Qigong Teacher Training &
Certification Program

INTRODUCTION

What is Qigong?
Qigong is one of the oldest longevity arts in the world. Its historically documented roots go back nearly 5,000 years. Qi refers to the life force energy that flows through the acupuncture channels, while Gong means skill acquired through practice. Thus, Qigong refers to a wide range of physical exercises, self-massage techniques, breathing methods, and meditations that guide and direct the Qi for health, balance, fitness and spiritual development.

Qigong can be divided into four general categories:
• Qigong for health and fitness, rejuvenation and longevity,
• Qigong for healing oneself and others (Medical Qigong),
• Qigong for developing extraordinary skill in martial arts and sports,
• Qigong for spiritual growth and understanding

These categories of Qigong are not mutually exclusive. For example, one style of Qigong, Iron Shirt Qigong, is excellent for promoting health and fitness, has self-healing benefits, develops one’s Qi for healing others, increases martial arts prowess, and benefits the spirit as well.

What is the Qigong Teacher Training Certification Program?
The Qigong Teacher Training Program is a two-year 476 hour certification program providing training for students to become certified Qigong teachers.

Students in the Qigong Teacher Training Program will master:
• In-depth knowledge of over 100 Qigong Exercises
• History of Qigong
• Categories and goals of Qigong practice
• Optimal times and places for Qigong practice
• Qigong Practice Safety Guidelines and Precautions
• Building Qi for Health and Fitness
• Guiding Qi through the body
• Chinese Energetic Anatomy & Physiology
• Western Anatomy & Physiology
• Qigong stress management & relaxation training
• Qigong Meditations and Breathing Exercises
• Energetic Patterns of Health & Illness
• Acupuncture Meridians, Points, and Qi Reservoirs
• Business Development and Professional Ethics
• practical aspects of running a Qigong class

Is there licensing or national certification for Qigong Teachers?
Licensing is a state-by-state issue. Most states do not require licensing for Qigong teachers. Some may require a business license if one wishes to hold classes. Currently there is no one organization providing national certification. The National Qigong Association (NQA) is the main U.S. Qigong organization that recognizes and supports all styles of Qigong. The NQA offers professional member status and listings to those teachers who have met their requirements. Healing Tao Institute’s program exceeds the NQA’s professional requirements. What is Healing Tao Institute?

FACULTY

Jampa Mackenzie Stewart, D.O.M., M.S., L.Ac
Shanti Dechen, C.M.T.

Our visiting faculty has included such world renowned Qigong specialists as Mantak Chia, Li Junfeng, Ken Cohen and Dr. Jerry Alan Johnson. We strive to provide our students with personal exposure to the world’s foremost teachers so that their education is second to none.

QIGONG COURSES

Introduction to Qigong 101 (3 credits, 36 course hours)
Students will discover the wonders of traditional Qigong exercises for promoting health and healing, physical fitness, mental clarity and spiritual focus.

Students will learn to apply these methods for building their own personal Qi, and as physical therapy prescriptions for treating specific musculoskeletal disorders and correcting internal health problems.

Subjects covered include: Qigong History, Three Regulations, optimum times for practice, Qigong precautions, Lying Down Dantian Breathing, Zhang Zhuan Standing Post Qigong, Fangsong Gong, Nei Yang Gong, Swimming Dragon Qigong, Bagua Inner Palms Qigong, Guanqifa Qigong, Microcosmic Orbit Meditation, Six Healing Sounds, Inner Smile Meditation, Qigong Self-Massage, Qigong Breathing Methods, and Baduanjing Qigong (Eight Brocades).

Qigong Physical Therapy 102 (3 credits, 36 course hours)
Students learn Lian Gong Shr Ba Fa, and other exercises for general fitness and for preventing and treating a complete range of musculoskeletal and internal disorders. You will also learn a wide range of Qigong self-massage techniques for general health maintenance and treating specific disorders.

Advanced Qigong 103 (3 credits, 36 course hours)
Through Iron Shirt Standing Qigong, students will learn how to connect to the Qi of Heaven and Earth for grounding and rooting, and to access and store the vast reservoirs of Qi in nature for self-healing and healing others. Through Fusion of the Five Elements meditation, students will learn how to contact and transform negative emotional energy, and to open their Qi circulation in their Eight Extraordinary Vessels. You will begin to develop your sensitivity of Qi, and to use your mind to direct and guide your inner Qi circulation for health, balance, and eliminating energetic leakages.

Advanced Qigong 104 (3 credits, 36 course hours)
Students will go deeper into the Iron Shirt Qigong and Fusion of the Five Elements meditations and exercises learned in the previous quarter, and will add Hua Shan Qigong, Healing Love Through the Tao, and the famous Five Animal Frolics Qigong (Wuqixi Qigong) of the great Taoist physician, Hua Tuo.

Advanced Qigong 201 (3 credits, 36 course hours)
Students will continue to learn and deepen Iron Shirt Qigong I, and will learn the theory and practice of Iron Shirt Qigong II for strengthen the tendons. Learn Buddha Palm (Shaolin Nei Jin Gong), and will also be introduced to the basics of Medical Qigong methods of Qi assessment and healing others with noncontact external Qi healing (Wai Qi Zhi Liao).

Advanced Qigong 202 (3 credits, 36 course hours)
Students will continue to learn and deepen Iron Shirt Qigong I and II, and the Five Animal Frolics, and will learn the theory and practice of Iron Shirt Qigong III (Bone Marrow Nei Kung) for washing and regenerating the marrow, strengthening the bone matrix, healing the reproductive system, and boosting the immune system and circulation.

Student Teacher Internship 201 & 202 (6 credits, 72 hours)
Student interns will apply all that they have learned within a supervised teaching setting. Students will lead and assist in teaching Qigong classes, and will also establish and teach a class of their own.

Tai Chi Qigong TC101 through 104 (4 credits, 48 hours total)
Beginning with basic movements, warm-up techniques and breathing exercises, students will learn a short Yang Tai Chi set of flowing natural movements done with calmness, balance and awareness. Form corrections, further refinement of principles and martial applications, and partner exercises (tui shou or Push Hands) for developing sensitivity and martial prowess will also be covered.

Anatomy and Physiology (9 credits, 108 hours)
Currently Healing Tao Institute (HTI) is not offering the Anatomy and Physiology courses. Anatomy and Physiology is available locally in Austin through the Academy of Oriental Medicine, Austin Community College, and other institutions. HTI will accept transfer credit for these classes. If enough HTI students are interested, HTI may offer its own Anatomy and Physiology class.

CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation) CPR 201 (8 hours)
This is the introductory CPR certification course. Upon successful completion of this course, students will receive certification as a CPR practitioner.

Tai Chi Levels 5-8 TC201-204 (1.0 credit each, 12 course hours per class)
These courses offer the student an opportunity to delve deeper into the advanced levels of Tai Chi as both a health exercise and martial art. Emphasis is placed on mastering Push Hands, Tai Chi sword, and Tai Chi stick.

Chi Nei Tsang I: Inner Organ Rejuvenation CNT101 (4.2 credits, 50 hours)
Chi Nei Tsang is a Taoist healing technique that detoxifies, regenerates and balances each one of the body’s vital functions. It focuses on the internal organs, as well as the circulation, lymphatic system, nervous system,and the acupuncture meridians (Qi system). These systems concentrate and cross paths in the abdomen, which acts as their control center.

Chi Nei Tsang uses energetic techniques and physical manipulations to untangle knots and release obstructions. It is also profoundly effective at balancing the mind, the emotions and the essential energy of Chi (Qi). It can complement and enhance almost all other healing methods.

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT COURSES

Business Management PM201 (1.5 credits, 18 hours)
A basic introduction to business practices necessary in operating a Qigong school. Includes Western concepts of marketing, advertising, finance, and insurance, as well as basic Feng Shui concepts for location and interior design.

Professional Ethics and Legal Issues PM201 (0.5 credits, 6 hours)
This course will cover professional ethics for teachers in the classroom setting, as well as legal issues related to operating as a Qigong teacher.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Application and Registration
In order to be in the Teacher Training Certification Program, you must apply, have an interview with the Director, and be accepted. To apply, you must fill out the Healing Tao Institute Application Form (in center of this catalogue or online) and meet all the requirements listed on that form. You must call Healing Tao Institute to schedule an interview. You will be notified of your acceptance in writing, either by e-mail or postal letter.

You may register for classes prior to your acceptance in the Teacher Training Certification Program. You may also register for classes informally if you are not enrolling in the Teacher Training Certification Program (providing you have met the prerequisites, if any) on a space-available basis. Class size is limited; program students will be given first priority.

Healing Tao Institute operates on an academic quarter system, along with the changes of the seasons. New students may begin their course of study in the Fall or Spring quarter each year. The courses are taught as intensive weekend classes held once a month, except Tai Chi classes, which meet weekly.

Locations of Classes
Healing Tao Institute classes are held at various locations in the Austin area. You will be informed of class locations prior to registration each quarter.

Time of Classes
All weekend classes will meet from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with a lunch break from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Classes will begin on time so please plan to arrive early. You must preregister for all classes. Times vary for weekly classes.

Tuition and Other Costs
The tuition for all thirty-six hour courses is $585 per course (discounts available with early registration). The tuition for all twelve hour weekly and weekend courses is $195 (discounts available with early registration). Students must register in person for the entire quarter at registration at least two weeks prior to commencement of classes. Tuition must be paid in full before the commencement of classes. In some cases, monthly payments may be arranged for an additional fee.

Students should budget about $50 to $100 per quarter for textbooks in the first year. Most second year courses will use the same textbooks as the first year courses, but students should still budget around $200 for total second year book costs. All textbooks will be available through Healing Tao Institute or nearby bookstores.

Refunds and Credits
Course tuitions may be refunded in full (less $50 per course withdrawal fee) if the student gives notice of withdrawal at least two weeks in advance of the first class date. After those dates, no refunds will be given. However, students may have Healing Tao Institute credit those amounts (less $50 per course withdrawal fee) towards another Healing Tao Institute course. Credits must be used within one year of issue. The $75 application fee is non-refundable. If any classes are cancelled due to insufficient enrollment, Healing Tao Institute will issue you a full refund or credit.

Transfer Credits
Healing Tao Institute may allow full transfer credits for all Western Science, and Business Management courses, based upon receipt of a certified transcript from the institution of learning and the provision that the previous course taken is equivalent to Healing Tao Institute’s course requirements. Transfer credit may also be allowed for some Qigong and Tai Chi courses taken elsewhere, based upon an oral or written interview, a written and/or practical exam, proof of hours and course taken, or any combination of these requirements at the discretion of the Program Director.

Students who are commuting from out of town to Austin for study in the Qigong Teacher Training Program may meet the Program’s Tai Chi Qigong requirements either through approved study with another instructor, or through a special Healing Tao Tai Chi intensive retreat week held during the summer. If there are enough students, a Tai Chi retreat will be arranged in the Austin area. Several of the other Qigong courses are also taught internationally through the Universal Tao by Master Mantak Chia and other certified Instructors in the Healing Tao system. Full transfer credit will be given for these courses with verification of courses and hours. The maximum limit on transfer credits is 108 credits (approximately 324 class hours).

Additional Requirements for Graduation
Students must write an 800-1,200 word original research paper on the subject of their choice related to Qigong. The paper may focus on a particular style of Qigong, on the historical aspects of Qigong, the relationship between Qigong and other body-mind disciplines, on Qigong teaching, or other similar subjects.

Students must also receive and document twelve hours of Medical Qigong Therapy clinical treatment before graduation. These treatments must be given by a Certified Medical Qigong Therapist. Treatments are available in the Austin area from Dr. Jampa Stewart and graduates of the Healing Tao Institute Medical Qigong program. A list of graduates in the area is available upon request.

Our program emphasizes the mastery of several different styles of Qigong, including the Universal Tao System as taught by internationally renowned teacher and author Master Mantak Chia. Students who successfully complete Healing Tao Institute’s program will be eligible to test for certification as Universal Tao Certified Instructors. Universal Tao’s certification will require an additional four weeks of retreat and testing in each course for which one wants to be certified.

PROGRAMS
• Healing Tao/Universal Tao Program
• Medical Qigong Therapy Program
• Chi Nei Tsang Program
• Qigong Teacher Training Program

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