The Qi way to enjoy music
It was simply billed as a musical qigong to be hosted by Qigong Master Xie Li and retired international pianist Tedd Joselson on the morning of Sunday 27 Feb at the upmarket 28 Scotts condominium.
Although it was a quiet affair attended by just about 45 participants, mostly Qigong practitioners, the event marked the first, tentative step by Xie Li to experiment on the power of the Qi beyond its traditional confines of health care.
It was a bold and novel idea that no Qigong master anywhere in the world has ever thought of.
Said Xie Li: “No one has tried to do this before. This is the first experiment to test the impact of external Qi on the music, the musician and the audience. I want to bring the goodness of Qi to everyone.’’
Indeed, the significance of the event was not lost on anyone present.
The event had brought together two contrasting figures from opposite ends of the world, both masters of their respective art form.
At the end of the almost one hour session, there was a unanimous roar of acclamation from the participants whose ranks included a couple of Caucasians, intrigued by the idea of how Qi could enhance the prowess of the pianist and at the same time enriched the musical appreciation of the audience.
“Fascinating, amazing, to see the vibrations and the reactions from the audience. I have never done anything like this before. This is really interesting. I hope that it will continue,” said Tedd, who lives in Singapore after retiring from the international piano circuit.
Xie Li who is better known as Shifu by his legions of followers said in his introductory remarks that his aim was to marry the healing powers of the of Qi with the tremendous therapeutic effects of music.
At the start, he first energized the audience, then the room, the piano and last of all, the pianist, through a process described as transmitting external Qi.
Most of those present had what is described in Qigong circles as spontaneous reactions such as swaying and shaking their limbs in various ways as they received his Qi.
Even Tedd was moved to fluttering his fingers, then locking his hands and swaying them over and upwards, moving his body in rhythm with the incoming Qi.
Immediately after that, the maestro started playing on his piano two short pieces from Chopin and one from Schubert.
For the first, the audience sat on their chairs and then stood up to listen to the other two. Many also adopted Qigong postures as if they were practicing with the Master.
Most of those present were in raptures. One said: “I felt tremendous power,” while another added: “Really wonderful, full of Qi.” Everyone felt privileged to have been both a participant and an eyewitness to an unprecedented event.
As for myself, with eyes closed and hands held in front of my chest Qigong-style, I felt the exhilaration as the Qi and the music swirled seamlessly but powerfully, around and around and around me.
Until that morning, I had never been so moved by listening to a musical recital.
The Chinese have over the last 5000 years believed in the existence of the Qi – a form of invisible electromagnetic energy – which not only pervades the entire universe but also exists in every living and nonliving things.
Years ago the Shifu had used his Qi to cure Tedd of a debilitating disease that threatened not only to end his piano-playing days, but also his life.
On the morning of 27th Feb they came together for the first time to test whether Qi and music could mutually interact for the benefit of both Qigong practitioners and music lovers.
The Master still runs his Qigong clinic at West Coast Road and leads Qigong practice twice a week for Xie Li Qigong members at the UE Square.
Ismail Kassim
3 March 2011
Ismail been practising Qigong under Master Xie Li for the last 20 months.
