How did you find Zhineng Qigong?

I met Margot ‘t Hart and John van Veen at a fair in Zwolle that we had organized for people who wanted to work on developing their consciousness. I had a very good feeling about them and was ready for body work because I am quite a thinker. I started taking classes with Margot and John because it allowed me to connect with my body with a deeper focus.

Why did you choose to take teacher training at the Qing Bai?

When John and Margot moved and stopped teaching in Zwolle, I thought about how I wanted to continue with Zhineng Qigong. At the time, I decided to move forward with self-study and practiced four times a week on average. That was special because I am not particularly disciplined. The fact that it worked was a sign that I wanted to do more with ZNQG. The training came along and I felt that it would be good for me and my environment. I approached it from a calm, sensible decision rather than from the mega-enthusiasm I am prone to.

I really enjoyed the training. It was easy for me and I  felt that I was in exactly the right place. I also enjoyed the fact that the training was given by three different teachers, each with their own language, attitude, and qualities. I had access to a wealth of information and I am really looking forward to the sequel this year, level 2.

How did you experience the integration of daily practice (gongs) into your own life?

It was good to do the daily practices because of the nice feeling after each method. It was great to really take some time for myself. It is special that I could maintain focus because I am quite easily distracted. Section three of the Lift Qi Up Pour Qi Down method is my favorite part. I really enjoy pushing forward through the air with my hands. That’s not the case with the pressing up and down movements, where I am easily distracted and really have to tell myself to relax. I enjoy most of the practice and can keep my awareness on the movements. You always said “it is a form of perceiving yourself”, and that’s how I experienced it. The benefit of this is that I can be more focused in my body and have fewer problems with distracting thoughts, so I am able to concentrate better and am more attentive.

In addition, I’ve had significant physical improvements: my lower back complaints have disappeared, so there are no more appointments with the chiropractor. My digestive system functions optimally again, and my balance has improved. Last summer’s Qi tapping gong kept me from using hormone salve for skin problems that doctors had not succeeded in treating in 49 years.

What is the best part of Zhineng Qigong for you and why?

I am very happy with the way Zhineng Qigong theory supports the practice so that it becomes more meaningful to practitioners. Learning about the different levels of information processed within the Yi Yuan Ti (YYT) really came to life when I incorporated the theory into the practice. I can see the contrast between using the original YYT versus the practice of looking at the world through rose colored glasses. Doing this, you are actually kind of blind because you do not see what is really there. The rose colored glasses sound nice, but in fact you do not perceive fully. With rose-colored glasses on, it’s as if you are on your bike and after a while notice that you have missed a street or even an entire village. You were not clear, did not perceive consciously. You could compare the biased YYT with glasses for the farsighted. You look at others. When you are cycling in the biased YYT, you notice all kinds of things, such as the fact that a neighbor has not properly straightened his containers, or that another neighbor has not cleaned her windows. When you are in the fully aware YYT state, you can look in the mirror and perceive yourself. That is the moment when you drive down the street and realize that you yourself have that criticism of others. So, instead, you look at yourself, look within, and perceive yourself. For me, using the complete YYT is like looking through a microscope where you can see the whole (everything) from above as well as below, understanding that the same processes take place at the macro and micro levels. You realize that everything is connected, including those neighbors and yourself. What I find most interesting is figuring out and internalizing the theory, to make it applicable for myself and more accessible for others, so that we all get a better grip on the challenges of our daily life.

What is the added value of consciously connecting with the qi field for you?

We can experience peace and space, the peace and space that we essentially are. The connection between people is often disturbed by thoughts and opinions. In the qi field we are one, the Ego is allowed to relax and that is precisely why we respect, accept, and appreciate others and ourselves.

What is the deeper wisdom behind Zhineng Qigong for you?

There is so much wisdom in ZNQG that it is difficult to unpack just one idea. The first thing that comes to mind is trust and the confidence that everything is happening as it should be, that we are meant to be the way we are, and that it is good as it is. I’ve gained the confidence that I can hold my own in a tough situation, even if my mind says otherwise out of uncertainty, and that I can say “no.” I am more able to listen to and connect with my body, knowing what is best for me in the here and now; I am more present and focused in my body. What is best for me, for you, and for the environment? Tuning in to the present moment, which gives me peace in my mind and space in my heart, as well as a deeper connection with people.

How do you integrate Zhineng Qigong with your work as a coach?

I see a lot of overlap between Zhineng Qigong and Enneagram (my specialty). The enneagram is a psychological, dynamic model with 9 types. Most psychological models describe how the world sees you, your behavioral characteristics. The enneagram is about how you view the world, about how someone perceives, about where the attention automatically goes; the frame of reference. This overlaps quite well with ZNQG because the core idea is that energy goes where the attention is. I regularly meet enneagram students in Zhineng Qigong classes. They are willing to explore deeply within for the refinement of more self-knowledge in order to better perceive themselves. In both coaching and communication training I use Zhineng Qigong practice for relaxation of the body and mind, to be able to ‘Be.’ In 2017 I wrote three blogs about the connection between the enneagram and Zhineng Qigong, which are mainly about the differences in resistance to meditation in movement for different Enneagram types.

I taught Zhineng Qigong at a ‘Summer School for Relaxation’ last summer. Now I teach weekly on Wednesday morning and Thursday evening in a beautiful, spacious, and light Yoga studio (SanaYou) in Zwolle. Each lesson has a different theme. For example, I process the properties or components of Zhineng Qigong in the lessons, combining the knowledge from my coaching experience with the knowledge of Zhineng Qigong. In this way I can share a different approach with the students every time.