About Teacher Zhi Kong (Richard Earl)
Mission Statement
Many teachers in my life have helped me to understand techniques and technologies surrounding Tai Chi and Qi Gong. My current teacher, Xiansheng, is the first teacher to combine all of these into a single unified practice based on a lineage tradition from China. Having read countless books and attended many seminars on Tai Chi and Qi Gong, I have come to realize that only through practice can you attain better health and a better life.
Each morning I get out of bed and practice YeYoung Qigong (energy work) or Neidan (inner alchemy) just as I used to get out of bed and drink a cup of coffee. I also practice Chen Family Style Tai Chi. I’ve seen the benefits of this practice in my own life, in my students, and in fellow students of Xiansheng. More important, when I fail to practice, I begin to slip into increased joint pain, body soreness and greater lethargy. Spending just a few minutes every day allows me to feel better and be more energized.
When you gain something of value, I feel it is important to pass it on to others. Good teachers touch lives. I pass on this knowledge that is so important in my life not to give you strange postures and interesting visualizations but to see that this experience really does change your life.
Since 2004, I have been certified to teach YeYoung Qi Gong and since 2005, I’ve been certified to teach Chen Family Tai Chi. Beginning with Qi Gong, you learn to experience your body with the moving and stuck energies that govern it. You also learn to focus and use the power of intent to experience and move your chi leading to a better state of health. Tai Chi practice allows you to make your body more supple, relax from daily stress and create a healthier body in the face of inevitable aging. Spending time to cultivate these skills is the best activity you can undertake.
One of the surprises in my studies with Xiansheng has been learning the Art of Tea. Both my wife and I look forward to enjoying some tea each day. The quiet time spent preparing and drinking tea is one of the most healthy and enjoyable daily habits you can cultivate. Letting go of everything you are doing to spend time to brew and enjoy a good cup of tea is never disappointing. Drinking tea is an important part of my practice.
Biography
I was born in the city of Detroit, Michigan in 1948 and grew up in a conservative, religious family. I grew up interested in music, sports, history and religious studies. My interests in sports were divided among baseball, football, basketball, and hockey. Having been blessed with good teachers as well as good parents, I loved going to school. It was here that I met a number of exceptional teachers who introduced me to the study of science, history and literature. Being brought up in a community of religious people (Baptist church), I developed a number of life long friends and a great love for singing and music. Indeed much of high school was spent in various singing groups. After graduating from high school, I went on to study History and English Literature at Wayne State University for 4 years.
After college, I spent the next few years traveling around the United States. On my way to Alaska, I ended up in California where I have lived since 1970. Here I spent time experiencing history as a blacksmith, mechanic, logger and forester while living in a ghost town. It was the next 10 years hiking around the Sierra Nevada Mountains as a partner in a forestry company where I learned math and science from the ground up. I worked with some very good geologists, mathematicians, chemists and biologists who spent time mentoring my scientific interests. Upon returning to civilization, I obtained an associate degree in electronics and went on to work in the electronics industry for the next 24 years as a software and hardware design engineer. It was while working at Hewlett Packard that I met and married my wife Grace. I have helped raise four children and two grandchildren (so far).
After damaging my shoulder in the early 1990’s, I retired from sports to attend a Tai Chi class at Placer Adult School. I have been studying Tai Chi and Qi Gong ever since. There were a number of teachers I have studied with since 1992. I’ve been studying with my current teacher, Xiansheng, since 2003.