If you are looking for an art to keep you healthy,overcome chronic pain and depression, be full of vitality, increase youthful joy, longevity and vitality then Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung can certainly help you. It is simple (though not always easy) to learn, profound in philosophy, direct in approach, complete as an art and effective in results!
You may be under a lot of stress, sleeping very little, have a poor appetite, palpitations, anxiety, constant pain, cloudy thinking, if so, it is important to do something to help yourself and unlike me you do not have to travel half way around the world to find it as I have brought these beautiful arts to Ireland with the help and encouragement of my own teacher Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit.www.shaolin.org
In these times, it is certainly worth investing in an art to help you deal with stress and to keep your immune system working efficiently. This is one of the most simple and easy ways to help and empower yourself. It includes deep relaxation, breathing and mind focus to generate chi or energy in the meridian system and once generated the chi is allowed to circulate to reach those stagnant areas where it is needed most. In Chinese of old, a doctor was only paid at the end of the year, if he was able to keep you healthy. Practising high level Chi Kung is one unique and superb way to keep you bouncing with good health and a zest for life whatever your age. It is a complete system in itself and is one of the most powerful of the Chinese therapies. Its benefits are good health (overcoming problems or prevention, vitality, mental clarity, longevity, spiritual cultivation and a zest for life)
We also offer Wahnam Tai Chi Chuan and Shaolin Kungfu to add the self defence element not just in a combat situation but in daily life. Training an internal martial art is about generating energy flow, being relaxed in times of stress, having increased awareness and focus, building internal force in a safe way and being able to defend yourself. The aim of a martial art is not to get hit in the first place, so training is not rough or in any way brutal. The Shaolin Arts are life fulfilling and empowering...self healing, self development, self defence. All training is systematic, aspiring to becoming scholar-warrior-monks (please see Wahnam Tai Chi Chuan section below) Shaolin Chi Kung is intrinsic to both Wahnam Tai Chi Chuan and Shaolin Kung Fu. All three are a training of energy and mind leading to good health, vitality, mental clarity, internal force and spiritual and personal development. Chi Kung is not a martial art, but Tai Chi Chuan and Shaolin Kungfu are internal martial arts. If you are sick of being sick, tired of being tired and stressed from being stressed, come along to our courses and classes where you will meet like minded people who wish to enhance their life and ongoing support from Sifu Joan.
Upcoming Courses for 2011
Shaolin Cosmos Qigong (Chi Kung) with Sifu Joan
Shaolin Cosmos Qigong courses are divided into 3 sections
1) Beginners Dates below- Weekend and Weekly in Kerry.
2) Intermediate review Dublin on December 10th from 9.30am -4.30pm (Review only, not for beginners)
3) Advanced- Will be invited by email after completing Level 1 Beginners.
All future courses on Shaolin Chi Kung will be held only in Kerry. (see course details below) except for Project Zen. If you do have a group of 10 people or more in your area then please contact Sifu Joan directly sifujoan@gmail.com
A very special course will be held in The RDS Dublin in September 3rd & 4th 2011. This is a beginners course but advanced students may also apply. If you wish to apply for acceptance please fill in the form below or email Sifu Joan with heading PROJECT ZEN. More information on www.projectZENrds.com
Review classes are held weekly in The Shaolin Wahnam Centre in Kilgarvan and in Coolcower House Hotel in Macroom. Please email or text (087 12 12 249) if you wish to attend. You must have completed a beginner's weekend to take part.
Taught over 6 Levels. Next Level 1 weekend begins on September 10th & 11th 2011 and a separate weekly class will begin on Friday September 22nd 2011 @ 7.30pm in the Shaolin Chinese Arts Centre in Kilgarvan.
Shaolin Kung Fu with Sifu Padraig Shanahan and Mark Hartnett.
Taught over 6 levels. Next Level 1 beginning in Killarney with Sifu Mark Hartnett Email: m.c.hartnett@gmail.com or 085 1109353. Sifu Padraig Shanahan is the instructor in the Limerick area. Phone or text 087 754 3020
All courses are conducted on a weekly or weekend basis of 12 hours duration e.g 1 hour weekly class or two 6 hour days over a weekend. The syllabus is exactly the same they are offered in this way for individual preference.To apply for eligibility for all courses, please fill in the application at the end of page. All students must agree to abide by the Ten Shaolin Laws.
SHAOLIN CHI KUNG REVIEW NEW A very very special Christmas review course will be held on 29th & 30th December in Kilgarvan for Shaolin Chi Kung students who attended the clinic or weekend courses during the year. If you wish to book your place, please do so now! Two days of review and deepening of skills to help you flow through life more easily. I look forward to seeing you then!
Venues, Dates and Fees: Shaolin Cosmos Qigong BEGINNERS with Sifu Joan Browne
(Application for acceptance at end of page)
Kerry: Beginners weekend- 18 Lohan hands Part 1
Date: January 21st & 22nd 2012. March 3rd & 4th, May 5th & 6th, July 7th & 8th. All separate New Beginner courses.
Venue: Shaolin Centre Gortluachera, Kilgarvan, Co Kerry
Time: 9.30am -4.30pm
Fee: €300.00 00 (includes lunch, handouts, book and personalised training programme)
Course description: All courses are divided into Form, Skills, Application and Philosophy.
Form: The first 8 patterns of the 18 Lohan hands
Skills: Coordinate form and breathing to generate an energy flow.
Application: To maintain good health, overcome pain and enhance vitality.
Philosophy: A clear understanding on the difference between Qigong and Physical Exercise.
Further details:
Aims:
1) To help people understand the benefits of practising a high level art like Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung.
2) To help people learn the foundation necessary to deepen skill.
3) To help people with chronic pain
4) To help people overcome fear and anxiety.
5) To boost the immune system of each participant.
6) To empower participants to take better care of themselves holistically.
7) To attain the highest level of work/life balance.
Objectives:
1) To be able to focus and relax in practice and life.
2) To enter a Chi Kung state of mind.
3) To tap energy from the cosmos.
4) To generate an internal energy flow.
5) To learn the best available Chi Kung for good health, mental clarity, vitality, longevity and peace of mind.
Course Content:
1) Standing Meditation (Still Zen)
2) Regulating Energy Flow (Moving Zen)
3) Shaolin Eight Brocades/18 Lohan hands Part 1- Lifting the Sky, Turning Head, Shooting Arrows, Plucking stars, Thrusting fist with Angry Eyes, Merry Go Round, Nourishing Kidneys and Carrying the Moon,
4) Work/Life role play.
Expected results: (on the day)
1) Feel relaxed, tranquil, peaceful and connected.
2) Experience some chi or energy flow effects e.g. warmth over the body, tingling sensations at the fingers or other body parts, movement of chi underneath the skin.
3) Be able to tap energy from the Cosmos.
4) Be able to generate an internal energy flow through the meridian system.
Duration:
12 hours. (6 hours per day)
After the Course:
Students who practice correctly after the course will find their health improving, pain disappearing, they will feel more hopeful, confident and courageous, more compassionate, have more energy, increased mental clarity for decision making and a deep sense of tranquillity and wellbeing.
Booking for selection to sifujoan@gmail.com with heading 'Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung 2012
Please mention the following when applying or fill in the application form at the end of this page.
Name, Address, Contact details (phone, email), DOB, Occupation, Why you would like to take part in the project, any known medical illness, any medication, Have read and agree to abide by the Ten Shaolin Laws (www.smilefromtheheart.ie)
For private consultaion please see www.qigongprivateclinic.com Sifu Joan is a certified Shaolin Therapist and expert on chi transmission in Ireland. Read Sifu Joan's extraordinary experience with her students with blessings and chi transmission. The clinic deals with chronic and degenerative conditions.
MORE DETAILS ON THE WEEKLY AND WEEKEND COURSES:SHAOLIN COSMOS CHI KUNG
The Essence of the Art of Chi Kung is not just physical Chi kung patterns. It is the Training of Energy and Mind to attain the best of Health, Vitality, Mental Clarity, Spiritual Development and Longevity.
Shaolin Chi Kung is the essence of who we are. Cleansing physical and emotional pain and illness to attain good health, happiness and a zest for life. The strength and empowerment of Shaolin Chi Kung is not from the exercises but from performing the exercises in a Chi Kung state of mind (Zen mind) and generating an energy flow. Without the Zen mind and Energy Flow it is only physical exercise.
Name of Account: SHAOLIN WAHNAM IRELAND (MS J BROWNE (S) )
Account Number: 71850227
Name of Bank: Permanent TSB
Address of Bank: 12 Lower Castle Street, Tralee, Co Kerry, Ireland
BIC (Bank ID) IPBSIE2D
Bank sort code: 990711
IBAN - IE85 IPBS 9907 11 71850227 (please note previous number was incorrect, updated on November 14th 2011)
Fees paid on the date of the commencement, should be of correct amount and placed in an envelope and personally handed to Sifu Joan. Receipts are available.
If you attend the private clinic, you will be advised on which course to join at the appropriate time if applicable.
Further Shaolin Chi Kung training with Sifu Joan only applicable for students who have already taken the Beginner's weekend course of Eighteen Lohan Hands Part 1. Invitation issued by email after Beginners course completed.
2. Eighteen Lohan Hands Part 2
Forms: The remaining 10 exercises of the Eighteen Lohan Hands.
Skills: To generate energy flow using form, breathing or mind.
Application: To overcome illness and maintain good health.
Philosophy: Chi kung is a cultivation of jing, qi and shen, or physical form, energy and spirit.
3. Self-Manifested Chi Movement
Forms: 3 sets of self-manifested chi movement exercises, namely Fish-Flip, Dancing Dairy, and Swallow through Clouds.
Skills: To generate vigorous energy flow using form.
Application: It is platinum-card chi kung for overcoming pain and illness, and maintaining good health.
Philosophy: How chi kung overcome illness and promote health, vitality and longevity.
4. Massaging Internal Organs
Forms: Using Separating Water, Merry-Go-Round and Nourishing Kidneys.
Skills: Massaging the lungs, stomach and spleen, and kidneys.
Application: Overcoming emotional as well as physical problems.
Philosophy: The relationship between emotional problems and blockage in respective organs.
B. INTERMEDIATE STAGE- Dates to be confirmed.
5. . Internal Force and Mental Clarity-
Forms: Choose 2 or more of the following force-training methods – Three-Circle Stance, Lifting Sun and Moon, Horse-Riding Stance, Golden Bridge, Lifting Water and Grasping Sparrow’s Tail.
Skills: Developing internal force and mental clarity, especially for non-kungfu students.
Application: Enhancing our work and play.
Philosophy: Why not thinking of anything leads to mental clarity.
6. Shaolin Eighteen Chi Kung Techniques
Forms: 18 Shaolin chi kung exercises.
Skills: The exercises may be practiced at the physical, chi kung, martial and spiritual levels.
Application: Maintaining fitness, overcoming pain and illness, combat application and spiritual cultivation.
Philosophy: Different levels and functions of chi kung practice.
July – September 2012
7. Cosmic Shower
Forms: Carrying the Moon or Lifting the Sky.
Skills: Generate a cosmic shower.
Application: To cleanse as well as strengthen the practitioner physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Philosophy: The two dimensions of chi kung, namely cleansing and strengthening.
October-December 2012
8. Shaolin Eighteen-Lohan Art
Forms: 18 exercises from the Eighteen Lohan-Art.
Skills: Generating energy flow and exploding force. Application: Maintaining fitness, overcoming pain and illness, generating force and spiritual cultivation. Philosophy: Difference between internal force and muscular strength.
C. ADVANCED STAGE
January – March 2013
9. Abdominal Breathing
Forms: The technique of Abdominal Breathing.
Skills: To build a pearl of energy at the dan tian.
Application: To attain peak performance in work and play. Philosophy: The three functions of internal force.
April-June 2013
10. Sinew Metamorphosis
Forms: The 12 exercises of Sinew Metamorphosis.
Skills: To develop mental clarity and internal force.
Application: To attain peak performance in work and play.
Philosophy: Becoming a scholar-warrior.
July – September 2013
11. Cosmic Breathing
Forms: The technique of dan tian breathing.
Skills: To pulsate with the Cosmos.
Application: To expand the spirit.
Philosophy: The meaning and significance of jing, qi and shen, or form, energy and spirit.
October – December 2013
12. Merging with Cosmos
Forms: Any one or two of the Sinew Metamorphosis exercises. Skills: To expand into the Cosmos.
Application: To attain a spiritual awakening. Philosophy: Moral development and spiritual cultivation.
Another Level 1 weekend intake for 2011 will commence on September 2011 in Kilgarvan. B/B accommodation is close by and students from other counties will be collected at Killarney train/bus station on the Friday evening.
Wahnam Tai Chi Chuan Weekend A beautiful introduction to training energy and mind and using Tai Chi Chuan for good health, vitality, mental clarity, spiritual cultivation and self defenc
Above Peter Clayton and Dominic Roche: Dominic attacks with the pattern White Snake Shoots Venom as Peter yields to avoid and will counter attack. If you want to know what to counter attack with...................? You have to take the course to find out! Sparring is systematic, safe and sure to be good FUN training energy and mind.
SHAOLIN KUNGFU: An Introduction to Shaolin Kungfu using energy and mind for good health, vitality, mental focus, spiritual cultivation and self defence.
Regular Weekly Classes are being held in Limerick citiy with Sifu Padraig. New students will be accepted over the next 3 weeks. Please contact Sifu Padraig immediately on Ph. 087 7543020 by text or call.
Weekly classes on Shaolin Kung Fu will also commence in Killarney with Sifu Mark Hartnett 085 1109353 or email: m.c.hartnett@gmail.com
Other WEBSITES of interest:
Sifu Joan Browne's Private Clinic currently being updated www.qigongprivateclinic.com The main private clinic is now located in The Shaolin Centre, Gortluachera, Kilgarvan, Co Kerry. 064 66 85877 or email sifujoan@gmail.com for appointment.
MORE INFORMATION ON SHAOLIN CHI KUNG, WAHNAM TAI CHI CHUAN AND SIFU JOAN
Students learn immediately how to relax, how to generate energy flow through the meridian system, how to Smile from the Heart, how to work on different areas of stress and how to live a happier and more peaceful enriching life.
Shaolin Chi Kung nurtures and nourishes each individual, enhancing a feeling of youthful joy and vitality, good health and happiness in daily life. Here is what people who have taken this course with Sifu Joan have experienced.
Shaolin Chi Kung was a secretive art only taught in the Shaolin temple and to the Emperors, and government ministers in China. We are indebted to Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit who has travelled the world spreading this wonderful art so that all humanity can explore and experience its wonderful benefits. There is a profound truth in the saying 'Your Health is your Wealth'.
Sifu Joan Browne International teacher, Sifu Joan Browne, not only teaches Chi Kung, it is Shaolin Chi Kung, an elite art with a profound philosophy to nurture all areas of one's life. Instead of composing her own style, as many do today, Sifu Joan follows her own Sifu's advice of following the ancient teachings which have already, for hundreds of years, been crystalised by past Masters to be the best. It is because of this wise counsel that she does not need anything other than Shaolin Chi Kung to help people, whether teaching in the corporate world, group courses or private clinic. Students/Clients are amazed at the profound knowledge, benefits and depth of skill which can be acquired in such a short time. All students are able to practice competently on their own after the day course, but followup courses with new techniques and deepening of skills are always availabile.
The philosophy of Shaolin is profound, nurturing and enriching. It enhances life in the most basic and simple way, allowing us more freedom and joy every moment of every day- Sifu Joan
Here is what some students have to say: All are pleased to be contacted for verification.
Dear Shaolin family,
My story begins in the Canadian City of Calgary. It was here on the 22nd of July, 2000, that life took an unexpected and nasty turn as the result of a few hours spent drinking in ‘The Back Alley’ nightclub. Bad stuff can and does happen to people on nights out and typically involves drink-related violence being inflicted on them. What happened me however had nothing to do with physical violence. It was far more deadly than that: it was the noise.
The music in the nightclub was played at such a loud volume that on leaving the club, both my ears had ringing noises in them. I had tinnitus. A lot of people experience this phenomenon and typically it is just fleeting, lasts a few hours, and is gone. Far from being temporary however, the ringing wasn’t gone in the morning, and it wasn’t gone in a week either. It was to stay for a long time, over ten years in fact, leaving me with a decade of being unable to achieve silence.
I try not to be too hard on myself when I think back to the days and months following on from ‘The Back Alley’. There was much about the condition that I didn’t know then, but learned gradually - and very painfully - in the year, and subsequent years, that followed.
I was twenty-two and in college the year after Canada and in living the student life, my tinnitus got progressively worse. For I didn’t “just” have tinnitus, I had hyperacusis as well, something which took months to realise. Hyperacusis can be thought of as having very weak ears and, consequently, they are far more susceptible to loud noises. It was a vicious circle: loud noises, which prior to ‘The Back Alley’ posed no problem, succeeded in damaging my ears further, making my tinnitus worse and my ears weaker. As my ears got weaker I was more and more susceptible to loud noises. By the autumn of 2001 an appalling vista had unfolded: my tinnitus/hyperacusis had become severe.
So why have I been hard on myself when reflecting on this period? I should have taken greater care of my ears and minded them. I didn’t.
Life with severe tinnitus/hyperacusis is problematic in many ways. First there is the noise: day after day, night after night, year after year, of permanent, non-stop, 24/7, loud ringing and hissing noises coming from inside your head. Pick the most beautiful lake in the world and sit beside it on a perfect moonlight night: your ears are ringing. It never leaves you because it is in you.
The second problem is not constant, but sporadic in nature: when loud noises further damage the ears. Think of those old torture racks we see in history documentaries on which someone is being physically stretched to inflict pain. Then think of when they get stretched further. Loud noises hitting ears with severe hyperacusis is like having your tinnitus stretched further. It is difficult to describe. Perhaps one way to think of it is like having your nervous system electrocuted.
And so it follows that the third big problem is the absolute necessity to avoid loud noises, regardless of the social consequences. All nightclubs, loud bars, cinemas, firework displays, live concerts, football stadiums and anything else that involved a lot of noise (such as using a lawnmower) were strictly off-limits to me. No exceptions. Needless to say, my social life became bleak under such constraints.
Earplugs were of no use in such situations as they only succeed in blocking a fraction of the sound. They weren’t enough (this was one of the painful lessons I learnt in the months after Canada). I did use earplugs however, everyday in fact. Earplugs were the only way I could cope with ordinary, but loud to me, everyday sounds: walking next to traffic, watching TV, barking dogs, clearing the dinner table with clanging plates, airports etc. When I was outdoors I used full earplugs, when I was indoors I used half earplugs. Sometimes I used full earplugs indoors too! If earplugs were a monarchy I would have been King.
But even with the elimination of loud environments from my social calendar, and the everyday use of earplugs, there were always times I got caught out: a fire engine passing on the street (too loud even with earplugs), a smoke alarm going off (too loud even with half-earplugs), walking past a building site when an angle-grinder goes off (ha ha) or, most memorably, being half-way into a haircut and a hairdryer starts up right next to me. And so my tinnitus/hyperacusis never eased, but always got worse.
My life was a war against noise, everyday a battle. Evading noise was my all-day, everyday, full-time occupation. It was relentless.
Living a life under such conditions is demoralising, depressing and very difficult. And it is terrible for a love life too.
.Tinnitus and hyperacusis are so-called incurable diseases and visits to various doctors confirmed this. So I turned to Alternative Medicine. I visited many different therapists over the years, everything from acupuncturists to pranic healers, and all of them had two things in common: they never did anything for my tinnitus or hyperacusis, and they cost a small fortune. Which of course is not a statement on the efficacy on these therapies, or the therapists. Far from it. It’s just that they never did anything for me.
If reading a book can be considered an introduction, then my introduction to Chi Kung came when a friend recommended Daniel Reid’s “A Complete Guide to Chi-gung”. Regarding Reid’s main thesis – that health and healing are possible through the daily practice of Chi Kung – I never needed any convincing. I believed every word.
So, naturally, when an ad about Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung appeared in the newspaper in August 2003, I was very interested and about a week later I found myself learning ‘Lifting the Sky’ from a very friendly lady from Kerry whose name you all know: Joan Browne. Amazed by her own incredible journey of healing, and even more amazed the class itself, I was sure of only one thing walking home that evening: it was not like anything I had expected!
And so my journey in the Shaolin Arts began. I had, in my hands, the means to effect real and positive change to my health and perhaps, just perhaps, lessen the burden of tinnitus and hyperacusis. All I had to do was follow the instructions. It was that simple!
I have never figured out why exactly what happened afterwards happened, but it did: I stopped practicing. It made no sense. I was very unwell and a solution was presented to me. But I stopped. (I should add that I took Sigung’s “Generating Energy Flow” course in Galway soon after my first class with Sifu. But it made no difference to my mindset. I still stopped.)
A few months later however, still very much inspired by Joan’s own personal journey, and being nagged by the feeling that I really really should be practicing, I spoke with her again and was delighted to find myself back in her class. My practice had returned and it felt great! Which makes it all the more inexplicable that it collapsed all over again.
This pattern was to repeat itself over the next five and a half years. I would practice Chi Kung for a while and then I would stop…over and over again. Needless to say intermittent practice did nothing for my tinnitus/hyperacusis. All it left me with was deep frustration. It may sound bizarre but I never stopped being very annoyed with myself for not regularly practicing Chi Kung, when all I had to do to end that annoyance was just practice.
I have much to say about my years of infrequent practice but now is not the time. I would however just like to state, completely free of hyperbole, that it is the single biggest regret I have in my life.
I wasn’t practicing Chi Kung in the early summer of 2009 but that awful nagging feeling was still very much alive in me: you really really should be practicing. So I emailed Joan inquiring about classes. Again.
Looking back on it now, there was nothing auspicious about the 11th of July that summer. It was a Saturday and again I found myself attending a day of Chi Kung with the lady who I am now very honoured to address as Sifu. I had no heavenly visions proclaiming that my time had come. I didn’t journey up some sacred mountain and make a heartfelt declaration that I had seen the light. No, nothing like that. It was just history repeating itself.
I enjoyed a good day of Chi Kung that Saturday in Macroom. And then, with no great fanfare, or any great announcement, the most amazing thing happened: my practice came together. It just did. I practiced the day after the class. And the day after that. And the day after that too! Sitting here, over a year and a half later, I am very happy to say that I haven’t missed a single day of practice since…and my life has been completely transformed!
Within two weeks of practicing everyday a whole new paradigm of Chi Kung presented itself. It was no longer something I felt I should be doing, it was something I really wanted to do. It came as natural as brushing my teeth. The struggle had ended and I embraced it. It embraced me. And so I practiced, twice a day, every day. For the very first time I enjoyed my practice.
Two months later I was in Killarney for an intensive weekend of Chi Kung with Sifu. The weekend was amazing. Sifu’s instructions took on a whole new meaning and I found myself understanding them on a deeper level. And so I had my first deep chi flow: a wonderful and lovely warmth filling my inner left ear, much like the sensation one experiences with a hopi ear candle. It was the first glimpse of the miracle that had, unknown to me then, started to unfold.
And so I continued practicing. I enjoyed some wonderful Chi flows during the months that followed with some incredible and vigorous shaking of my body. Sometime before Christmas I could feel the faint ripple of something very big: my tinnitus and hyperacusis begun to shift.
And then Grandmaster Wong came to town.
I still can’t quite find the words to describe last year’s Valentine’s festival of Chi Kung in Killarney. I can say one thing with certainty however: the height to which my mind soared under Sigung’s presence and guidance changed me fundamentally as a person. The final Chi flow on the Saturday was the most profound spiritual experience of my life. It cleansed my soul. Deeply. A hundred million thoughts streamed through my mind, as I stood there in ‘flowing breeze swaying willow’, crying my eyes out. Thoughts about myself, my life and my journey in life up to that precise moment. It was just so beautiful. It was as if the Universe had enveloped my spirit in a warm loving embrace.
The clearing of blockages in the weeks and months after Killarney was savage, as it was for everyone else. Violent mood swings and deep frustrations in my body and mind consumed me. But the times, they were a-Changin’: my tinnitus and hyperacusis began to crumble under the sustained practice of Chi Kung. Slowly, the life I once knew started to return: I could walk into town without needing earplugs anymore; I could call to a friend’s house and not worry about the noise. My perception of life itself began to change. My confidence began to return. A weight made heavy by ten years of hardship began to lift: my fear of noise began to diminish. My journey home had begun.
My first shout in Chi flow came in June in Sifu’s class. Her guidance was, yet again, taking me to a deeper level and rooting out blockages in my mind about my way of thinking about tinnitus. Having spent so long evading noise, to find myself intentionally making a lot of noise was nothing short of remarkable. It must be said however that I was using half earplugs that day, as I had in every single Chi Kung class ever taken up to that point (required for severe hyperacusis unfortunately).
Now generally basketball courts are for playing basketball. Or maybe gymnastics, if so inclined. In July however, like many others before me, I found a different use: rolling along the floor of them in deep Chi flows under Sigung’s once again very profound presence and guidance. Oh what fun we had at the UK Summer Camp!
The four days of Chi Kung that I was very privileged to attend were amazing, astonishing and mesmerising. On the third day, the Sunday, exactly one year to the day that I started practicing every day, I had my Lazarus moment: I ripped the earplugs out of my ears and gave it welly in Chi flow. I started to scream. It was the first time since 2002 that I was in a public place with no earplugs. And I was screaming. That was the moment when I knew, really really knew, where Chi Kung was taking me...it was taking me home.
Since those wonderful days in Brighton my tinnitus and hyperacusis have continued to diminish with each and every day. I have many other stories to share but I think I’ve said enough. Sitting here, over a year and a half since I started practicing every day, my hyperacusis is 90% healed. Still a bit to go, but I know by summer it will be but a memory, a story of my life confined to the past. I cannot express to you dear family how much this means to me. My never-ending, deeply wearisome war with noise is over. I have won.
The improvements in my tinnitus have always lagged behind that of my hyperacusis. I still have ringing in my ears but it is slight compared to what it once was. This will be the next great phase of my journey in the Shaolin Arts: the achievement of silence. I don’t know when or where but it is coming.
I have wanted to share my story for some time but found myself waiting for something. I didn’t know what that ‘something’ was, but I knew I would know it when came. And it did, just before Christmas: I started listening to music again.
Of all the things I lost after tinnitus/hyperacusis came into my life, one of the hardest to swallow was the severing of music from my life. I needed silence in the evening, not The Stone Roses. So to find myself, before Christmas, listening to loud music, without a care in the world, was my homecoming. For I don’t see the war I have won to be a reinvention of myself, or the becoming of a ‘new man’, I see it as a return to the person I was before fate intervened on that dark night in 2000. I was at peace with life back then, happy and content, and full of the joy and wonder which life on this planet can bring. And I listened to a lot of great music. Chi Kung has taken me back to that, a journey back home, a journey back to myself.
So now let me say this: There is a cure for tinnitus and there is a cure for hyperacusis and it is Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung, the Chi Kung spread far and wide by Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit, Fourth Generation Successor of the Venerable Jiang Nan of the Southern Shaolin Monastery.
Sigung, my life was forever changed by your profound teachings in Killarney and Brighton last year. In offering them, you were spending time away from your wonderful and beautiful family and had to undergo the ordeal of plane journeys to take you halfway across the planet. This story is the fruit of your labour: the return to health and happiness of an Irishman who was lost in a maelstrom of noise and confusion. Incredibly, it is but a grape in the vineyard of health, healing and spiritual joy you have cultivated in the lives of many people right across the globe through your life’s work.
Thank you, Sigung. Thank you.
And so back to autumn 2003.
Sifu Joan was in the process of organising a weekly class in Cork at the time and when we arranged to meet I didn’t realise that the weekly class had yet to start. Nor did I realise that on the night in question there would only be one student in the class: me.
So Sifu drove from her home in Kerry to Cork City on a week night in the autumn of 2003 to teach a single person ‘Lifting the Sky’ after only a short phonecall of an arrangement. Afterwards she completely refused to accept any money as her regular class hadn’t yet begun. She wouldn’t even take money for petrol, despite her making a round trip of over 200km. She asked only one thing in return: that I practice.
Sifu, it took over five and a half years but finally I did as you asked: I practiced. You were absolutely correct when you said that night that Chi Kung would clear my tinnitus. I heard the words but I wasn’t ready to listen…and the rest of my 20’s drifted by in a frenzy of noise as a result.
In my many years of inconsistent practice I never forgot the kindness and compassion you showed to me that evening and neither did I forget your own incredible story of healing. It is why I kept coming back. It is a credit to your integrity as a person and as a Sifu that you always welcomed me back with a smile and helped me in every way possible, every single time.
Since I have embraced the Shaolin Arts and brought this great change to my life, you continue to inspire and guide, correct and encourage, in many different ways and on many different levels.
It was your courage, conviction and belief that brought the Shaolin Arts to Ireland and for this I, and many others, are eternally grateful and forever in your debt.
This story is the fruit of your labour as well Sifu. In writing it I hope that I can in some small way contribute to the promotion of the Shaolin Arts here in Ireland, and abroad, something which I know is dear to your heart.
Thank you, Sifu. Thank you.
Best wishes to all the Shaolin family,
Kevin 2011
The Chi Kung was the hardest part for me at the start as I was quite sceptical about how doing the simple exercises could benefit me and that everybody else seemed to be moving or falling around and that could seem to let my “chi” flow. I started regular Chi Kung classes with my Siguma Joan Browne soon after beginning Shaolin Kung Fu as I felt it would all be beneficial to my training. A year had passed and I was just about to lose hope that I would never have a chi flow when something strange happened to me. After doing lifting the sky with Siguma Joan and going into Chi Flow I felt a surge of energy from my left temple all the way out to my left small finger. It was as if I was attached to a car battery and the energy was surging through me yet it didn’t hurt. I then started to fall around any started to have happy europhoric feelings. It was the strangest and one of the best feelings I had ever experienced in my life. After we slowed down and I had time to reflect on it all I felt a clarity in my mind which I had never experienced. I now practice it everyday and after a hard days work I find it fantastic to clear my mind.
Eric Shannon, Cork 2009 You can read Eric's full story on training Shaolin Kungfu and Shaolin Chi Kung in the Testimonials section.
Dear Sije Joan I always had the wonderful blessings of never being really ill in my life. Recently I have thought of how Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung has helped me. Immediately two things came to mind. My eyes improved so much that there was no longer a need too wear glasses and after suffering from hay fever since a very young age, I can now happily say it is well gone. The only thing that I have changed was to practice Chi Kung daily. I recommend everyone I know and meet to do your Shaolin Chi Kung course. Best wishes Mark Hartnett Ireland May 2009
‘.I did your weekend course earlier in the year . I haven’t a pain or an ache and am smiling from the heart . God Bless you. Joanne, Killarney.
‘Dear Sifu, -I am seeing situations, issues or opportunities clearly at their heart and being able to respond appropriately, without anxiety or stress overwhelming me. I have found I am able to be still and even find humour in the most challenging business circumstance.’Mark, Dublin
Hi Joan Sam here - hope you are well. Just wanted to say thank you so much for introducing Chi flow to us! I have more energy, I'm calmer and my life is honestly flowing superbly! We both enjoy doing it so so much!. Sam, UK
‘The results said I had a small hiatus hernia. Two months after my last class with Sifu and the symptoms seem to have vanished. I can eat whatever I choose without ill-effect.’ Peter, Galway
Sifu Joan demonstrating White Crane flaps Wings THE SCHOLAR- WARRIOR- MONK IDEAL
In our school, we do not merely teach Chi kung, Shaolin Kungfu or Wahnam Taijiquan; we teach a way of life that is meaningful and rewarding for ourselves and to other people.
We are quite clear about our aims and objectives. For most of us, we choose the scholar-warrior ideal. For those of us who are more advanced in our training, we aspire to be warrior-monks. We do not really go to war to be warriors or shave our heads to be monks. We aspire to these ideals, such as the clarity of thought and intellectual depth of a scholar, the courage and righteousness of a warrior, and the compassion and cosmic wisdom of a monk.
Actually all of us are warriors. If you compete in sport, work in a profession, or engage in business, you are a warrior. But we do not want to be a crude warrior, like one who is proud of a scar received from a football match, stabs his colleagues in their back, or drives his competitors to bankruptcy. We want to be a scholar-warrior or a warrior-monk, someone who not only excels in his profession or business, but also is a wonderful husband, father and friend, someone who is successful in life as well as compassionate and wise.
And we are no day-dreamers. We set our vision, and we find direction to our destination. We know the journey involves hard work, but we are confident we can accomplish our task. We know our chi kung, Shaolin Kungfu or Wahnam Taijiquan training will give us the mental clarity and internal force besides courage and determination needed for our journey, and we use our Ten Shaolin Laws to guide us in our daily onduct.
Our training is systematic, disciplined and very good fun. Laughter is a common sound in the training room.
Peter and Dominic having fun playing around in Pushing hands.
White snake shoots Venom- combat sequences practised as sets.
SPECIAL PUSHING/STRIKING HANDS WEEKENDS & SOME COMMENTS FROM STUDENTS.
Learn how to generate real energy flow, basic stance training and footwork, flexible legs, how to gain sensitivity through 'hearing force', Deepen the skill of leading and following, Build internal force, Deepen the skill of awareness of another's intentions.sensing your partners emotions and intentions. Using the principles of Pushing/Striking hands in daily life and business. Pushing hands deepens skills, Striking hands allows the students to learn techniques of not just striking but is comprehensive including - kicking, felling and chin na.This is a personal development course......enhancing each individual physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually Both are wonderful fun to learn and laughter is a common sound in class
Dear Sije Joan 1) 3 things I’ve learned or should I say still learning from the pushing hands course are: to relax, have fun and just enjoy the moment.
2) My favourite part of the course was the free sparring I really enjoyed that part of the course and also the chi flows they were very strong but really enjoyable. Probably the most surprising thing for me was being able to sense when someone was about to strike me and being able to do this on the first day. I have tried pushing hands with a friend of mine since I’ve been back home. They also have some experience in pushing hands. Before the course, when we did pushing hands they always referred to my arm as being like a concrete block but after the course they couldn’t get over how relaxed I was and now it was me who was telling them that there arm was so tense it was like a concrete block. How the roles have reversed in just two days!
3) I really enjoyed the atmosphere on the course the lads were constantly joking and just having a good time. That helped me to relax being the new guy on the course.
4) The biggest thing I’ve learned personally on the course is that I tend to keep people at a distance I hadn’t realised that before. That was a bit of a shock and an eye opener something that I have to work on.
5) I went on the course to learn pushing hands which I did, but I’ve learned a lot more on a personal level then I ever could have expected. That’s the great thing about these courses be it Tai Chi Chuan or Chi Kung I always expect to get some sort of a result from them and I always get so much more for that I am always grateful and can’t wait until the next pushing hands course.
6) The most important thing I’m going to keep in mind is my training is the six harmonies hands, body ,footwork and jing(essence) chi (energy )shen(mind)
Thanks Sije for an excellent weekend and to every one on the course for making it so enjoyable. Brendan Galway -May 2009
Dear Sifu,
For me pushing hands / striking hands creates a safe and fun way to examine and experiment with our own behaviour/responses to every day life situations, without the repercussions! - it provides a 'pressure cooker' almost laboratory like condition, to allow us to feel and discover things about ourselves, situations and reactions to them along with those of our training partners. On the surface it appears to be a simple, physical activity - but I felt the effects go deep, beyond mental comprehension and are they still on going, weeks after the course. One of the key lessons I got from the weekend was the appreciation of balance in any relationship or interaction. If we consider a relationship as a 50/50 , this is the outcome of the balance shifting, for what ever reason, good or bad; primarily this raised awareness of my own behaviour and reactions and was a real eye opener, giving much food for thought and self examination and a long list for self improvement ! It is strange Sifu, I got such a lot out of the course, but its hard to get the understanding onto the paper ! I don't find writing difficult, I have to do it for work every day, it just seems like words are not enough.
Mark- Dublin- May 2009
Sifu Joan demonstrating Fierce Dragon with Peter Clayton.
Venue; Shaolin Wahnam Centre, Gortluachera, Kilgarvan, Co Kerry
SHAOLIN KUNGFU ( If you wish to read more on Shaolin Kungfu please click here
Weekly and Weekend Shaolin Chi Kung course details with Sifu Joan
The Foundation of Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung (weekend or 12 week course-) will focus on learning the basics of Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung. Each participant will be well able to practice on their own after the course.
How to go into a Chi Kung state of mind,
How to relax.
How to Smile from the Heart.
How to 'let go' and enjoy the energy flowing inside.
How to generate internal energy.
Bringing the principles of Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung into our daily life
Standing Meditation.
Moving Meditation.
Aims and Objectives in training.
Do’s and Don’ts in training.
Maximising results in training. Stress- what is it?
Chi Kung in relation to chronic pain, stress, anger, anxiety, depression, worry and fear.
Question and Answer sessions.
Everybody will be capable of practising on their own after the course.
THE TEN SHAOLIN LAWS
The Ten Shaolin Laws are moral laws aimed at helping the student in his/her personal and spiritual development. It is a requirement of the Shaolin Wahnam Institute that prospective students agree to abide by these guidelines before taking a course. They are not forced upon the student, the student accepts them because he chooses to and because he believes they are helpful to him/her in physical, emotional, mental and spiritual development. If he/she breaks the Ten Shaolin Laws, despite sufficient warnings, he/she may be asked to leave the Shaolin training, not as a punishment, but because the training is not suitable for him/her.
Required to respect the Master, honour the Moral way and Love fellow disciples as brothers and sisters.
Required to train the Shaolin Arts diligently, and as a pre-requisite be physically and mentally healthy.
Required to be filial to parents, be respectful to the elderly, and protective of the young.
Required to uphold righteousness, and be both wise and courageous.
Forbidden to be ungrateful and unscrupulous, ignoring the Laws of man and heaven.
Forbidden to rape, molest, do evil, steal, rob, abduct or cheat.
Forbidden to associate with wicked people, forbidden to any sorts of wickedness.
Forbidden to abuse power, be it official or physical, forbidden to oppress the good and bully the kind.
Obliged to be humane, compassionate and spread love, and to realize everlasting peace and happiness for all people
Obliged to be chivalrous and generous, to nurture talents and pass on the Shaolin arts to deserving disciples.
CODE OF CONDUCT
A.1 Objectives
Shaolin Wahnam Ireland (SWI) has as its key objectives:
1. To provide high quality and safe instruction in the Shaolin Wahnam Art of Shaolin Chi Kung, Wahnam Tai Chi Chuan and Shaolin Kungfu
2. To promote enhanced good health, vitality, mental freshness, spiritual joy and high moral and ethical values through the safe practice of Shaolin Chi Kung, Wahnam Tai Chi Chuan and Shaolin Kungfu
All persons participating in a class or course conducted by SWI must agree to be bound by this Code of Conduct. SWI reserves the right to make amendments or additions to this Code of Conduct at any time.
A.2 Participant Understanding
1. Instruction in and Practice of Shaolin Chi Kung, Wahnam Tai Chi Chuan and Shaolin Kungfu is generally very safe. However, there is a risk of injury. Any person participating in a class conducted by SWI does so with the full understanding that whilst it is the policy of SWI to minimise the risk, the nature of this recreational activity prevents its total elimination. Any Person participating in a class conducted by SWI does so of their own volition and at their own risk.
2. In the interests of health and safety, any Person participating in a class conducted by SWI does so on condition that they exercise a duty of care towards themselves and any other participants. This duty of care may involve, but is not limited to, the Person participating safely and within their own limitations, respecting the limitations (physical or otherwise) of others, following all reasonable instructions or requests of the instructor, and ceasing practice immediately and informing the instructor if possible in the event of injury or ill-health.
3. The Arts taught by SWI are highly valued in Eastern cultures and are intended to be transmitted to deserving persons of high moral and ethical character, as embodied in the Ten Shaolin Laws which are of a non-religious and non-sectarian nature. A requirement for participation in any class or event conducted by SWI is that the participant agrees to uphold and practice the Ten Shaolin Laws, as published on the Irish Shaolin Wahnam website (www.smilefromtheheart.ie) or the International Shaolin Wahnam website (www.shaolin.org)
4. A Person must have paid the relevant fees prior to participating in any SWI activity.
5. If cancelling a booking for a course with Sifu Joan Browne, Sifu Mark Hartnett, Sifu Padraig Shanahan, Sifu Maria Sullivan or Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit, it is necessary for the Person to cancel at least five days before the course commencement. Later cancellations will incur non return of deposit and inability to attend later courses, unless in the case of bereavement or being taken ill.
6. For private sessions it is necessary to ring 48 hours ahead of time to cancel an appointment. (Cancelled appointments less than 48 hours are charged at the same rate as attendance).For private sessions payment of required fee at the beginning of each session.
7. A Person must practice exactly what has been taught during class. It is essential that the Person do not add anything or omit anything in his/her practice at home, unless otherwise instructed by the Shaolin Wahnam Instructor.
8. It is essential for the progress of the Person, that regular practice is maintained each day.
9. A Person participating in an SWI activity agrees to be bound by this Code of Conduct.
A.3 Instructor Qualifications
All instructors within Shaolin Wahnam Ireland are trained and authorized by Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit of Malaysia..All Instructors must have in place appropriate public liability and professional indemnity insurance. All Instructors will be bound by this Code of Conduct.
A.4 Safety
1. Instructors will ensure that the training area is clear of any dangerous and/or sharp objects that may increase the risk of injury.
2. Instructors will have access at all times to a fully equipped first aid kit.
3. To ensure a safe and rewarding learning experience, participants are required to follow all reasonable instructions of the Instructor with regard to personal conduct and participation in class activities.
4. During class, any person exhibiting conduct or behaviour that is deemed to be a danger to either themselves or other participants, will not be allowed to continue practicing until the Instructor determines that it is safe to do so.
A.5 Practice Etiquette
1. Persons must enter or leave the training area in an appropriate manner, as directed by the Instructor.
2. Persons must address the instructor as Sifu (meaning teacher, in mandarin) unless otherwise instructed.
3. Persons must be punctual, preferably early, so that they are ready to participate when the class commences. If arriving late, a participant must wait until the Instructor indicates that the person may join the class.
4. Food and/or drink must not be consumed by participants during class, or in the training area at any time, except as approved by the Instructor.
5. Mobile phones, pagers and similar must be turned off during practice, except with approval from the Instructor prior to the commencement of class.
A.6 Practice Ethics
1. Persons must always be courteous and helpful to each other.
2. All participants agree to practice a duty of care including, but not limited to, practicing safely within their own limitations and level of competence, and within the limitations and level of competence of their training partner(s), if any.
3. Physical contact between persons who are practicing together must be appropriate to the situation and necessary for the skill development of those persons.
4. Harassment, sexual harassment, and any form of illegal discrimination will not be tolerated.
A.7 Practice Restrictions
1. Prospective participants must apply for entry in a class, course or other activity conducted by SWI.
2. Acceptance of an application is subject to the Instructor’s final approval, and is dependant upon considerations such as an assessment of a person’s prior competencies, their suitability, and class size restrictions.
3. Participants may be initially required to study more fundamental techniques or skills, until such time as their skill levels warrant the study of more advanced practices.
4. Participants are not permitted to instruct others in Shaolin Chi Kung, Wahnam Tai Chi Chuan or Shaolin Kungfu unsupervised or outside of classes, unless approved by the Instructor.
A.6 Practice Attire, Training Equipment and Hygiene
1. All persons must wear suitable clothing to classes that is clean, safe, in good repair, provides adequate cover and protection, and permits sufficiently free movement, as advised by the Instructor.
2. Participation in some classes may involve specific requirements with regard to clothing and/or training equipment, such as the use of certain martial arts uniforms and accruements. In such cases, other types of clothing and/or training equipment may be acceptable only if approved by the Instructor.
3. Persons must not wear jewelry, watches or similar during classes.
4. Participants must exhibit high standards of personal hygiene and clean grooming, and ensure that fingernails and toenails are trimmed and clean.
5. Persons who are deemed inappropriately attired or equipped, or do not exhibit high standards of hygiene or grooming, will not be permitted to participate.
A.7 Health Issues Prior to Participation
1. Persons should not attend classes if suffering from infectious conditions that may be passed on to others (such as the “flu”), except by prior approval of the Instructor.
2. Prior to participation in any activity, persons must advise the Instructor of any medical condition or injury, either permanent or temporary (including recent), which may be adversely affected by certain types of training. Examples of this may include, but are not limited to, blood pressure problems, cardiac disorders, neck or back injuries, diabetes, asthma, pregnancy, or the after-effects of recent illness or injuries.
3. If requested by the Instructor, persons with the above or other conditions will be required to show this Code of Conduct to their physician, and secure a medical certificate clearly stating their fitness to participate in classes conducted by SWI, along with any practice restrictions or conditions, if applicable.
4. Persons must not attend classes under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.
A.8 Health Issues During Participation
1. A participant should cease practice immediately to receive appropriate first aid and inform the instructor if possible in the event of injury or ill-health during class. The participant should rejoin the class only after the Instructor deems it safe to do so.
2. Class activities will be suspended immediately in the event of blood or other spillage on any part of the training area posing an increased risk to health and safety, until such time as the area can be cleaned and activities safely resumed. All reasonable precautions must be taken when cleaning to ensure contact is not made with any blood or other body fluids.
PAYMENT OPTIONS- BANK TRANSFER FOR ANY COURSE You may also pay by cash, bankdraft and cheque. Just fill in the application below to reserve your place.
Bank Transfer is a safe and easy way to pay for your course. Here are the details
Name of Account: SHAOLIN WAHNAM IRELAND (MS J BROWNE (S) )
Account Number: 71850227
Name of Bank: Permanent TSB
Address of Bank: 12 Lower Castle Street, Tralee, Co Kerry, Ireland
BIC (Bank ID) IPBSIE2D
Bank sort code: 990711
IBAN - IE85 IPBS 9907 11 71850227
PAYPAL OPTION All courses can be paid by paypal/credit card by following the following link and choosing deposit option or any amount payment http://www.qigongprivateclinic.com/gpage3.html please check at end of this page for bank transfer details
Application form for accpetance on all courses. Please specify which course and Instructor/Grandmaster
Shaolin Chi Kung is the essence of who we are. Cleansing physical and emotional pain and illness to attain good health, happiness and a zest for life. The strength and empowerment of Shaolin Chi Kung is not from the exercises but from performing the exercises in a Chi Kung state of mind (Zen mind) and generating an energy flow. Without the Zen mind and Energy Flow it is only physical exercise.
Wahnam Tai Chi Chuan Weekend A beautiful introduction to training energy and mind and using Tai Chi Chuan for good health, vitality, mental clarity, spiritual cultivation and self defenc
Shaolin Chi Kung was a secretive art only taught in the Shaolin temple and to the Emperors, and government ministers in China. We are indebted to Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit who has travelled the world spreading this wonderful art so that all humanity can explore and experience its wonderful benefits. There is a profound truth in the saying 'Your Health is your Wealth'.
Sifu Joan demonstrating White Crane flaps Wings
Peter and Dominic having fun playing around in Pushing hands.
White snake shoots Venom- combat sequences practised as sets.
Sifu Joan demonstrating Fierce Dragon with Peter Clayton.
