Lisa B. O'Shea Certified Qi Gong Therapist and Instructor Founder of the Qi Gong Institute of Rochester I grew up with a very western attitude about science and medicine. My father was a surgeon in a Boston suburb and both his parents were physicians as well. My grandmother was a pediatrician and my grandfather was a family doctor. I was very drawn to the fields of science and math and went to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and graduated with a BS in Chemical Engineering in 1986. I worked for a couple of big companies, Kimberly Clark and then Mobil Chemical. I felt a need for change beginning to grow. I received certification in Reiki and Hypnotherapy in 1988 and decided to branch out and get a teaching degree. I began the New York State teachers certification program at Nazareth College in Rochester, NY in 1992. Meanwhile, to reduce my stress level I began taking a local Tai Chi/Qi Gong class. Six months later my asthma had completely disappeared. This got my attention. My western medical mindset had really kept me from considering alternative therapies for asthma. Although I had done the Reiki and Hypnosis work, I had never found a way to integrate them into my busy lifestyle. Going to a weekly Tai Chi class made all the difference. I began to study Qi Gong and Traditional Chinese Medicine in earnest after that. In 1995 I became a Certified Qi Gong Therapist through the Chinese Healing Arts Center with Master T.K. Shih. By the time I finished my student teaching and got my NY State teachers certificate in Chemistry and Physics I had a modest private practice going as well as a few Qi Gong and Tai Chi classes. Before getting a high school teaching job I thought I would give my new business a chance. I continued my studies with Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming in Boston in 1997 and later received teacher certification in Qi Gong through his school, YMAA. My private practice and roster of classes was thriving and I never looked back. My only connection to the world of science and engineering now is reading Scientific American and doing home repairs. In 1998 I created the Qi Gong Institute of Rochester, through which I offer a variety of classes in Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Qi Healing, Meditation, and Nutrition as well as certification in Qi Gong Therapy. I have continued progressing in the field of Qi Gong, creating my own Qi Gong form called Rising Lotus Medical Qi Gong. This healing form incorporates fluid spinal movements with visualization and breathing to clear out blockages and improve wellness. In 2002 I began studying with Master Hong Liu in LosAngeles, CA, learning some very powerful meditations and healers techniques. Most recently, I began studying Shiba Luohan Gong with Dr. Jay Dunbar at his Magic Tortoise Taijiquan School in Chapel Hill, NC. This is a wonderfullydynamic style of Qi Gong incorporating muscle strengthening as well as yoga- like stretching. Qi Gong and Tai Chi have been a life changing process for me. I had a teacher once tell me, "If you like everything in your life the way it is, don't do Qi Gong or Tai Chi because it changes everything." I would have to agree.