How I nearly gave up on Qigong … and then miracles happened! - David and Helena Petrović

David and Helena Petrović were students of the Zhineng Qigong practice for a long time, but nearly gave it all up - until miracles happened! In today's Qigong podcast, discover how your miracle might be closer than you think...

Despite practicing Qigong to heal his asthma, David's lung condition worsened under a rigid teaching structure. He and Helena considered quitting until they received a timely email from Master Liu and Andraz Purger, prominent Zhineng Qigong practitioners.

At this workshop, David experienced Qigong in a more relaxed atmosphere and saw his respiratory issues improve significantly. This renewed his dedication to Zhineng Qigong. Though initially skeptical, Helena also embraced the practice after witnessing its positive effects on both David and herself. The workshop was adapted to meet students' individual needs.

David's success led him to become a Qigong practitioner, working with schizophrenia patients in hospitals. Despite some skepticism from Western medicine, both approaches share the goal of improving people's lives.

Taking a page from Master Liu and Andraz' book - by being mindful of the patients with schizophrenia and their capabilities, David used the simple but effective Zhineng Qigong exercises. These Qigong movements includes: Qi squats and the La Qi method. With consistent Qigong practice, there has been a reduction of negative symptoms in those who suffer from schizophrenia. 

Patients showed reduced depression, better communication, and improved coordination. This demonstrates how Qigong can complement conventional medicine in treating mental illnesses like schizophrenia. They also offer modified Qigong sessions for seniors, helping improve their mobility and wellbeing.

Helena's mother, who suffered from Covid, pneumonia, and strokes, experienced remarkable recovery through Qigong. When Helena and David built a Qi field and channeled healing energy to her, she recovered beyond expectations. After a brief hospital stay, she was able to walk with a cane—an extraordinary improvement given her previous condition.

Miracles might be right around the corner!

Mindful moments:

• David and Helena started Qigong for David's asthma, seeing unexpected success after nearly giving up
• David's research shows Qigong exercises help reduce schizophrenia symptoms when combined with traditional medicine
• Helena's mother recovered from severe Covid-19 complications with help from family Qigong practices
• Senior citizens benefit from Qigong through better mobility and increased happiness

Links & Resources:

🌐 David and Helena's website: https://www.taichipula.com/
📧 David and Helena's Email: taijiqigong.croatia@gmail.com
🎬 Andraz's episode: https://tinyurl.com/y7xcut3y
💫 Andraz 's website: https://centerkroga.si/
🔹 Master Liu's website:

🎮 Discover Qigong Game: https://www.zhineng-qigong-students-hub.com/discover-qigong/

🎙️🌟Explore more podcasts, events, and resources visit:
https://www.zhineng-qigong-students-hub.com/

📘📚 Get your FREE E-book on the "Eight verses meditation" by Dr Pang:
https://www.zhineng-qigong-students-hub.com/exploration-of-the-eight-verses-of-zhineng-qigong-meditation-e-book

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Transcript

David and Helena Petrović were about to give up on Qigong as they no longer enjoyed the practice nor did they see substantial results. At that time they happened to receive an invite from a master where they experienced Qigong in an entirely different way and from that moment on miracles happened.

My name is Torsten Lueddecke. And this is the Wisdom Qigong Podcast.


And it's kind of a premier for us because we've got two people in the podcast at the same time. And yes, and David and Helena are both very active Qigong practitioners. I know David has been a teacher in Qigong for a long time.

We have lots of, yeah, interesting things to share here today. You guys are both based in Croatia and, as far as I know, David, you started Zhineng qi gong many, many years ago, and then you kind of stopped, maybe you want to describe your first experience and you know, what, what, brought you to Zhineng qi gong initially, and then what made you stop before you retook on your practice.

we both start, together since, 2002. and, since 2002. When I start practice, I study with the same teacher. but, after many years I didn't see really, results. I, at that time, I had bad asthma, and that didn't go away. on the contrary, the condition was getting worse, also, his method of, this teacher, method of practice and the teaching was, quite rigid, he was a excellent teacher, and also person, but, most of the people who come, to training don't, suit this rigid approach. With time, I, She did wasn't good for me, and I decided to move away.

And, I continued to practice, for myself, but, with time, less and less. And, one point, I thought of, quit Zhineng Qigong completely, yes. And, when I, stopped practicing and thinking about, Zhineng, suddenly, An email came with the invitation, to our work workshop of, master Liu in Slovenia, from Andraz.

Andraz was sent to this in mail, and, Helena and I decide to, to go and try again. And it was, completely new and different experience of, Zhineng Qigong. everything was, much, much easier and, completely different approach, and, I, fell in love with Zhineng Qigong again.

And, decided to, to dedicate myself, to it again. 

Now, the, the exercises that you learned, I assume it's the same thing, you know, with the old teacher where you kind of lost interest and where you felt it's not really working for you. And what Liu is teaching, you know, we are all teaching the lift qi up, pour qi down method, la qi, three centers, merge, wall squats, et cetera.

so I think the exercises are the same. Now what, what makes the difference that suddenly you felt like, wow, this is for me. And, this is so, so different, although it's the same exercises.

compared to previous experiences was, completely different. Everything was much more, easier, more casual and more adapted to the capabilities of participant and, more, to our European mentality, because we are have different way of, seeing you. Practicing and, we are more, here, relaxed, commodity to settle. 

And and, I also saying that, you know, after you rediscovered zhineng qi gong, that, your health improved because you said, you know, you had the feeling it wasn't really working for you in the, in the first phase of zhineng qi gong. Now after you visited the workshop with Andraz and Master Liu, did you then see any change in your health situation?

yes, yes, I see, it's, more, my health is much, much better, 

Right. And your asthma?

And my asthma?

also, yes, 

Now, Helena, as if I understand correctly, you've been on the same journey. So you also joined the first, master, in 2002 or 2004, I forgot the exact time. and did you have the same experience? Did you also feel like this is interesting because obviously you followed up, but, then at one point did you lose interest in the same way then, then David, or was it a different experience for you?

I was practicing, but not so deeply and, regularly as David. was, not so disciplined, so not so much involved, but I was involved and, I really respect our ex teacher and I even wanted to make a contact again, but it didn't work out. when we went to Master Liu workshop, at the first time, at the first moment, I was very skeptic


And then slowly I started to like it. and, David, was practicing regularly again. I've seen differences in his health. In my health, in our, surrounding. So, I'm now more in than ever. 

Right, right. And I, and I love when you say now that you really respect your first teacher, because I think it is important for all of us to understand that there is not necessarily one teacher is doing it better than another. It's just that Some teachers and some teaching methods resonate more with one person and other methods resonate more with, with other, with other people.

So your teacher, your first teacher might have been hugely successful with others, other students, because they kind of, you know, are aligned with his method of teaching. While, Master Leo then again, you know, reaches people like you and me, where we feel like, wow, this is great. This is something, this is actually enjoyable.

Well, it's It's fun. It's uplifting. And, I can see results very quickly. but I also know this from the community that, you know, other people, you know, prefer another master. Master Jianshe is very popular, Master Chen, Master Wei. So, that's, I think everybody kind of finds a teacher where it resonates most and says, this is my kind of, of, of teaching style that works best for me.

so I think it's great that you mentioned this point.

yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It is important. It is good to have inside impulse, but also someone from outside, who, also can motivate us and correct in a way, that, is harmonious for both. 

Right, right. Wonderful. And I, as far as I know, since you, you know, went back into Zhineng Qigong and I think, David, you started teaching again, your, your, your practice really took off. I mean, you've got some incredible work that you are doing now. and I'd like to hear a little bit about that because, if I know, if I have The right information here.

You're working, for example, with one group of students that most other teachers would say, wow, this is a difficult task, you know, people that suffer from schizophrenia, right?

Yes, yes, I work with a patient with, with, schizophrenia in the city hospital that, we have, practice one day a week, for half an hour and the result are really, really great. 

first of all, please explain what you're doing in this, in this training, because, I think it's a little more difficult for these students to focus for a long time. Right. so how are you adapting your training for this group of people?

We do simple things, Chi squats, little bit la qi, how they can do because of, they don't have good concentration, some movements from, simple movements from Tai Chi, collecting, collecting Chi and these simple things. 

All right, and you say you have good results. so how do you know you've got good results?

the mentor who is, with them every day, says that the reduction of negative, symptoms is, is evident. he's every day with, with they and with them and, she know. Any person in this group very, very well, and they said that, they, is less depressed, they communicate more, with each other, coordination and motor skills are, are improved and, they have reduced, the side effects of, of drugs.

We have a way you can discover Qigong. At the Zhineng Qigong Student Hub, we know that understanding Qigong is very important. And also, that Zhineng Qigong in itself has various nuances that people can't easily comprehend. So we've approached it in the style of a video game. On this page, Discover Qigong, you can select your character. So you can either be a beginner, a practitioner, or a holistic healer or self healer, and you click on your character and it takes you to these different sections. In these sections, you can explore the nuances and when you click on a card, all of the resources pop up and we've made it really fun and not many people know about it. So if you are interested, have a look and discover Qigong.


I think this is amazing because it kind of covers all aspects of one's life. Yeah, you've got the mental aspects when you say the depression is getting far less. You've got the physical aspects when you say the, the, the motoric of their movements is much improved. You've got the social impact when you say, you know, communicate more with each other.

So it is great contribution to their social life. And then they can even handle, other medication better because the body seems to be able to transform this information in a more positive way. So, and I, I think this is incredible because you're really doing. limited work there. If you think of the, the Huaxia Center, now the first medicineless hospital, where Dr.

Pang taught, they were basically practicing 24 hours a day. And you have these students for half an hour a week and, and you do simple exercises and yet you create these amazing results. So, I think that's also a good example of, I mean, the reason why Dr. Pang started with zhineng qigong was he said, I need something that is fast and effective because the people I'm working with are usually having serious problems.

So I can't do a long term difficult strategy here. I need something that's working fast and effective. And, what you're doing there is I think it's in the best tradition. You're, you're doing something. Relatively simple for everybody to be able to understand and to do. And you've got these incredible results.

So congratulations to that.

Thank you. 

How did you get to the hospital agreeing, you know, that you work with these patients? Because I know that many, many traditional Western institutions, they are often reluctant. They rely on their Western ideas of medicine and they are often reluctant to allow someone in who is an alternative health practitioner like you.

David was invited. I was invited, by this, lady who is mentor of these people. they are in, like working group daily, daily hospitality. they there are only. She come there to stay through the day and come back to, to home. And she invite me, invite me to, to work with them, But, hospital was, Give, give the space where we can work this, yes, agree that can be there in, hospital, yes. This lady works in hospital, she's very active, with, that kind of. population and very helpful to them. So she invited David to be participant in this, work too.

Yeah. 

I, I wish, I wish we had many people in responsible positions like that, that are so open and are a good example of how to integrate, you know, the Western, ways of dealing with these problems with alternative ways, because we can clearly see it's benefiting everyone and it's making such a difference.

So I'm glad, say hello to this lady. I think she's doing a great job here. I know that David is the zhineng Qigong teacher, but you are also an avid practitioner and you also have great healing skills. And the other day you spoke about your mother, who had a serious problem, and how both of you worked with her to get her back on track.

Maybe you want to share that with us?

Yes. my mother, had a. two strokes one after another with COVID and severe pneumonia at the same time. And she was in a very bad state. She couldn't talk, walk or breathe and she was taken to the hospital by emergency immediately. And, we were sending her energy all the time and she, was, out of the hospital in 12 days.

It was a miracle by itself. And, when she came back home, second evening at home, she started Walking, with a cane. and, for me it was an another miracle. And, after that she started, attending David's zhineng qigong, courses online, because she wasn't, ready yet to go out of the house.

And she was, for the first few months she was just sitting in the field. And after a few months she started to, do exercise and, increasing this time of exercising and after one year she was able to, to do, one hour and a half workout without a stop. And, now, she, walks normally, talks normally, her health is exce excellent for, her age, and she practice zhineng qigong regularly, 

wonderful. I'm glad for you guys. well done and it must be just beautiful for you to know that you could do this for such a close member of your family, your mother and your mother in law. So congratulations on that 

Thank you. You're welcome. 

and from a, from a, from a, an interesting point and interesting learning there is also, yeah, because now you're adding something new to the picture.

when you are, when your mother was in such difficult, problems, she didn't do the zhineng qi gong, you basically did it for her. So you were, you were using what we would call, therapy, you used methods. to help her, get better. And, that was obviously so successful that she then took on herself. So now she's in the position of doing the work herself.

So now she can exercise and practice and take responsibility for her health. But you've also shown that zhineng qigong is not just something I can do for my own health. I can use it for the people around me. And, I'm so glad, because both of you are joining the Hunyuan Qi Therapy Program, which is exactly doing that, you know, teaching people in the West the methods of the First Medicine Less Hospital so that you can apply them with people in your life or, you know, with students or patients you have if you are a health practitioner.

And, that brings me to another point, Helena, because, when we talk about what you did there, you created a qi field basically for her of energy that was a healing qi field. And I know that you are also, your, your main job or your main profession is not in zhineng qigong. You are actually doing, 

I do, facilitate neo shamanic, workshop, neo shamanic rituals and process which are, very, very similar, From outside to the people, to the, family constellations. So it but, approach a little bit, different, we, don't talk much, we move, sometimes we move a lot with rhythm and, and voice included.

And because from shamanic perspective, the higher self we seek. is not one individual self, but is a deeper collective evolutionary self. So, and in this work, I also create the field on my way, but when David is, in the process and when he creates zhineng qigong field, it, it is, much field becomes much stronger and the results are immediately visible.

Yes. 

amazing. That's amazing. I think we're touching on so many points here. And this is the power of the qi field, where obviously you are very skilled and it's interesting for me. And again, now, first we spoke about how Western, Western hospital is integrating the work of zhineng Qigong, as one example.

And now you're saying, okay, you are using this. shamanic family constellation method and you are adding qigong to it or by creating the field and you immediately have better results. So I think this is wonderful because qigong is not just an isolated method. It's something we can use for all other areas of our life to get better results.

Yeah, please tell me a little bit more about that. You know, what is, what is the difference when David is there? What can you feel is happening? how are people showing up difference and in which way are the results different?

the results are immediately visible, the field becomes stronger and process is more fluid and people relax more easily. and, we, we get in the cause of the problem and in the solution faster and harmonize in the end the field faster and more efficiently. And participants, somehow spontaneously become aware of.

It's collective self and mutual connection, without words because, the chief field is stronger. We enter in deeper and wider in the process and through many layers of existence and we don't only heal transgenerational traumas, but also there is a feeling related to the certain geographical space. we also go not in the timelines through the past, but also in the future. It is, it is something amazing is happening. And in a way, very harmonious and grounded ways. And also, I, as, as a facilitator, feel, this protection and grounding, that, comes from David, the support, informations are clear, more clear than, than without him. And, my energy to endure the process, which is only quite exhausting, is stronger. And, when we close the field, protective boundaries, For the people and for us to safe go in the new state of being are, are set better.

and also later in life, I see improvement in people's life. That's great. yes, it is, very, very, helpful. 

That's great sharing because it's another, you're basically showing us another approach here. I don't know. I suppose that the participants in your workshop are not necessarily aware that David is doing this zhineng qi gong work, right? He's not coming there and say, listen, everyone, we all got to do wall squats together.

This is zhineng qi gong. No, he uses zhineng qi gong in a very different way. Right. And, that is also something for us when we go through everyday life. I mean, not everybody knows zhineng qi gong. I mean, truth is hardly anybody knows zhineng qi gong and not everybody is necessarily open to our methods, but if we, you know, if we go through life and go out through our daily lives and, build a qi field and, radiate positive energy and come from an open heart, open mind, it has an immediate effect.

On other people on a situation without us having to talk about it. We don't have to go and say, Hey guys, we're all doing today. She gone now. We can just do it from inside and we already create a space where things become better and easier and more successful. So I think this is a wonderful to hear that.

And again, congratulations.

Thank you. It is very, very, helpful, zhineng qigong. 

You're also working, David, if I remember, with senior citizens, you've got a group of older people, 

I'd like to hear about that as well, because this is a, in our Western societies, it's often a group that, you know, struggles with isolation, doesn't have the same possibilities anymore.

And yeah, and I'd like to see what you're doing there and what the results are.

Yes. I also work with, retirees at the gerontology Center, since 2017, and they are very happy to, come to, to Qigong and, the training with, with great, great joy They are more, lively, more, more mobile, more, the various symptoms, have decreased, and also quality of life, increased generally.

And we work, with zhineng qigong, some little bit simple things from Tai Chi, also doing qi squats, this modified version, they accept this modified version from, Master Liu. Yes, this is a great thing, yes, this modification. And, Also, La qi, simple things, and, they are very, very, happy and very, these people are also very grateful for, for this work. 

I also, before COVID, have, one another group, of, retirees in, in our. Studio for also, for many years. And they also have a very great result. And, in this group come also people, were older than, than 80 and was very, very successful. 

And, one word that struck me while you talked about it is the word joy. and, I think that is also true for the other group of patients that we spoke about earlier, the, people with schizophrenia, if I remember correctly, they also enjoy the practice. Is that so?

Yes, yes. They enjoy, and they also also are very grateful for, for this work they're telling me. What we work is better than any other therapy they're doing. 

Right. 

It's just 

Because, because I'm bringing this up because from, for most of us, if we have an, you know, an condition and we go and see the doctor, we don't usually put the word joy attached to it. We don't say, Oh, I'm so happy I can go to the doctor, but you know, the health practice that you are offering and that we are basically basically offering is linked to joy.

So it is an enjoyable practice. And, I think, even if there were no results, it would still be great because, you know, you had an half an hour or an hour or one and a half hours of Fun and joy and happiness, but, you know, gratefully, thankfully we have amazing results, but I just wanted to point that out because I think it also makes a big difference in people's life, to have this opportunity to practice with you or just to, even if I'm practicing by myself, I mean, it can be very, very joyful, because of the experience I have during the practice.

And so I'm glad you brought this point up now at the end of our little conversation here. All right. I don't know whether there's anything you would like to add here, Helena, or David. 

I just want to say thank you for inviting us. And, I want to say something from my perspective I have been researching, Chinese Oriental Arts, for 38 years now, and teaching 26 years. and, for me, zhineng qigong is the essence of, Chinese qi culture.

it is one of the most precious gems. I really, I really, respect it. Thank you. Thank you, 

that's wonderful closing words. Thank you very much, Helena. Thank you very much, David. I'm glad we had this conversation and I'll hope to see you around somewhere in the world very soon. 

Thank you. Thank you. Bye bye. 


We trust you enjoyed this conversation and we invite you to subscribe to our podcast so we can stay in touch and notify you. We will end today's episode with the eight verses meditation performed by Zhineng Qigong teacher Katrien Hendrickx. Enjoy.

To get your free e book on the Eight Verses Meditation, please check the show notes below.