Being a Healer for the Healer

This past weekend I got to visit an old friend, who I met recently.  He is old, but I don't know how old, and he is a new friend since December.  We've only been in each others physical presence for about 2 hours of our lives.  We've spent a little more time on the phone.  I'm talking about the Spring Forest Qigong "Master Healer" I work with out of Minnesota.

Jim has been very good to me, working every week to help me clear energy blockages in my body.  I call him, he answers and asks how I'm doing, we talk a little, then he has me drink a glass of water and says "Ok, let's get started.  Just relax."  And I do.  What does it feel like?  Nothing at first.  Then, I notice sort of pockets of pressure or pain in my body.  Sometimes my neck will pop, and all I was doing was breathing.  My sinuses will clear, and my ears will "open" sort of.  Then, just when I've forgotten everything . . . falling completely asleep Jim will say, "Okay, how does that feel?"  Since I completely forgot I was on the phone with him, I'll jerk awake, and start trying to speak.  Usually my answer has been "I don't know . . . I feel something's different, but I can't really explain it."  Sometimes, though, it will be seriously different, like "there's alot of pressure in my head."  Then he'll say, "Okay, just a sec."  And, he does whatever he does and the pressure starts to dissipate.  So, so, so strange.  He always ends with, "Okay, that's all.  Call me if something happens, otherwise I'll talk to you next week.  You take care, Berty."  And I sort of slur out, "Yeah, thank you Jim, thank you very much.  You too."

Jim has been working with me since mid January when I called asking for help.  I met the man in the flesh when I made my December visit to the Spring Forest Qigong clinic in Eden Prairie, MN.  I had no idea who Jim was, but had images of a mid-sized, smooth-skinned, Korean man floating around in my head.  Not sure why . . . an oriental word like "Qigong" will do that to you.  When I met the African American, once-aspiring pro basketball player, mountain of a man who is Jim, I was very surprised, but felt like I had entered the den of a very friendly bear.  We had two one-on-one sessions in MN and he gave me some wise counsel.  He was also impressed with the sweater I was knitting while in-between sessions.  "How much yarn would it take to knit a sweater for a guy like me?"  he asked.  He's always wanted a hand-knit sweater, and I offered to put him on the list to call when I was ready to barter away my next masterpiece.  He offered me his number, saying, "You give me a call if anything happens."  Emotionally and mentally sick and constantly hitting plateaus in my personal Qigong practice, I called asking for help, and offering the sweater barter once again.  We ended up making other arrangements, but it was the beginning.

During one of our phone sessions Jim found out I bake bread, which I bragged up, of course, since it is the best bread in the world.  He said, laughing, that next time I'm through Minnesota I should bring a loaf by.  I told him I'd do my best.  Well, last weekend Jim was in Atlanta, GA, and I took the 5 hour trip north to attend the a free workshop on S.F.Q. with Jim's teacher, Master Chunyi Lin, and to take him a loaf of bread and some hummus.  I was lucky enough to catch him on a break, somewhere in between the 100+ healing sessions he was scheduled for.  We spent 10 minutes breaking bread and talking.  What a pleasure.  My neck, which had been stiff and in pain all morning, felt gloriously loose when I left my communion with Jim.  My first thought was "That bastard!  He wasn't supposed to be working on me during his break!"  Next time we talk I'll ask him if he was.

He called me Monday morning, and since it was so strange to see his name pop up on my caller ID, I was late to work and answered the phone.  "Hello Berty!  So, it's opposite this morning: I'm calling you.  Usually I'm doing the healing, but you were healing me by bringing that wonderful bread.  Thank you for coming.  It was great to see you . . . you are looking great.  You've lost weight and I swear you've grown taller too."

Only an old friend can say something like that to me.  I laughed, said it was my pleasure, and told him about ditching out on the workshop with Chunyi early and going rock-climbing at North America's largest climbing gym.