SayQi

Finally joining after years of off and on lurking and reading the many interesting threads. Not a consistent user of forums and social media, but I'll try to contribute where I can. My main interest is in internal alchemy. A Chinese medicine practitioner, I've been studying Qigong for 12 years with Grandmaster Yuanming Zhang. I've also studied a little of the internal martial arts with him, but before that, only a speck of experience with Qigong and Taiji. My main background is in Wicca and neopagan ritual magic.

Thanks, r v, glad to be here. I think he's a treasure. Wow, you found a really old article. His website gives more information – http://www.qigongmaster.com.

Wikipedia says, "He worked as a herbalist, selling lingzhi, goji berry, wild ginseng, he shou wu and gotu kola along with other Chinese herbs, and lived off a diet of these herbs and rice wine." If this really was what he ate, it's a pretty well-balanced, tonifying diet. The lingzhi would benefit the immune system, the goji berry (gou qi zi) and he shou wu would tonify liver blood and kidney essence, and the ginseng (probably Panax ginseng), would tonify Qi. I really wonder what the "other Chinese herbs" were.

And to inspire you in your practice, here's how an old master handles 400 lbs – http://mattphotos.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/phocochees5_120811mm.jpg from: http://mattphotos.wordpress.com/tag/crucolo-cheese/

Thanks, Chang.