S1 Ep 4 - Making Health Simple: An introduction to Qigong with Guest Master Liu He

03/08/22 • 32 min

1 Listener

In this episode of the Third Opinion MD podcast, I’m honored to be interviewing a renowned qigong master, Master Liu He. Master Liu is a part of the Ling Gui lineage of qigong, a school with teachings that have been passed down for 2,000 years. I have worked with Master Liu since 2015, and have found that her presence and teachings guide me and ground me in profound ways.

Master Liu began her training at the age of 4 under the guidance of her grandfather, a highly respected qigong master and Chinese medical doctor who treated the last Emperor of China. By age 14, Master Liu attained the level of qigong master and was given permission by her grandfather to teach others; a privilege traditionally reserved only for men.

Her life has been dedicated to sharing with others all that has been given to her. She teaches medical qigong and healing techniques extensively throughout China, Europe, and the United States, and is currently on the faculty of the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in Portland, Oregon.

In this episode, Master Liu and I discuss:

The definition of Qigong (Qi is translated loosely as “energy” or “life force”, and Gong as “practice” or “cultivation”)
The role Qigong plays in your energy and health
Some of the differences between Eastern and Western Medicine
How integrating Eastern and Western practices in medicine can help us better develop our own third opinion in medicine
Cultivating good health
Our minds as fourth-dimensional space, and how this is different from the standard Western thinking
The roots of Qigong, and its relationship to Traditional Chinese Medicine, yoga, Yin Yang theory, and Five Element theory
Approaching Qigong from a beginner’s mindset
Learning to trust our senses and bodies

Resources:

Master Liu’s Website: https://linggui.org/

Master Liu on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/masterliuhe/

Read a transcript, and the full show notes for this episode on my website.

To learn more about Third Opinion MD, please visit my website by clicking here.

I offer one-on-one integrative health consultations blending Eastern and modern medicine philosophies, putting you in charge of your health management and prevention. You can learn more by visiting my website, here.

Dr. Barbara de la Torre started Third Opinion MD as a way to spark a wave of change in the way we practice medicine, how we care for ourselves, how physicians are treated, and how we can navigate through the existing healthcare system. Information on this podcast is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional.

In this episode, Master Liu and I discuss:

The definition of Qigong (Qi is translated loosely as “energy” or “life force”, and Gong as “practice” or “cultivation”)
The role Qigong plays in your energy and health
Some of the differences between Eastern and Western Medicine
How integrating Eastern and Western practices in medicine can help us better develop our own third opinion in medicine
Cultivating good health
Our minds as fourth-dimensional space, and how this is different from the standard Western thinking
The roots of Qigong, and its relationship to Traditional Chinese Medicine, yoga, Yin Yang theory, and Five Element theory
Approaching Qigong from a beginner’s mindset
Learning to trust our senses and bodies

Resources:

Master Liu’s Website: https://linggui.org/

Master Liu on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/masterliuhe/

Read a transcript, and the full show notes for this episode on my website.

To learn more about Third Opinion MD, please visit my website by clicking here.

Previous Episode

S1 Ep 3 - Part 2 - Thinking Outside the Healthcare Box: Systems Theory Discussion with Guest Dr. Shelly Smith-Acuña

1 Recommendations

This is the second part of a two part interview with Dr. Shelly Smith-Acuña. You can read about, or listen to, the first part of this conversation here. I highly recommend tuning in to part one first.

For both parts of this interview, I’ve proposed that Dr. Smith-Acuña and I take a unique look at the health care system. We are blending her background in Psychology and Systems Theory with my own experience of the healthcare system as a doctor. We set the scene for this discussion by having all of the “family members'' of the healthcare family attend an intensive psychotherapeutic session together. We are sending all the players of healthcare to get therapy because, let’s face it, healthcare systems are really dysfunctional.

In this episode, Dr. Shelly Smith-Acuña and I discuss:

Structure as the fifth principle, and the hierarchy that comes into play within the healthcare system. Structure encompasses sharing power and sharing responsibility, along with good communication.
How definition and clarity around the structure of a system gives everyone working within it a better sense of how to interact and work.
History and development is the sixth principle of Systems Theory. This involves understanding both the history of the doctor’s profession, or health history of an individual patient. Events such as trauma are not always considered when approaching care, and they have an impact on outcomes.
The role of transference and countertransference: unconsciously patients and doctors experience and react to one another based on their past personal experiences and what they encountered in their families of origin.
Social and cultural narratives is the seventh principle of Systems Theory. Each of us has encountered both social and cultural experiences that inform who we are now, and how we understand any given situation. These narratives also impact language shaping experience and form dominant narratives.
One example of this is a dominant narrative around passive-aggressive care. Within a healthcare system, the patient is often expected to be a passive recipient of care, with doctors using aggressive approaches and language around care.

Resources

Systems Theory in Action: Applications to Individual, Couples, and Family Therapy by Dr. Shelly Smith-Acuña, 2011.

Wise Mind, as explained by the founder of DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy), Marsha Linehan in this short YouTube video. This Venn diagram is an amazing summary of where two people can be in healthcare interactions, from successful to polarized.

Correction and more information on the 20th-century physician, William Osler. Dr. Osler was actually one of the four founders of The Johns Hopkins Hospital rather than Johns Hopkins University as explained in the episode. For more information about William Osler, click here.

Read a transcript, and the full show notes for this episode on my website.

To learn more about Third Opinion MD, please visit my website by clicking here.

Next Episode

S1 Ep 5 - The Scavenger Hunt of Your Family's Historical Past to Find Your Inner Doctor

2 Recommendations

In this episode, I want to take you with me on a scavenger hunt, to look at my past, present, and future. In episode 1, I talked about my mother, Christina Stemmler, M.D., who was an integrated physician. She studied Chinese medicine, she was a family physician, and she had a profound effect on me and my interest in healthcare. She died in 2008. Throughout her career, she gave several talks and was a prolific writer; so, I have the opportunity to introduce you to her in this episode from rare audio recordings. I’ll be talking about her because I’m, right now, at the point in my life where I really want to understand the “before and after” of me.

In looking to the future, I am also introducing you to my nephew. He is my sister’s son, and he is 7 years old. One of the things that fascinates me about him is that I’ve never taught him the concepts of energy medicine or Qi, that life force energy that is so essential to health according to Chinese medicine. However, in this interview you will hear his wisdom as he talks about energy with an unfiltered understanding, and the connection he has to his environment of before and after. It’s profound to hear him speak about his experience, and I’m delighted to share it with you.

Moving forward in this podcast, I’m going to continue to uncover clues about my mother’s life and her legacy before she died. This is more than just detective work. It’s a gift left in her writing, in her recordings, and from my memories. It’s a treasure not just for me to understand my true essence and calling, but an opportunity for you to learn from two generations of women propelled to make changes in the understanding and delivery of healthcare. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to episode 1, An Introduction to Third Opinion MD: Time to Take the Doctor Out of the Equation and Put You in Charge of Your Health, I introduced my mother as one of the reasons why I am producing this podcast.

In this episode, I share:

Looking forward and backward in my family’s timeline to see how our lineage has connected with healing and energy.
What it means to be an integrated physician.
Recordings from my mother, Christina, when she gave lectures to her patients as an integrated physician.
An introduction to the future through my 7-year old nephew. I sent questions to my sister to interview him about his grandmother, Christina. His answers demonstrate how easily children can understand energy and healing.
My family’s history of trauma, including every generation moving to find a better future.
My mother’s history of having been a doctor and a healer. She studied both Eastern and Western medicine, much like I did.
How our history can inform our present, and how it can impact our future.
Why the entirety of a person’s history (personal, family, social, cultural, spiritual) is important in understanding their current health.
Review the steps I teach you when we work together so you can form your own third opinion.