A Pebble in the Cosmic Pond

Looking for the Root, in Medicine, Qigong, and Religion

Jun 6, 2024

Guest Cynthia Li, a biomedical doctor and qigong practitioner, discusses exploring root causes of illness, integrating qigong in healing, family support during illness, personal healing journeys in Chinese medicine, evolution of Christian teachings, and savoring a profound book under a maple tree.

54:17

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Episode guests

Cynthia Li

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Cynthia Li emphasizes uncovering root causes in patient conditions for true healing in functional medicine.

Cynthia integrates diverse practices like qigong and Christian teachings to explore holistic healing journeys.

Deep dives

Cynthia Lee's Multifaceted Healing Approach

Cynthia Lee, a biomedical doctor specializing in functional and integrative medicine, combines professional training, ancestral knowledge, and personal experience in her healing approach. Her emphasis on uncovering root causes in patient conditions, personal healing journey, and qigong practice reflects a quest for inner work and trauma exploration for true healing.

Intro

5min

Integrating Biomedical Practice with Qigong and Cultural Heritage

22min

Family Support and Cultural Norms During Illness

3min

Exploring Personal Experiences and Healing Journeys in Chinese Medicine

9min

Exploring the Evolution of Christian Teachings and Cultural Influences

13min

Savoring a Dense and Beautiful Book Under a Maple Tree

2min

Cynthia Li, our interview partner for this episode, is a biomedical doctor who I have been dreaming of asking questions for several years now, ever since our mutual friend Michael Lerner introduced me to her work. She is a biomedical doctor, specializing in functional and integrative medicine. She is also a qigong practitioner who studies and performs what she calls “qigong consciousness healing” or “collective field qigong.” She is the author of two books: an incredibly honest and courageous biography of her own intense healing journey published in 2019 and titled “Brave New Medicine: A Doctor’s Unconventional Path to Healing Her Autoimmune Disease”, and the recently published “Mingjue Awakening: Teachings on Pure Consciousness, Collective Field Qigong, and Energy Healing.” I hope you note down these titles and get a hold of both of them when you are finished listening to this podcast. I find them incredibly relevant to many of the most salient conversations in the field of Chinese medicine as practiced in the West. The links are also in the shownotes.

This episode is the first half of our interview with Cynthia, with the second half to follow in two weeks. It seems to me like this whole conversation circled around Cynthia’s quest for the root: for the root causes of her patients’ conditions in her medical practice, for the root in her own healing journey, for the root in her qigong practice, and, in an unexpected turn, for the root in the Christian teachings she received from her Chinese parents. Most importantly, in the context of true healing, she suggests that we track down the sometimes hidden threads in each of our lives, including our traumas, that lead to our true inner work, in a playful way, like a scavenger hunt.

Being both a traditionalist and a scientist who appreciates long-term observational study, her work seems to dance between the pursuit of the true, enduring essence and the creative manifestation and application thereof in the moment, whether she is looking at her medical or qigong practice, her life journey, her spiritual interest in Christ consciousness, or the authentic transmission of her teacher’s wisdom.

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