What a long strange trip it’s been By Solala Towler
Thirty odd years ago, as I lay in my bed of torment, suffering from various effects of CFIDS (Cronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome) — low to no energy, foggy thinking, extreme insomnia, as well as a roller coaster of emotional ups and downs — listening to my three children running around the house without a father, I felt I had really reached the end. My wife was valiantly running the household while I lay up stairs listening to my life going on without me. I had tried acupuncture (no qi to really access), Chinese herbs (worked for awhile then stopped), and naturopathy (not much there either). Of course Western medicine had nothing to offer me. To them CFIDS was not even a real disease. Then, through a CFIDS support group, I met a woman who had recovered using a line of foodgrade Chinese herbs from a company named Sunrider. In order to afford the somewhat expensive herbs I had to give up all my appointments with my acupuncturist and my naturopath (which were actually not that helpful), but it was a bit scary. After a month or so on the herbs I started to feel better. Soon I was out of bed and getting back into life. I still had a ways to go however. Then I decided to take a qigong weekend course with Professor Chen Huixian. She taught a form called Soaring Crane Qigong. It The Empty Vessel — Page 20
was a lot to take in during one weekend class and at first I felt more exhausted after I did the 20-minute form. But I kept at it and eventually I was healed. Soon after that I began teaching it myself.
Now 30 years later, I find myself healing from prostate removal surgery after cancer was found in one part of it. My prostate was extremely swollen, so I had to wear a catheter for two months leading up to the surgery, one of
