To help you free and balance the energy of your body and gain better health, you can try individual sessions with me in qigong tui na. Qigong tui na is a form of bodywork from China which works directly with the chi (also spelled "qi") or life energy of the body.

Qigong tui na can address many different types of issues. It can be practiced very lightly and gently or very deeply and powerfully.

"Qigong" (pronounced "chee gung") means energy development or cultivation. You may also see this term spelled as "qi gong", "chi gung" or "chi kung". "Tui na" (pronounced "tway nah") means "push-pull".

Qigong Tui Na in General

Qigong tui na rarely is found in the United States. Related forms of Chinese bodywork such as regular tui na and acupressure are more common. Regular tui na primarily works with aspects of your physical body. Acupressure works with the chi of your body by stimulating acupuncture channels and points close to the surface of your body.

Qigong tui na works with chi at it moves through the deep and superficial channels and tissues of your body and through the energy field which surrounds your body. A practitioner must be very experienced in the art of qigong. They must be so sensitive that even with the lightest of touches they can feel and directly influence chi far inside your body. A practitioner may actively move chi in and out of your body using their hands, feet, or eyes, or even their voice.

Qigong tui na practitioners work not only with your muscles, but many other body systems, including your ligaments, tendons, fascia, internal organs, various types of fluids, and nervous system.

In China, qigong tui na is practiced as a form of Chinese medicine that complements other branches such as acupuncture and herbs. In general, qigong tui na would be especially recommended for conditions involving particularly strong or deep energy blocks or imbalances.

Qigong Tui Na with Me

I have studied qigong tui na on a one-to-one basis with my teacher, Bruce Frantzis, since 1982.

I have worked with people on issues as simple as release of stress and tension and as complex as relief from repetitive strain injuries, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and chronic back pain. I am particularly adept at providing relief from injuries, both recent and chronic.

When I work with you, you wear loose fitting clothes, and you can either sit in a chair or lie down.

Some people come to me for a single session. Others come for repeated sessions. We can decide together what approach might work best for you.

I encourage people to augment their bodywork sessions with instruction in qigong exercises, either through classes or private lessons. If you know qigong, then after a bodywork session I can suggest to you how and what to practice in order to deepen and sustain its positive effects.

Northampton, MA

I offer individual sessions in qigong tui na in the Northampton, Massachusetts area. For more information on prices and scheduling, please click here.

If you have any questions about whether qigong tui na would be appropriate for you, please contact me via phone or email

 

"I never heard of either
qigong or tui na until I
badly sprained my ankle
a week before the Boston
marathon. When I met
with Bill I was barely off
crutches. Two days later
I ran 26.2 miles."

J. Hobeika
Cambridge, MA

For more information about qigong tui na, please click here to download in pdf format (1.7 mb) an article I wrote for the June/July 2011 issue of the British magazine Massage World. The title is "Case History: Qigong Tui Na and Sciatic Pain".