I joined my first course in the year 2006 and I repeated the course in the fall of 2009, but I didn’t really get started with practising Qigong on my own at home and there’s no group in my home town. I’ve known for a long time that I wanted to join a Summer Course and I got the possibility to join in the Summer of 2010. I am amazed over how much help I got.
Frozen Shoulder
I suffer from a frozen shoulder since the year 2005 and I’m in a control group for a research project for patients with frozen shoulders in Orton, a foundation for the disabled. When it was at its worst I could only lift my hand to my mouth, not higher. I suffered a lot from pain and I had trouble sleeping. I had to lift my bad arm when I turned in bed and I couldn’t lie on that side at all. I also have two worn down vertebrae that get locked in my neck and limits my mobility. My doctor says that there is nothing to be done except to try and strengthen the muscles.
Improved neck and shoulders
I got a lot of improvements in my neck and shoulders during my first Summer Course. I don’t feel any pain any more, not even when I practice hard and do movements with my arms and shoulders. My arms are much more agile now and I can turn my neck all the way, both ways. I feel that I have a greater power and strength in my body.
Autoimmun disorder
I suffer from an autoimmune disorder similar to Sjögren’s syndrome. Exactly what kind of disease it is, is unknown, because some test values are too good. My doctor believes that the good values are due to my healthy lifestyle, which I already had before I started to practice Qigong. If I didn’t have that I probably would be in a much worse state.
One symptom of the disease is for instance that I have very dry mucous membranes in my eyes and mouth. I have a low production of tears, lacrimation, and my eyes can be very sensitive to light. My mouth is so dry that my tongue sometimes gets stuck in the roof of the mouth when I talk. Furthermore I don’t perspire at all. I haven’t had to use a deodorant in years.
Improved eyes
My eyes were really troublesome one day at my first Summer Course. I was so sensitive to light that I had to wear sunglasses inside. I was a bit worried, since I had forgotten my medicines at home.
The next day I noticed that my eyes were much better. My eyes well up with tears when I laugh at the course. I’ve gotten so much more production of saliva and I’ve started to sweat. I look forward to start using a deodorant again for the first time in years.
Elisabeth af Forselles