My Approach to Teaching Qigong Is Shaped by Traditional Chinese Training—Intensive, Personal, and Deeply Holistic. This Is the Path That Brought Me Here
My Journey
My journey in qigong began more than 40 years ago. It includes decades of daily training, years of teaching, and ongoing self‑discovery. This may not read like a typical author bio, but my story is inseparable from that of my master, who shaped not only my practice but the direction of my life.
A Traditional Path
My name is Hilda, and I am of Chinese descent. Unlike most qigong students in North America, I trained in the traditional manner. Each day included several hours of intensive, personalized instruction with my master. When I wasn’t in school, I was with him—watching, training, and listening as every moment became a learning opportunity.
At the dinner table, I learned optimal food combinations for health and energy. While watching martial arts films, my master analyzed each actor’s authentic abilities. He discussed their stances, postures, intent, and capacity to generate chi. In his clinic, he demonstrated the properties of different herbs and teas, acupressure points, and various healing techniques. During breaks, he captivated us with stories of his own experiences and those of his masters.
More Than a Teacher
From our first meeting, my master became both a close family friend and my mentor. He and his youngest sister welcomed me as family, despite sharing no blood relation. For reasons I may never fully understand, he devoted extraordinary time and attention to my training and to his sister’s. He never charged my family anything.
Though my brother was equally diligent and devoted to martial arts, my master chose to teach tai chi chuan exclusively to me. At the time, I was his least accomplished student. Perhaps he recognized something from past lives we had shared, or perhaps fate simply guided our connection.
A Prophetic Vision
My master was renowned for his ability to see into the future. When I was still in high school, senior students asked him to predict our futures. His response was memorable: “Don’t judge a person by how they appear now.” He pointed at me and declared, “She might not seem like much, but in several years, she’ll be teaching her own classes!”
As the youngest and least skilled student, I met his words with skeptical silence. I even scoffed privately at what seemed like an impossible prediction. Yet years later, his words echoed in my mind each time I led a new class in tai chi qigong or jinggong meditation.
Teaching and Transformation
After continuing my training in mainland China and Taiwan, I returned to Canada to begin teaching. My greatest satisfaction came from witnessing qigong’s transformative power in my students’ lives. I watched people arrive in poor health. Many experienced remarkable healing within months of dedicated practice.
My master lived and breathed tai chi qigong, and everything I know about this timeless art flows from his generous teaching. He also instilled in me a deep love for sharing this knowledge with others.
For a more personal account of my training journey and the lessons learned along the way, read Breathing Life Into Tradition: A Tai Chi Qigong Journey.
A Dedication
I dedicate this work to my master and his selfless devotion in training me. His influence extends far beyond technique—he authored the very direction of my life, making him, in the truest sense, responsible for my story as both practitioner and teacher of qigong.
