I am a student of the Japanese martial art called Aikido. Ki is the same as Chi in Chi Running! Aikido in itself has given me a lot. I have learned how to focus and how to center and that has been part of my live for over twenty years now. But it was not until I used Chi Walking during a summer break where I walked in the mountains that I fully understood what centering is all about. The key to this for me was the body sensing exercise. While walking in the mountains, I felt tired and was not enjoying the ride at all. Then, I started working on the form focuses, and when I started doing the body sensing exercise all of a sudden I felt completely centered and in the "here and now".

I was not tired any more, I was enjoying the birds that were singing and I could see the many colors that nature brings. I started using the exercise more and more, and it has even taken me to change the subject of my Ph.D. research. I have now created a new method called A.I. ki do, which is a combination of Aikido and Appreciative Inquiry (A.I.). In the method, I teach people how to find their source of power and how to center. This leads to better performance, better communication, better co-creation and so on.

The Chi Running technique has given me back my life! I am running every morning for about 45 minutes and feel energized when I come home to work. I have lost 15 kilo’s of extra weight that I have been carrying around for the last few years. I am now able to focus instantly and constantly because of the form focuses I do while I am running. Chi Running has changed my life for the best. I am very grateful for this beautiful ‘tool’.

Kind regards,
José Otte 

Because of an old ankle injury that tends to swell when I run, I've become a faithful walker. Yesterday, I walked four miles in an hour . . . I'm not up to marathon standards but I am feeling so good and so fit and, best of all, so pain free.  

Lynn has been walk/running faithfully, and mixing this up with really vigorous weight training because he is still building professionally and needs his core, shoulder, and leg strength for daily work as well as the benefits of increased aerobic capacity. He looks wonderful and feels awesome.

All in all, we are doing very well thanks to your amazing Chi Wisdom.

Please pass our love along to Katherine and the Chi Living team.

Jane's fingers, both our hearts

      I just wanted to tell you that I’m so grateful to know you, and when I look back it’s interesting how meeting you at REI for the Chi Running demo has affected so many things that are going on in my life (for the better) right now.

      After REI and then taking your Chi Running workshop, I was finally feeling brave enough to start running again after hurting my knees badly in 2001, training poorly for a full marathon and a few half races after that. You got me feeling comfortable enough to try another half marathon, so I signed up for your team for the Women’s Half Marathon last Fall. I met Laura K. at the Sole Sport’s team kickoff and instantly bonded with her.

      She and I motivated each other continuously via emails etc. during training and occasionally ran together closer to our “hood” since it was hard for both of us to make a lot of the group training runs, being so early in the morning and far from where we lived. Through Laura... I met Amy D. at a Sole Sports running event. Again... Instantly bonded with her. Through Amy... I’ve met a handful of amazing, inspiring, ACTIVE women that I adore. They’ve got me totally hooked on all these fun-themed races that go on all over town, and it’s a blast! Those girls got me to run the craziest 5 mile hill course yesterday at 5:30 a.m. - something I would NEVER have done before, and I was totally able to “hold my own.”

      I’m at that weird almost 40ish age range where I’ve been feeling a major shift amongst myself and many people in my life. And it’s just life... I love them all. People get busy, a lot are not really interested in participating in or training for exercise “events,” people have husbands, kids.... etc., and I’d been feeling a bit bored and stale. I’m so grateful to have come into this “active community” where people are so cool, supportive and inspiring.

      Seriously, I would not be running right now NOR would I have met all these amazing new people currently in my life (many of which you know) if I hadn’t met you. At REI. Hahaa! Because of you, I have made some fabulous new friends with similar interests, I’m in better shape than I’ve been in, in awhile, I’m Chi Running comfortably, smartly and just overall feeling good about life.

      I’m so excited for you doing this full marathon! What a great thing to do on your birthday. Happiest of birthdays to you and may this new “birthday year” bring you much fun, joy and happiness! I hope that I’ll have the chance to see you more often in person than on Facebook.

Thanks again Coach! 

Michelle S.

Arizona

Resources to help you master the Chi Running basics:

• Chi Running Book: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless Injury-Free Running
• Chi Running DVD: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless Injury-Free Running

Thank you again for giving me back my "me time".

Michelle and Noble
 

Cheers,

Sue B.

Resources to help you master the Chi Running basics:

• Chi Running Book: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless Injury-Free Running
• Chi Running DVD: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless Injury-Free Running

Thank you for learning and sharing!

Glenn

I practiced the techniques on an off for about a year and then tragedy struck—a co-worker of mine died of a massive heart attack. After being in shock for a few days, I realized how my health needed a major overhaul—sporting 50 pounds more than what I should be weighing, I could be next in line for major health issues! Having a young family, finishing my latest degree, caring for aging parents—these were all more important than taking care of my health, until that realization.

On that day of realization, I dusted off the treadmill, tried to keep mindful of at least a few of the Chi Running techniques, and ran for 10 minutes. Since that day (8 weeks ago), I am becoming more mindful of remembering the techniques, and how my body feels when I am doing it right and when I need to refocus. I now try to Chi Walk/Chi Run for an hour a day, every day (no injuries to date), and I feel great and I am so proud of my accomplishment!

I love how I don’t have an excuse for not having time to be healthy anymore. My priorities have shifted greatly within the last 8 weeks, and I can only see my life improving from here on. My family has become very supportive since they are seeing so many positive changes. The one thing that I’m not worrying about is the weight—it is slowly coming off (15 pounds and about 4 inches since day 1)—it didn’t go on over night, so I shouldn’t expect it to come off in that way.

My new mantra: Slow and steady, one step at a time.

Kristy C.
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan  

I am 4 days shy of my 53rd birthday, always a time of reflection. I have and continue to be living the most challenging year of my life. I have read a lot about the sandwich generation, but I am experiencing it in a way that I wish I was only reading about, not living. After 5 years of being cancer free, my mother's breast cancer returned, and has spread throughout her bones. She is terminal, and for the past year, I have been flying back to Canada to spend time with her, both during her good days, and to be with her in the hospital on her bad days. This past winter, one of the snowiest and coldest in Minnesota history, my teenage son, developed a profound depression. As a senior in high school, this should have been his year of excitement, being the captain on the varsity lacrosse team, earning all of the honors that his stellar academic career would have presented him. But this was not meant to be. Trying to treat this illness was challenging, since medication alone is not the answer, and there is a shortage of Vitamin D access from December to April. Ultimately, we could not fight it alone, and needed to admit him to a residential treatment center for adolescent mental health. He was unable to finish his last quarter of school, and all that those months include, primarily his graduation. The combination of my mother battling a disease, and not wanting to give in, vs. my son battling a disease that seemed to be winning, was more than a person should have to deal with. Well, that wasn't enough. My very close friend, and confidente, passed away May 25th from a stroke. We respected our differences, and she understood that my love for running did for me what reading a book did for her. She would have been 50 this past July 30th.

So, during these past 9 months, I am grieving the loss of my close friend, anticipating the loss of my mother, and grieving the loss of what was supposed to be for my son. But what I have realized, is that I need to be healthy and take care of myself, in order to be strong and able to support both my Mother, and my son, and be available to my other children and husband. And so, I signed up for the Chi Running class, hoping that it would jump-start my running again with a different goal. This was not going to be about speed and power running, this was going to be a step toward taking care of my emotional, physical and mental health.

I bought some new shoes, to help with my new gait and mid-foot strike, in shocking pink and yellow. With my metronome in place, I began my healing process, and hit the road. My energy has been so low, with barely any stamina, so gradual progress was my motto. I literally only ran 1 minute, and then walked for 3 minutes, for about 1 1/2 miles, often wiping my tears, due to my inability to do what was once so easy. But I knew that I needed to think positively, and be thankful for my ability to be where I was. Baby steps. Clear my mind of my worries, and focus on my form, and be fully intune with myself. I have continued to work on my form, having good days, and some less good days. Today, I ran 1 mile, stopped in order to do a minute of body sensing and refocus, and then I ran the mile back home. The last block, I decided to attempt to move into the next gear, and leaned forward a little more, and finished the last stretch strong. Okay, so I haven't totally lost my competitive spirit, but my tears as I walked in the front door and was greeted by my husband, were tears of joy and hope. Hope for myself and my health, and hope that my son too, will be able to battle through his ultimate challenge, with gradual progress, and reclaim his health, life and future.

Thanks for reading,
Gail

I wanted to give you a little bit about my back story.

About two years ago I was on vacation in Vegas with my wife and another couple. We dressed up in disco clothes one night and had a great time, until I saw the photos when I got home. I weighed myself and found I was closer to 300 pounds then 200 pounds. I decided that I had to do something and something now. My wife and I started walking in the mornings when i got off of work. In Tucson, Arizona during the summertime, you have to choose when you exercise. We both started to drop some weight but not enough. I joined a boxing gym and more weight came off but still not enough. then started counting calories and really learning about a healthy life style. My life changed -- in the matter of a year I had dropped 80 pounds. It was great. I was no longer the same weight as the contestants on The Biggest Loser.

Then my schedule changed and I couldn't make it to the gym, so I started running, and I fell in love with it. I could run anytime i wanted and that runners high was easy to achieve. I signed up for my first 1/2 marathon in Sedona Arizona. I had a blast I was sold, i was then a runner, but now I am an athlete. My 15 year old son and I ran in the warrior dash here in Arizona, and we both put up some great times. but then it happened. Feeling my oats, I did a long run followed the next day with a short run, then a workout and then a doughnut run ( i would run to the doughnut shop eat a doughnut and run home). Half way to the doughnut shop I couldn't go any further. I started walking then limping, my hip was excruciating. The pain was more then i could take. I took a couple of weeks off then some very slow runs and no real distance, I worked through it and got back to some good running but a little more cautious.

The other day I received an email about a Chi Running workshop. I had no idea what that was, so I found you on Facebook, then your web site. I was intrigued to say the least, then I bought your book on Friday and by Monday I was sold. Time came right off of my runs. Times that I didn't think would be possible are now my slow running times. I got some new shoes and can't wait to run. I am looking forward to attending a workshop and really getting a chance to learn this program.

Keith B.