It took until after retirement, but Clearwater resident Liz White found her passion and now wants to share it with others. Using a practice called Spring Forest Qigong (pronounced ‘chee gong’), she recently opened Our Peaceful Heart, a place where she can help others feel better and teach techniques they can use to do so on their own.

 

In 2008 White received a DVD in the mail featuring Master Chunyi Lin demonstrating qigong and explaining its benefits. Master Lin is the founder of Spring Forest Qigong, a healing and wellness center headquartered in Eden Prairie. The alternative health practice is complementary to the medical field and is comprised of breathing, gentle movements, mental focus and sound.

 

White didn’t give it much thought until she began to have low back problems. She attended a healing session at the center, where Master Lin led the group in gentle exercises followed by quiet meditation. He then used healing energy on each person, telling White, “Your back feels better now.”

 

White’s pain hadn’t lessened, but she didn’t want to disagree with him. She drove back to Clearwater, and when she got out of the car she was astonished to discover her pain was gone.

 

After falling, breaking her arm and dislocating her shoulder, she attended another healing circle when it didn’t feel like her shoulder was healing correctly. Asked to close her eyes, she felt two fingers gently touch her below her shoulder and suddenly it was back to normal.

 

“I keep going back to the Shakespeare quote, ‘There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy,’” said White. “The more I talk about Qigong the more enthusiastic I get.”

 

She began practicing Spring Forest Qigong on a regular basis and is now a certified practice group leader and certified level 1 trainer. She is also a certified Qi-ssage practitioner and is working toward her certification as a Spring Forest Qigong healer. 

 

Qi-ssage is a form of massage using specific pressure points, and both it and Spring Forest Qigong healing focus on balancing and enhancing the body’s energy. 

 

White offers a number of services at Our Peaceful Heart. Practice groups are held Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11 a.m. and Thursdays from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Each session is five dollars each or five sessions for twenty dollars. Wednesday night a practice group meets from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and is a free will donation. The third Saturday of each month she holds free informational and introduction sessions from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

 

Each session begins with half an hour of gentle exercises followed by guided meditation. Beginners are always welcome.

 

Through March 28, White is offering free individual Qigong healing and Qi-ssage healing sessions, which are regularly $40 and $30 respectively. Individual sessions can also be conducted over the phone. All she asks is for the individual to be willing to sign a document providing their honest feedback, which is one of the requirements needed to become a certified Spring Forest Qigong healer.

 

Sue Valek has been practicing Spring Forest Qigong with White for the past two years, and credits it for numerous health benefits she’s received.

 

“I’m a real skeptic, but now I’m a believer,” said Valek. “My knee, which was locked and had a torn meniscus, now has full range of motion. I’m more relaxed, less depressed, and my blood pressure and cholesterol are down.”

 

White stressed Qigong isn’t dependent on any particular set of beliefs.

 

“It’s very helpful to call upon a power greater than yourself to support you in your healing efforts,” she said. “But it can be Jesus, Buddha, Allah, a mentor or even your greatly loved grandma.”

 

As a compliment to Qigong, White has also begun offering T’ai Chi from 10 to 11 a.m. Mondays through January. Sessions are $10 each, and if enough interest is shown they will be added to the Our Peaceful Heart schedule permanently.

 

The T’ai Chi sessions are led by Beverly Gustafson, owner of St. Cloud Karate Instruction, who has 40 years of experience teaching martial arts.

 

“T’ai Chi is all about relaxing, breathing and being centered in movement,” said Gustafson. “It’s good for every age, but especially for seniors to help with balance and maintaining flexibility. It reduces the chances of falling, and if you do, it can minimize the damage and make it easier to get back up.”

 

She added that T’ai Chi can be taught while standing, sitting, or even lying down.

 

Our Peaceful Heart is located in the Clearwater Shopping Center; everyone is welcome to stop by and attend the practice groups, no reservation necessary. For more information, White can be contacted by email at lizwhite@ourpeacefulheart.com, or through her website at ourpeacefulheart.com.