After the while the class moved away from work and others joined. Christine really did not know what Qigong was and went along to see if it could help with her chronic stress symptoms. At the end of the first class she found her mind was very calm and she could remember the exercises to practice them during that first week. The Qigong skill appeared very different from anything else she had tried before. There was the individual attention during the class from Sifu (teacher) Martin. The exercises that he taught looked simple but felt powerful and made her feel better. Another difference from other type of exercises that she had tried was the centre†to which the class was attached, the Chinese stories surrounding the exercises and the individual exercise names. This was no ordinary class. At first Christine noticed the effects on her physical body:- calmer mind, less tension, more balanced and happier, and satisfaction to keep a long-term commitment without getting bored. Then later, reading the Qi Magazine and the books published by her Sigong (grand teacher), Master Michael Tse, she discovered the Chinese culture, values and traditions. It was like travelling to a far away country whilst staying at home.
