Interested in a holistic, Chinese Medicine based program for stress management, good health and weight loss? Dr. Larry Stoler, Medical Qigong practitioner and Integrative Psychotherapist at WholeHealth Chicago discusses.
I’ve introduced a number of my patients to the Dragon’s Way program (http://tcmworld.org/programs/dragons_way/) and everyone who has stuck with it found that it has been a life changing, transformative experience. This program is based on ancient Chinese healing practices and was developed by Master Nan Lu specifically to 
address challenges presented by our Western lifestyle. This is a program that strengthen’s your Qi, helps improve the functioning of your internal organs, and promotes inner and outer harmony. The core of this 6-week program is a series of 10 Wu Ming, Qigong exercises. These exercises help improve digestion, restore proper regulation of water in the body, and improve overall energy. Along with these exercises, you’ll be taught about foods for healing, foods that strengthen your organs. At the beginning of the program, to lower the energetic demands on the body, participants remove many common foods, like meat, chicken, fish, dairy and wheat. As participants develop their Qi through the Dragon’s Way exercises, they don’t feel deprived or hungry. Once internal Qi is strengthened and the organs are in better harmony, unneeded weight drops off automatically. As the journey through this practice continues, participants learn to listen to and trust what they feel in their body. Eating habits change in accordance with this inner knowledge and connection. At the end of the program, you can eat whatever you wish. But it is important to continue doing the Qigong exercises for lasting and continued improvement.
Master Nan Lu, photo courtesy of http://www.tcmworld.org
I’ve been a student of Master Lu’s since 2008, and have seen and heard many many moving examples of how this program has helped people lose weight, improve their ability to manage stress, and become healthier. One of the outcomes that many Dragon’s Way participants experience is that a variety of other health concerns they had, besides their weight, spontaneously improve when they do this program.
Here is a testimonial from the Dragon’s Way book:
When I retired from teaching last year, I expected that my anxiety and muscle tension would end. Instead, I found that I had a stubborn case of high blood pressure. I decided that I didn’t want to take medication for my nervousness and my doctor thought if I lost weight, my blood pressure might go down as well. This was important to me because I also didn’t want to take blood pressure medication. I didn’t know anything about Traditional Chinese Medicine when I signed up for the The Dragon’s Way, but it sounded interesting. For the very first time ever, I was able to adhere to a program for six weeks. Practicing the Wu Ming meridian therapy increased my Qi, or energy. I never realized that my inability to stick to a Western weight loss program, tension and anxiety were products of low energy. I never recognized that I had low energy because I was so conditioned to push myself even when I was fatigued. The worst part of all is that I didn’t understand that I was ignoring my body’s own signals to slow down. I gave up twenty-three pounds and a whole slew of physical symptoms. My high blood pressure changed significantly as well. I’m fifty-five and my life is just beginning! –Patricia B, 55-year-old college professor (pages 3-4).
(The book is available at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/TCM-Natural-Traditional-Chinese-Medicine/dp/0380809052/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1315881180&sr=8-2, and also on Master Lu’s tcmworld.org site: http://tcmworld.org/programs/dragons_way/ NOTE: You can only purchase the instructional DVD from the tcmworld.org site)
This weekend, I’m beginning the Dragon’s Way instructor training program. In a few months, I’ll start to off erpilot programs and then, most likely in the spring, I’ll start offering Dragon’s Way programs at WholeHealth Chicago. Stay tuned!
Larry
Larry Stoler, MSSA, PhD, DCEP
WholeHealth Chicago, 773-296-6700×2317
www.wholehealthchicago.com
Certified Tao of Medical Qigong Practitioner
About Dr. Stoler: http://www.wholehealthchicago.com/about/larry-stoler/
Information on Medical Qigong: http://www.wholehealthchicago.com/patient-resources/medical-qigong/
WholeHealth Chicago 
I know you have talked to me about this and I never did anything about it (bad me); but now I am really excited about the possibility of doing this program! I am looking foward to go through it with you whenever you start! I am going to start by getting the book today! Thanks Dr. Stoller!
That’s great Laura. The book is full of sensible but surprising information to help you understand this ancient Chinese approach to health, well-being and weight loss. If you want to start the program, I suggest getting the instructional DVD too. You can’t learn the Qigong movements from the book.
The information on ordering the DVD is on the tcmworld.org website.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Larry
I’ve just returned from the Dragon’s Way instructor training and have now fully embarked on the program myself. It is so fascinating to observe how the body responds when supported by a good Qi practice. And it is equally fascinating to observe the difference between what your mind tells you you should be eating and what your body says. In the book, Master Lu says that after doing the Dragon’s Way program foods you used to crave and enjoy may never interest you in the same way again. I’ve started to discover this already.
-Larry