Practice is Key in Anything!

Recently I certified a student in one of the traditions I teach; it was a real joy since the student earned every inch of it from practice, hard work, and personal study. They took regular group classes along with private sessions and attended weekend study workshop's throughout the last 15 months. I never look to "mission-size" what I teach for the public, but every now and then you find students that hold potential for the better good of the community. So I pour my experience into them and hope for the best they will last the long training ride! Then wha-la you have a new member of the tradition that can spread the tradition for the betterment of people seeking health salvation.   

 We live in age where people pay a fee to learn a traditions and sometimes expect instant results. It does not work that way in these traditions. The price you pay no matter what the price is providing you access to apprentice in the teachers life traditions and approach. What is most worthwhile and meaningful cannot be accomplished in a weekend or a few months.  True achievement is accomplished through years of dedicated practice and study, under the guidance of a teacher who also practices daily and studies and has achieved through many years of dedication and discipline the true essence of their given Art.

In Qigong Practice, the practice reveals it's knowledge over time through a process of energy enlightenment. Different levels of this knowledge come through when the person's mind, spirit and body are ready. Study is also important to gain insight into the vast knowledge available, through different master teachers,  who through the process have received energy knowledge, evolved it and offered their unique insight into the understanding of energy healing for the self and others. This rich knowledge has been contributed to over 1000's of years by the many teachers and masters of the past.

Wisdom here is that focusing on the discipline of practice, internalize the instruction that is given verbally in class.  Over time as the person attends classes and practices at home, they will learn more and more about the particular set/tradition being offered in the class.The classes are offered this way to encourage the discipline of practice and reveal the benefits of studying heart-to-heart with a teacher and also the benefits of practicing in a group. Once the student has shown dedication and genuine desire to learn by attending classes and practicing daily, they may, if they so desire after one year be introduced to higher instruction.

Those advanced students who have shown dedication and discipline of practice may through an agreement between teacher and student receive certification as a qi gong instructor.

The Certificate is only as good as the practitioner makes it; having credentials does not give a sense to stop learning pondering and trying to refine what they know. The best Sages I have known in life are the ones who don't stand on their "Scholarly Title and affiliations" but know the practice from living the tradition. As the old saying goes "You cannot cook anything from talk"; and "words and thoughts will pull you further away from the Tao".  The overall thought here today is focus on practice, because without it you cannot experience anything that all the great sages have recorded. 

Gary