A Path of Continuous Healing

DANA MARCON

I had been a patient in many different types of healing therapies, as a result of a highway accident and two subsequent fender benders. After having experienced chronic pain for over ten years, I am now relatively free from it. Even then, I would still experience occasional flare ups. The legacies from the accidents were a sacroiliac instability as well as a couple of thoracic instabilities in my body that would on occasion cause problems.

For years, I exercised as a way of reducing my stress and rehabilitating my body. The harder I worked out, the better I had always felt. I knew that eventually I would need to figure out a way to exercise that would be gentler on my body.

I regularly went to the U.S. for training and would often be introduced to many different styles of exercise. I was looking for something that would rejuvenate my body and take me into an inner peace. I had tried many forms of meditation and exercise but none seem to keep my interest. At one of my workshops, I was introduced to Qigong. Being intrigued, I sent off an application to study in the U.S.

Qigong is an art that has been practiced for over 5000 years. Originally, it was designed as a way of harmonizing oneself to deal with threatening life situations.  Over time, the discipline became very complex.  It is estimated by some sources that there are 20,000 types of Qigong practice.

Wow I thought, mediating while I was moving. I needed to find a way to relax and this was it for me. My personality was such that my mind was constantly thinking. This way I could concentrate on the movements and get into a zone. I was sold.

A friend of mine had learned CFQ Qigong in Halifax. He taught me two of the movements and I practiced them with great excitement. I immediately fell in love with this CFQ Qigong. I approached my friend and asked him to teach me the moves. He did so, even though he was not an instructor.

CFQ Qigong is defined as a practice method of dealing with consciousness in order to enhance our inherent resilience response and thoughts to optimize health. It is a series of seven movements. I was amazed that the whole set would take me only 13 to 15 minutes. Surely in my busy life, I could find the time for practicing. The first four movements can be used as a moving meditation. Wow I thought, mediating while I was moving. I needed to find a way to relax and this was it for me.  My personality  was such that my mind was constantly thinking. This way I could concentrate on the movements and get into a zone. I was sold.

During the first few weeks of practice, one of my shoulders was in so much pain that I became nauseous. My friend urged me to continue. He indicated this was the healing effect that took place with this type of CFQ Qigong. He stated that if I had old injuries that had not fully healed, my body would go through an unwinding process that would result in old injuries coming to the surface as they healed. I placed my trust in this individual and continued. Just as he had promised, the shoulder pain disappeared, just in time for my other shoulder to start its journey through excruciating pain. My body was unwinding- a process of self healing, undoing all that it had been through. By repeating these movements and it was all happening before my eyes or should I say in my body.

My personal healing journey with CFQ Qigong was astounding. To my amazement, I learned that there were many people involved with CFQ Qigong. I was able to take courses right here in the city.  I took level one and two in the fall of 2003. Immediately after these workshops, I recall a moment when driving my car that I could feel the muscles in my body contracting around my sacroiliac area. I had never realized that these muscles were tight or sore. For the first time, these muscles had relaxed during the workshop. I now understood that our bodies compensate for injuries that are not completely healed. I see this in my own professional practice.

Having personal success with CFQ Qigong convinced me to show this to patients. Being the skeptic I was, I did not tell my clients much. I would ask them to do the movements as a way of getting back their range of motion. I did not want to prejudice them with my experience or the experiences of others. Each one, returned to the office with amazing results.  After three nights of practicing one of the movements, one lady who had not slept for nine years, experienced peaceful feeling and fell into a sound sleep. She continues to sleep soundly to this day. One client, who felt she did not have much to live for,  practiced for eight weeks and returned to my office with all of her physical symptoms decreased and a different overlook on life.  Another lady found it helpful in dealing with grief from the loss of her husband, uncle and nephew. One client found his ten years of hip pain was gone after a few weeks of practice and two treatments.

Many colleagues have had similar experiences in their personal lives and professional practices.  Some have experienced increases in concentration, more relaxation, less depression, and a decrease in muscular inflammation.  Some have found increases in their hearing, reduction in pain, while others have found pain relief in their arthritic joints.

Contact Dana to discover your healing path.