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Ello fellow forum goers,
Perhaps I've missed it somewhere, but I haven't seen any testimonials about what I'm recovering from, so I thought I'd throw it out there to add to the reading material.
When I was a senior in high school (I just finished my first year of college) after lots of medical testing I was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. This is a muscle disease that's caused by nerves that aren't communicating effectively to the muscles, and so with time the muscle doesn't heal itself after being worked out, and so it progressively gets weaker and weaker. In my case it was located mainly in my shoulders and thighs/buttocks. I hadn't known it at the time, but I had been getting weaker since I was in 8th grade, at least that's as far as I remember. It got to the point where I had a lot of trouble getting up stairs, I could not jog/run and if I tried to I would immediately fall, I could not get up from a squat so getting up off the floor was very difficult, I would randomly fall down while walking because I couldn't support myself, I couldn't lift heavy things, etc. To be slightly crude, just getting up off the toilet was a physical and emotional battle.
Around the same time when it was at its worst, I was getting interested in meditation, so I started buying books on that and related arts. While in a book store I happened to find Sifu's The Art of Chi Kung, and thought, "ah, what the hey I'll check it out." I read it on the plane back to Ecuador (I had to go to the U.S. for the testing) and began an exercise he explains that can cure the incurable (the doctors had so joyously explained that I would not get better, I could only try and keep the muscle I had or end up in a wheelchair). After practicing for about a month I could already feel the effects of my practice: I was feeling stronger all around and my random falls were not happening as much.
Another month later it was communicated to me that Sifu Rama Roberto Lamberti was going to do an intensive course in my Quito, where I live. I took the course, and it was awesome. After that my practice improved greatly, my health improved faster, I was feeling more confident, happier, a lot of the emotional junk associated with the disease was subsiding, all that good stuff we all know about. A little later I took a course with Sifu Jose Antonio, and then went to Costa Rica to do Taijiquan with Sifu Rama again. Last November I also took a course with Sifu in NY.
To skip ahead and to conclude this short story, I'm well on my way to being a fully capable physically active young male. My left thigh used to feel like just bone, but when I showed my ex girlfriend my leg after a few months practice she couldn't believe it. I don't fall anymore, stairs are much easier, I feel soooo much more confident, I've gained weight (I used to be very skinny), my stamina and endurance in the physical activities I can do is much higher, and I can't even begin to explain the emotional and spiritual breakthroughs I've experienced. To put it quite plainly, if I had not started Chi Kung, I would most likely be in a wheelchair right now, unable to take care of myself and the others that depend on me. Infinite love and gratitude to Sifu Wong, Sifu Rama, and Sifu Jose Antonio.
As a little side note, I've recently begun praying to Guan Yin, and as seems to be common my improvement has picked up speed again...
If anyone is interested I can talk about the style of music and drumming I've developed through Shaolin philosophies mixed with making it available to those with lower physical abilities. It would be similar to the thread on applying principled to negotiations.
Falafel!
Perhaps I've missed it somewhere, but I haven't seen any testimonials about what I'm recovering from, so I thought I'd throw it out there to add to the reading material.
When I was a senior in high school (I just finished my first year of college) after lots of medical testing I was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. This is a muscle disease that's caused by nerves that aren't communicating effectively to the muscles, and so with time the muscle doesn't heal itself after being worked out, and so it progressively gets weaker and weaker. In my case it was located mainly in my shoulders and thighs/buttocks. I hadn't known it at the time, but I had been getting weaker since I was in 8th grade, at least that's as far as I remember. It got to the point where I had a lot of trouble getting up stairs, I could not jog/run and if I tried to I would immediately fall, I could not get up from a squat so getting up off the floor was very difficult, I would randomly fall down while walking because I couldn't support myself, I couldn't lift heavy things, etc. To be slightly crude, just getting up off the toilet was a physical and emotional battle.
Around the same time when it was at its worst, I was getting interested in meditation, so I started buying books on that and related arts. While in a book store I happened to find Sifu's The Art of Chi Kung, and thought, "ah, what the hey I'll check it out." I read it on the plane back to Ecuador (I had to go to the U.S. for the testing) and began an exercise he explains that can cure the incurable (the doctors had so joyously explained that I would not get better, I could only try and keep the muscle I had or end up in a wheelchair). After practicing for about a month I could already feel the effects of my practice: I was feeling stronger all around and my random falls were not happening as much.
Another month later it was communicated to me that Sifu Rama Roberto Lamberti was going to do an intensive course in my Quito, where I live. I took the course, and it was awesome. After that my practice improved greatly, my health improved faster, I was feeling more confident, happier, a lot of the emotional junk associated with the disease was subsiding, all that good stuff we all know about. A little later I took a course with Sifu Jose Antonio, and then went to Costa Rica to do Taijiquan with Sifu Rama again. Last November I also took a course with Sifu in NY.
To skip ahead and to conclude this short story, I'm well on my way to being a fully capable physically active young male. My left thigh used to feel like just bone, but when I showed my ex girlfriend my leg after a few months practice she couldn't believe it. I don't fall anymore, stairs are much easier, I feel soooo much more confident, I've gained weight (I used to be very skinny), my stamina and endurance in the physical activities I can do is much higher, and I can't even begin to explain the emotional and spiritual breakthroughs I've experienced. To put it quite plainly, if I had not started Chi Kung, I would most likely be in a wheelchair right now, unable to take care of myself and the others that depend on me. Infinite love and gratitude to Sifu Wong, Sifu Rama, and Sifu Jose Antonio.
As a little side note, I've recently begun praying to Guan Yin, and as seems to be common my improvement has picked up speed again...
If anyone is interested I can talk about the style of music and drumming I've developed through Shaolin philosophies mixed with making it available to those with lower physical abilities. It would be similar to the thread on applying principled to negotiations.
Falafel!
!
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