March, 2003

(tuition, lodging and food)

US $ 1,595 

US $ 1,595 

The echoes of the morning birds  in the valley below  the Magic Sunrise Retreat Center resonate with the inner chi. The sound and sight of this magic place is just ideal for small group of chilel practitioners. The pristine environment will nourish your mind, body, chi and spirit.

While it is still winter in the mainland and Europe, it is tropical paradise in Kauai. 

Comments on a 28-day  Hawaii Retreat, February, 2002.

Joann Flora, Alaska

Aloha from Kaua'i where we have just completed the first month long retreat with Master Luke Chan. The group christened itself the "Guinea Pig group of Chi-Lel Boot Camp". Each session began with roll call (by number) and each person was responsible for the presence of their room-mate for each gong. One hundred Wall Squats hung over our heads if our partner failed to appear. Luke experimented on us with new arrangements and recordings of the Methods, ranging from 80 to 90 minutes in length. The addition of drumming to the recordings helped us learn to turn the chi with force in the Dantien. Day began at 7 am with LCUPCD (3X) plus 3CMS. Breakfast followed. Two die-hards, Ruth and Peter #1, began at 6:30 am with Wall Squats. After the morning meal, we did Six Directions, a fast BMM warm-up, and assorted gongs till lunch. After a three hour break, we did BMM and more gongs till dinner at 6 pm. At 7:30 we began the healing (very powerful) and a final form that took us to 10-ish. Sunday was our day off. Five of us were from Holland (good work Patricia), one each from Kaua'i, Ohio, New Mexico and Alaska, two from California. Senior teacher Ginney Walden from Oahu spent the second two weeks with us. During this month, we became a family as well as friends. We loved each other and truly cared for each other's well being. Luke tested and corrected each of us individually in front of the class for LCUPCD, BMM, Wall Squats, and Chun Chi (no pressure there). We improved our form technique and learned to really work with the chi. We grounded it, turned it, expanded it, swirled it around, sunk it to our feet, and had chi reactions. It was an intense month of hard work and healing. Our group came with liver cancer, failing kidneys, chronic fatigue, migraines, uterine fibroids, numbness, arrhythmia, digestive disorders, and back pain. We all left new people, feeling healthy, and newly fired-up about Chi-Lel. Some of the healing was obvious: numbness gone, reduced pain, high energy, increased mobility. Some, we must wait for tests to confirm: kidney function and tumor cell markers. The important thing is that we all feel and look healthier than when we arrived. Our spirit is high and we are energized with chi. It was the experience of a life-time! Thank you, Chan Lao-Shi! We all love you!

#5 present & accounted for! I pretty much said what I needed to say in the Forum & hope you will feel free to use any part of that for the Newsletter. The one thing I did leave out is what I've come to believe was the most valuable part of the retreat, and that was the personal, individualized attention we received from you! That never happens among 60 people at a six day retreat & was well worth the price of admission. The hard part about coming home was losing the practice routine we had for the month. Practicing alone (sniff), I figure the time difference so I know what you're doing in Kauai. I now visualize Ginney standing in front of me, you in front of her, Beth on the left by the pool, Ilona to my right. I hear the slapping of bugs & feel the joy in my face that I'm not being bitten! Hao La! joann

I HARDLY CAN BELIEVE IT!

Impressions from a monthly Hawaiian retreat  

Annet Laar from Holland

Last february (2002) I attended the Hawaïan retreat with Luke Chan and 12 participants. The reason for this was as follows:

First of all I had very heavy menstruational bleedings since a few years, due to myoma’s in the uterus. In summer 2001 I was supposed to undergo a medical surgery, which was postponed by the hospital. My American Tai-Chi Teacher who comes once a year in Holland, where I live,  had mentioned  that Chi-lel/ChiQong  might be a practice that I might really like. Actually, in general, not because of my symptoms, but because I like movement. Right after the hospital cancelled the surgery I saw on internet the retreat mentioned in Mt. Shasta. This was the place my Tai-Chifriend lives (!) and  I decided  in one hour this was the thing I had to do! 

Once at Mt. Shasta Immediately I felt at home: as a movementtherapist and psychologist I am deeply interested in the body and mind and how they work together. Besides from childhood I was interested in the natural laws and how  they unfold themselves in the body and the mind. I loved the practice and  continued at my home, but my condition didn’t improve and the bleedings stayed more or less the same. So, I signed up for the monthly reatreat.

The first 2 weeks were nice, but my condition was really not high: I started with a very heavy Menstruation., which really takes the energy away. A fever was the consequence. Though, already the second day  I felt how the chi worked in the dantien and that movement goes by itself. I understood now the words of a philosopher, named Reshald Feild : ‘We are moved’.  The commentary words from Luke were: “Now the healing Chi is starting’. I was moved by that, because I felt inside that these words were true. After 2 week I allowed myself to think bigger and allow to let the iniversal love more in my body: to embrace life in simple way.  My heart opened and I felt deep joy in my heart. I knew now that the myoma’s could be softened. I actually wasn’t aware so much that there were parts in me that I did’nt love.  Then, on the mind-level the feeling came up: ‘I am good the way I am’. This was from deep and probably allowed healing on a deeper cellular level. The message to embrace everything in my life, as well life as death, and not to be ashamed of anything came also from deep inside.

A few days before I left were followed by the next menstruation and I couldnot believe that the bleeding indeed was  more normal, alomst like I used to have it.  I remember I used to like my period of the month,

I will continue now in my home: I know it is possible to heal myself and most of all I feel my spirit is high. .Thank you, Luke, for making this possible and the love and warmth you gave us. I feel deeply honored by the knowledge you shared with us. It is a treasure. Also thanks to all the participants and Genny, who told me over and over: ‘Think Big, Think Universal’,