My journey into tai chi and the internal arts began in 1999 when I was first introduced to tai chi and I have been hooked ever since. The practice of tai chi offers continual study and is challenging in many aspects primarily, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
I’m a Certified Instructor in the International Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Association and have been teaching Yang Family Tai Chi since 2017.
In an effort to gain more knowledge and understanding of the human body from a Western perspective of fitness, I became a personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and certified in Traditional Steel Mace.
In 2023, I began an in-depth study of qigong and TCM to learn more about universal energy and the body’s natural ways of healing. In 2024 I became a certified Dragon’s Way Qigong® Instructor through the Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation. In 2025 I became a LifeForce: Tao of Medical Qigong® Practitioner. This path inspired me to go deeper into study and I am currently a student of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine.
In 2024, I became a candidate at Virginia University of Integrative Medicine in their Doctor of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine program.
Instructors of the International Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Association have practiced the art of Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan for many years under the guidance of Grand Master Yang Jun, the 6th generation lineage holder of Yang Family Tai Chi. Study and practice includes Yin/Yang theory, hand forms, weapons, partner forms, martial application as well as in-depth pedagogy. Each level of instructor is based on the instructor’s years of experience, proficiency as a student of Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan, proficiency as an instructor, and recognition and contributions to the community and Association. All instructors are required to continually participate in seminars and training events to grow and improve as instructors.
Certified Dragon’s Way Qigong® Instructors have completed hundreds of hours of rigorous training in Chinese medicine principles and have achieved a level of self-cultivation through Qigong practice that allows them to share this ancient wisdom. They are individuals with the passion to inspire others as they too discover a new relationship with health and wellness. With Grand Master Lu’s final approval, each instructor is given permission to share the Dragon’s Way Qigong® program in their communities. This training program is offered only under the auspices of the Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation and the direct guidance of Grand Master Nan Lu.
LifeForce: Tao of Medical Qigong® practitioners are rigorously trained in energy healing and study the principles of traditional Chinese medicine under the guidance of Grand Master Nan Lu. They possess sensitivities to guide energy for healing purposes. The overall goal of Medical Qigong is to create flow in the body which enables the body’s natural healing abilities to take over.
