or any medical art from a book would be able to identify how helpless one can feel when trying to learn the art. Someone who has not experienced the fantastic healing powers of high-level qigong can never understand that it cannot be picked up by reading up and assimilating theoretical knowledge.

In my opinion, there are only two reasons why anyone would think that he or she can learn qigong from a book or even a video – ignorance or arrogance. Qigong looks easy enough to learn – even old aunties can pick it up by joining a big group at community events, so why can’t well-read person learn it from a book? I should know. I made the same mistake once. I bought a book which described classical methods of practicing qigong, and immediately plunged into it. I remember trying to force the qi into my abdomen since the book advised that one should sink the qi to the dantian. Fortunately for me, the ill-effects manifested very quickly in the form of stomach pains. Others who were not so lucky suffered insidious internal injuries that only blew up years later.

An instructor is not there to just show you the forms and patterns. The instructor is there to guide you and correct you, but more importantly, to give you confidence. When you learn from a book, you will never be sure if you are doing it right, since there is no feedback mechanism (except for how you feel at the end of the practice session – but how will you know what the right feeling is?). If you are doing anything wrong, the instructor is there to correct you so you won’t persist in doing it wrongly. When an instructor guides you through the exercises step-by-step, he also frees you from the need to remember the written instructions in the book, and you just need to concentrate on mastering the skill. Some of my students have commented that my verbal instructions to them during the practice session are far fewer than those found in my Sifu’s own qigong books. This is also the case during my Sifu’s qigong courses. When a beginner is learning an art like qigong, the last thing he or she needs is a long series of complicated instructions to remember and comply with. The most fundamental skill in qigong is to relax and let go. How can that be possible when the student is busy trying not to keep up with instructions?

As the quote above suggests, a good teacher does much more than read out detailed instructions from a book. Any literate person can read text from a written document, but to help each student “get it”, the teacher must have learnt the material first, digested it and then teach it to his students in even more digestible form.

When it comes to learning an art or a skill, you should learn from someone who has “been there, done that”. Someone who has himself recovered from an illness using qigong, someone who has already walked the path you are about to walk. By following a path well-trodden, you will avoid most if not all of the pitfalls that inexperienced practitioners fall into.

What to look for in a qigong teacher?

There are "qigong entprepreneurs" who will charge you an arm and a leg just to teach pretty forms that are nothing more than gentle physical exercise. You owe it to yourself to educate yourself so you will not fall prey to these conmen..

Virtually every advertisement for qigong classes I have ever come across says the same thing – how to relax, have more energy and get healthy. That’s good to know but exactly what does that mean?

Before attending a qigong course, ask yourself two questions:

1. What are the actual benefits you want to get?

2. What should or can you do get all those benefits?

What are the benefits you want to get?

If you have perpetual tension in your shoulders or in your mind, qigong can not only bring you relief, but take away that tension and prevent it from ever coming back. If you suffer from chronic fatigue, practising qigong can fill you with more energy.

Notice that I said “can”, not “will”. Not everybody who has been taught the skills get the benefits. My Sifu often says there are three aspects to learning qigong – the master, the method and the student. If any of these three are deficient, the student will not learn much, less master the art to obtain its benefits.

Remember, if you want to learn genuine qigong, don't settle for learning gentle exercise that pass themselves off as qigong. Qigong is much, much more than just external exercises you do with your hands and legs. If physical exercise is what you want, you are better off playing a team sport or swimming. Genuine qigong practice will relieve (and if you practice a high-level qigong, even eliminate) chronic and degenerative diseases, manage stress, overcome pain and keep away common illnesses (or at least reduce their severity).

These are some of the tangible benefits you can expect from practising the Shaolin Cosmos Qigong taught in the Foundation Course:

Can’t fall asleep? Many Shaolin Wahnam students were able to fall asleep within minutes after practicing qigong.
Need alcohol to de-stress? You will find that genuine qigong relaxes you without the need for sedative, or mind-dulling beverages.
High blood pressure (hypertension)? Apply the qigong principles to your daily life and watch your blood pressure ease.
Depressed because of problems at work and at home? Learn how to smile at your problems and find solutions in the darkest situations.
Already healthy and strong? Qigong is not only for people who are not well. In fact, its forte is to strengthen the healthy even more, and prevent illnesses from attacking you in the first place.

How can you get the benefits of qigong practice?

First of all, you need to learn from, at the very least, a competent instructor. As I write above, the instructor must be someone who has actually gone through the process of learning what he is teaching you, and not someone who picked it up from books or a single weekend seminar.

In Singapore, we are quite fortunate in that most teachers of qigong are qualified to some extent. I was shocked to find out that in the United States, there are people who go for a weekend seminar and get certified to teach at the end of that weekend. Qigong, like yoga, is being cheapened by crass commercialisation.

I am not saying that one must practice for decades before being qualified as a qigong instructor or master, but the instructor must have personally practised what he teaches for a sufficiently long period of time and have undergone the same transformation of mind and body that he expects his students to go through. Otherwise, it is a case of the blind leading the blind.

When my Sifu first invited me to teach Shaolin Wahnam Cosmos Qigong, I hesitated, because I knew that teaching qigong is an awesome responsibility. As Shaolin Wahnam students know well, our qigong is much, much more than teaching external forms and gentle exercises. It literally changes a person from inside out. I mentioned a transformation of mind and body above, and this is precisely what happens to someone who practises genuine qigong. Teaching someone wrongly can cause him or her great harm.

It still amazes me that some quacks think that they are qualified to teach qigong after reading a few books. I am not the only qigong instructor in Singapore (although I am currently the only Shaolin Wahnam instructor here). I know other instructors, many of whom are personal friends. None of them would have dreamt of teaching until they had cultivated their art to a minimum level – one of my friends practised 4 hours every day for 2 years before he was prepared to teach. I myself have been practicing Shaolin Cosmos Qigong for 6 years under the tutelage of my Sifu (and before that, other martial arts).

Qigong was not invented by one person. It is the result of literally thousands of years of evolution and refinement, with many mistakes made along the way. Since Grandmaster Wong first made Shaolin Cosmos Qigong available to the public, thousands of Shaolin Wahnam students have regained their health by following the tried and tested methods. If you want to attain the benefits of qigong, isn’t it wiser to take the path that other successful aspirants have already taken?

Very often, the problem lies with the student. The case studies of our Grandmaster and the Shaolin Wahnam instructors have shown that there are usually just two underlying causes for a student not “getting” the art. The first is not practising daily. Unlike most forms of exercise, qigong can be done anywhere, and every day, so this has always been a little bit of a puzzle to us. We can only conclude that the student was never committed in the first place. Second, the student does not follow instructions, and tries to be too smart. The most obvious manifestation of this is thinking too much and intellectualising. The qigong we teach in Shaolin Wahnam works on energy and the mind, and has powerful consequences. So in the initial stages, the student must respectfully follow every instruction, including not to think about extraneous things during practice (it is not as difficult as it sounds – we will show you how during the course).

One prospective student once asked my Sifu:

“Question
If after learning either one of these great arts, how do we know whether or not we are doing it correctly; who gauges our progress ?”

Answer

“The best test is to access your results against the effects these arts are purported to give. As chi kung is purported to give good health, vitality and mental clarity, you should have these results if you have prctised it correctly. If you do not experience any noticeable results, it is likely you have correctly practised not chi kung but some form of gentle exercise that pretends to be chi kung.

Such a situatiion is more obvious in Taijiquan. Virtually all Taijiquan classics mention that Taijiquan develops internal force and is very effective for self defence. If you have practised what you think is Taijiquan for some time but do not know what internal force is or how to defend yourself, it is certain that you have not practised Taijiquan although you might have practised it correctly.

On the other hand, if you feel uncomfortable, painful, nervous, weak or sickly, what you practise may or may not be chi kung, kungfu or taijiquan, but you have practised it wrongly.

The best person to gauge your progress is your teacher -- if you have a good teacher. Because of his experience and wider perspective, he is usually a better person than you yourself to gauge your own progress. But if you have chosen a mediocre instructor as a teacher, who himself has little experience of what he teaches, obviously he is not a good judge.

But in your case, after you have completed the intensive course from me, you yourself would be a good judge as you would know exactly what to look for in your own accessment. Your friends too would be able to gauge your progress. If you have practised correctly what you have learnt from me, your friends would not fail to notice the good health and vitality in you.”

If you find yourself struggling, you are doing something wrong. Qigong, especially Shaolin Cosmos Qigong is fun and liberating. Just let me know if you have any problems and I will guide you throughout.

My students have access to me throughout the week, but the best part is that when they do call or SMS me, it is to report their progress.

You alone know the health problems that you want to overcome. You don’t have to take this on blind faith. And you shouldn’t. Give Shaolin Cosmos Qigong a try for 10 weeks, and if you don’t feel satisfied at the end of those 10 weeks, you get a full refund, no questions asked. More about this guarantee later.

Will people take advantage of the guarantee? Maybe. But not likely. Someone who wants to attend the course is serious about healing himself. Of course, not everyone will be cured of their health problems (at least not immediately – that’s why the course is 8 to 10 weeks long. That’s about the period of time you need to see real changes, provided you practise everyday). But we are confident that you will amaze yourself and those around you with what you can achieve in just 10 weeks.

What you must do to maximize your chances of success

You need to practice daily. That’s right. There is work involved. But the good news is that it is fun work.

15 minutes twice a day. That’s all you need. If you have time to play computer games, watch a drama serial like “Little Nonya” or some new sitcom on cable, you have time to practise.

The other thing you probably have to do is to make certain lifestyle changes. You may not be able to change your job (not yet, anyway), but you can cut the late nights watching cable, drinking too much alcohol, etc. You should certainly aim to quit smoking if you are a smoker. The amazing thing is that once you have grasped the essence of the qigong you will learn during this course, addictions that once seemed insurmountable become easier to overcome

What you learn in the Foundation Course

Let's go to what you will learn:

(a) You will be introduced to the essentials of Chinese medical philosophy and qigong therapy. This is not some classroom material that you should forget after the class. To obtain the best benefits from your qigong practice, you should have a sound understanding of your art, its scope, history and possibilities. With a firm grounding in this area, you will maximise your chances of success.

(b) You will learn an amazingly simple skill to relax, so simple that when you first learn it, you may wonder why you never tried it before. And this skill will stay with you for as long as you need it.

(c) You will also learn 8 patterns to build and to circulate your internal energy and strengthen your internal organs. There is also a wonderful skill you will learn that we call "platinum card" qigong. Once you have learnt this, you can eradicate all your chronic illnesses and pains. Almost all our students love practising this skill more than any others.

(d) Forget about multi-step wushu patterns or complicated visualisation of how to move your qi along the heart meridian or through special acupoints. We teach an approach that is simple, direct and effective.

What you don't need to know is not taught. We have distilled only the essentials for you to practice. What you care about is results. If learning complicated movements makes you more comfortable, or if you feel there is more value for money by learning more techniques, then maybe this course is not for you. If one simple step gets the job done, is there any point in doing it in 6 steps? Some students who have read books on qigong have asked me why I did not give certain instructions. The simple answer is that the instruction was unnecessary. When you have a living instructor in front of you, you don’t need so many instructions.

In Shaolin Wahnam, we often say that it is not the number of techniques you learn, but the skills you master that matter. Once you can do one pattern well, you can, with practice, do other patterns well, even if the new patterns are more difficult. You don’t need to be over-loaded with techniques after techniques.

I said earlier that you only need 15 minutes of practice a day. No, that was not a typo. We recognise that it is a busy world, and qigong practice should free you, not enslave you. Of course, you can always practice more than 15 minutes a day (although we always caution against over-practice), but that would be because you want to, not because you have to.

The Foundation Course is not meant to make you a master in just 10 weeks. Its purpose is to equip you with fundamental skills and techniques so that you can competently practise on your own after the course. You need to practice for at least a few months before you can have lasting good results, although by the end of 10 weeks, you should already have to see some results. For example, after the course you will know how to relax and use the qigong patterns to charge your body with energy, but you have to practise this for a few months before you can relax at will, at the drop of a hat.

“A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary.” - Thomas Carruthers

Do you need follow-up classes? It is up to you. We have review courses and regular classes lined up for those who want to continue, because when it comes to qigong, or any worthwhile endeavour, one can never stop deepening his or her skills. But this course is self-contained. You simply must practise on your own, based on what you have learnt, and if you want is to restore or maintain your good health, this course is all you need. Our basic approach is to teach you to fish on your own, not supply you with fish. For this reason, we do not have ongoing classes with never-ending membership subscription payments. You pay once to learn skills that you keep for life. Compare this with the kind of health and fitness classes where you have to keep on paying monthly fees.

What have you to lose? Seriously? Let’s review what you would have learnt at the end of the course:

Basic theory of Chinese medicine
Theory and history of qigong throughout the ages
8 simple qigong patterns you can remember for life
Essential relaxation techniques
The ability to recognise high-level qigong
The skills to heal yourself and keep yourself healthy for years to come.

There’s more. As previous students were happy to find out, when the course ends, the instruction continues. All graduates of courses conducted by Grandmaster Wong or Shaolin Wahnam instructors (including myself) can come for complimentary (free) review sessions held every month. Once you take a course from Shaolin Wahnam, you are part of the family, and are entitled to all the perks. You will find students of earlier courses joining us during the course, just to practise with the rest of the Shaolin Wahnam family. They normally practise on their own and not disturb the class, but as beginners, you will find it very useful to watch your seniors practise.

The second Qigong Foundation course will begin in mid-May, ealier if all the course participants confirm their attendanc ahead of time. Once we have our first twelve (12) confirmed participants, we will close registration. Register today by completing the form on this page. We will be in touch to get more details from you, and then let you know if your registration is accepted (Shaolin Wahnam schools world-wide screens all potential participants of our courses).

Please do not wait too long to apply. After registration for the first course was closed, many applicants wrote in to be accepted. Except for a few special cases, we regrettably had to turn them all away. There is unlikely to be another Foundation Course for the rest of 2009. To use the time-honoured phrase, it is now or never (this year).

How much is good health worth to you?

“Happiness lies, first of all, in health.” - George William Curtis, Lotus-Eating

The price is often the first question interested applicants ask about, so I will not keep you in suspense. For 10 sessions of personalised teaching, the course fee is $400. (Actually, the price of the course should not be the first thing on your mind. Rather, your priority should really be whether you can be healed of your health problems or become more energised after taking this course.)

If you have been searching for qigong classes, you would have seen fees ranging from anywhere from $50 a month to $50 for 3 months. Some qigong sessions are conducted free as well. I had quite an interesting time observing many of these classes. It is very heartwarming to see so many people gathering early in the morning or late evening to enjoy themselves during the qigong classes. These classes, in addition to the health benefits they provide, are great social events.

But if you have a definite objective to attain good health in mind, and are looking for a course totally focused on helping you achieve your goal, you may be looking for a course specially designed for this purpose. Odd as it sounds, the course fee is actually the smallest price you have to pay to achieve your goal. To ensure your success, it is not a simple matter of handing over the cheque and turning up for lessons. You have to practice 15 minutes twice a day, every day of the week, and have the courage to believe that you will reach your goal with diligent practice. Remember, the amount you pay for the course is really only the first step to demonstrate that you are serious about learning qigong.

Certainly, the course fees are not cheap by the standards of the classes offered by community centres, or other teachers who teach for free. But you need to compare apples with apples. The Shaolin Cosmos Qigong we teach and practice has brought us so much joy and freedom that many students have declared that they would gladly have paid twice or even ten times the fees. As I tell all my students, the qigong we teach is not just about forms you can pick up from a book and companion DVD. When you have learnt and practiced Shaolin Cosmos Qigong correctly, you will finally get rid of chronic problems, fall sick less often and live life much more cheerfully. These are all things that money cannot buy.

I have met many people who have asked me why other instructors or I do not teach for free, if qigong can help people to heal themselves of chronic or even terminal illnesses. It is actually a very good question, but the people who asked the question were usually just cynics who were not prepared to take any active step to improve their health. It is not just that they were cheapskates who wanted to learn a great art for nothing, they were also not prepared to put in the effort to practise daily. Even worse, they never believed that qigong would work for them anyway.

The learning of any great art or skill entails some measure of sacrifice. Very often, as I mentioned above, the monetary payment is often the smallest sacrifice of all. Let’s be honest. Anyone can make the money paid for a course in a few months, if not weeks or days. It is the dedication and diligence involved in practising the art that will determine your success. I have had students with serious medical problems, and I often find that such students are the most dedicated in their practice, because they are fully determined to get well, one way or another.

One of my best students sums it up when he said early on in the course, “I have tried so many types of qigong and martial arts, but there is nothing like this.” A few weeks later, I received this very heartwarming SMS from him: “I can see the end of the tunnel”. His rapid progress was especially gratifying as he had multiple medical problems and had been searching all over for a way to restore his health to no avail, until now.

Just below, you will read what my Sifu says about students who do not value what they are learning because they do not pay for it. The truth of the matter is, neither I nor any of the Shaolin Wahnam instructors ever had to justify charging fees for teaching qigong – the students who benefitted from our teaching were (and are) happy to have paid a small sum in exchange for freedom from pain and illnesses. But I thought it is helpful to correct the perception that qigong should be taught free to everyone.

I would like to share with you what my Sifu says about the course fees he charges for his intensive 3-day qigong courses:

“There are two good reasons, among others, why I charge a high fee. It is a practical way to ensure that a great art is taught to deserving students, and it ensures that they value the art and will practice it. In the past I used to teach some very good kungfu and chi kung to students for free. Because they did not pay for the training, they did not value it and stopped half-way. They each saved a thousand dollars but lost an invaluable art, and some lost the opportunity to recover from their so-called incurable disease.

A person with serious kidney problems went on a local newspaper to appeal for public donation to buy a dialysis machine. I offered to teach him free, and a reporter who knew of my good records in helping kidney patients recover, spoke to him. He replied that it was too troublesome to practice chi kung.

Some time ago there was frequent public comment on the high cost of maintaining dialysis treatment for kidney patients (which actually does not overcome the kidney problem, but prevents the patients from dying). I wrote to the secretary of a kidney patients' association and offered my free service to any of his members interested. He did not even acknowledge my letter, but a few months later he said they were not interested.

Many people claim that they would sacrifice anything to learn a great art. But when it rains, they would not turn up for training. This doesn't happen when students pay a high fee. On the other hand, some people even think they are doing their teachers a service when they pay a small fee to learn. But if the fee is high, they value the art and subsequently derive good benefits from their practice. It is not just that they want to get back their money's worth; rather it is often the other way round, i.e. they already value the art in the first place, as evident from their readiness to pay a high fee to learn.

The tenth Shaolin Law dictates that the Shaolin arts are to be taught only to deserving studnets. In the past a student stayed with and served the master for a few years, during which time the master observed and tested the student to see if he was deserving. Such a method of screening students is not feasible in today's world. Willingness to make sacrifice to an equivalent value of US$1000 is a modern, albeit poor, alternative.

Of course there are many other factors contributing to make a student deserving. Hence, it does not mean that anyone willing to pay US$1000 will be taught. But as a working guideline, I would consider that anyone who thinks my art is worth less than US$1000 to learn, does not deserve the teaching.”

Just a short testimonial about Shaolin Cosmos Qigong from a student who attended my Sifu's intensive course a few years ago:

Dear Sifu,

I attended your Intensive Chi Kung Course in March 2001. I could not help but put my response to the questioning of your course fees.in the August P2001 art 3 Question-Answer series.

I do not feel people really understand how powerful your Chi Kung is. Yes, it looks simple. But it is very strong in tapping chi and inducing internal flow. You walk around all day smiling because your chi is flowing.I ts wonderful.

Secondly, I wonder if this reader or others have really trained with high level masters.If they did so, then attend your course, and they would be very surprised as was I when I trained with another high level master this month.

This master in California taught secret Taoist and Buddhist chi kung at about the same price you charge. This master also had the ability to transmit skill and influence the elements.Very high level. But ,I can honestly say that when I returned home I was charged with energy but nothing like I was when I returned from your course in Malaysia.

Looking back I was taken back at just how powerful the three patterns you taught us were. I really am still surprised. Because we trained with you for three days, a few hours a day. But I stayed with the master in California for 24 hours, living in a strong chi field surrounding the master in the master's house.

Sifu, I have trained with another very high level Tai Chi master learning chi kung from him. I can honestly tell your readers your chi kung power is mind blowing. Its so easy to do yet you can achieve unbelievable results which you can't get anywhere else. Other styles ask you to abstain from daily joys and practice two or three hours twice a day. Shaolin-Wahnam Chi Kung is the best in the world.

Sincerely,
Jeffrey Snyder
21st August 2001.
USA

I am not saying that you should rush out and pay big money for any course that promises to heal you of all the health problems that have been troubling you. We all worked hard for our money and we should spend it wisely. In fact, the more you have to pay for something, it only makes sense that you do more due diligence and checks.

We all know of many charlatans and conmen who prey on cancer patients or patients suffering from serious illnesses. They will tell you that the more expensive a certain kind of medicine or treatment costs, the better it must be. If you view qigong teachers with some suspicion because of a few black sheep, you are not alone.

In Shaolin Wahnam Singapore, we have set our foundation qigong course at $400 because we do not want to make it so expensive that it is out of reach for the average Singaporean. But the course is still not cheap, so it is perfectly understandable if some feel uncertain. Because I know what it feels like to be unsure, I would like to make taking the course totally-risk-free for you.

Our unique guarantee

I'm totally committed to your success. As noted earlier, my goal is to make sure you finish the course at the end of 10 weeks with the power to be in better health than ever before. In fact you'll see I'm more than committed to your success... I guarantee it! I have mentioned the unique Shaolin Wahnam guarantee several times but I'd like to give you the full details here.

Compare this qigong course to any others you've ever attended or heard about. If you're not totally convinced it gives you the ability to regain your good health if, during the course, you haven't tested and thoroughly proven to yourself everything I've just explained… if you don't feel different at the end of the course or confident that you will get better, let us know before the end of the course and we will give you back the course fees you have paid. You do not need to give any reasons and we will not ask any questions (but you are free to give your feedback). Practising genuine qigong can be, literally, a life-changing experience and we want you to have that experience with full confidence.

A Shaolin Wahnam qigong course is the only course we know of that offers you a 100% satisfaction guarantee right up to the last day of the course. Do you know of anyone else doing that? All we ask if that you practise diligently what we teach you, and follow the instructions to see the results. After all, you and you alone are responsible for your own well-being.

Will there be people who abuse this guarantee? Sure. To us, it is not our loss but theirs. There may be those chao kuan who may have benefitted but then turn around to ask for their money back at the end of the course (fortunately, we have seen very few of such people over the years). But don’t worry, if you genuinely do not feel satisfied with what you get from the course, the refund will be returned to you immediately and without question. Don’t worry, no one will call you chao kuan.

More about the guarantee

While there are absolutely no conditions for the refund, it is only fair that I make clear to you the details of the guarantee. There is no small print here, so please read this carefully.

First, once you have received the refund, you will not be accepted into a class or course with Shaolin Wahnam again. This should not deter you from taking part in the course – if it is really not for you, you would not want to join our future classes anyway. There have been those who asked for a refund and after taking classes elsewhere, asked to be accepted into the same course again using false names. You can understand if we do not want such sneaky people to be part of the Shaolin Wahnam family.

Second, at any time during the course, if the instructors find that a student has an attitude problem, such as being disrespectful, persistently late or absent, or never practises without good reason, we will not hesitate to, of our own accord, refund the course fees to that student and tell him or her to leave. Shaolin Wahnam’s mission is to spread genuine Shaolin qigong and Shaolinquan (Shaolin Kungfu) to deserving students. To be perfectly frank, remuneration for our teaching of qigong is nowhere as important as our mission. In other words, we would be more than ready to forgo any course fees if the student is not fit to learn our Shaolin arts. A bad student is a bad influence on the rest of the class, and will hinder the progress of everyone else.

Third, the course fees will be collected on the first day of the course. This is in line with the Shaolin Wahnam policy set by our Grandmaster. If you wish to have a refund, you have to ask for it, and not simply disappear after the course without paying. As I have stressed, we will not ask any questions why you want the refund, so this should not be a problem.

Act now

Shaolin Qigong is not a magic pill. I have been practising it for years and I still continue to discover new benefits and clean out hidden problems. Keeping healthy is an ongoing process. Like all of us who practise this art, you should be committed to spending at least 15 minutes of practice a day for your well being.

If good health is what you want, take the first step to apply for the course using the form here. Please note that there is a vetting process at our end and we may need to ask you a few questions before your registration is confirmed.

The saying “Health is wealth” is not a cute saying – it is one of the greatest truths there is. Just ask anyone who's lost their health what they would pay to get it back. Or perhaps you have already learned this the hard way. Too many of us exchange our youth and health for money, and later when we are successful, they try too late to use their money to buy back their health. Don’t let that happen to you. It is not difficult to be healthy, stay healthy and overcome pain and illness. Give Shaolin Cosmos Qigong a try for 10 weeks, at absolutely no risk. And after you do, you will probably practice it for the rest of your productive, fulfilling life.

To your abundant health

Chris Choi (Wuji)

Shaolin Wahnam SIngapore principal instructor