"Tuina is an Asian Bodywork Therapy that has been used in China for 2,000 years. It uses the traditional Chinese medical theory of the flow of Qi as its basic therapeutic orientation. Through the application of massage of the muscles and tendons of the body, Tuina seeks to establish a more harmonious flow of Qi through the system of channels and collaterals, allowing the body to naturally heal itself."
-Sifu Pedro Cepero Yee (www.tuinatherapy.com)
After I take my master 4th Degree test in June, I am going to continue my training under a new master for the first time in four years. I am going to train under Master Pedro Cepero Yee from Clifton, NJ. He is a phenomenal and well known martial artist, especially in the areas of kung fu, lion dance, qigong, and so many other areas. My mentor Professor Lisa Sargese discovered him back in the summer and I first met him when I walked into his school for a Qigong Seminar in July. It was fantastic and I knew when I walked into those doors, that would be where I'll end up training again one day.
In a matter on an hour, I knew more about Master Yee (Sifu) than I ever did about my old master. Lisa and a few friends of ours have been going to him for Tuina therapy and have been having amazing results. He's help them more than doctors or other therapists! Since I met him in July, that is when I began learning spiritual energy and it forever changed my training and outlook on things in my life. Amazing results.
I did not see Sifu again until he paid me an unexpected visit back in November which was absolutely thrilling to me! You can read about that visit here. Just a gracious and kind man, yet I know he is a fierce warrior with such amazing stories, history, and accomplishments that would blow your mind.
With the new year, I took some major steps into moving forward in my life and with my training, having that master test inch closer and closer. But the last couple weeks I have done some major things to clear up my Qi, to review my year which took some big steps for me to do, and train like the old days. But there was still some lingering energy that really needed to be cleaned up. So after many months of thinking and debating with myself (or dealing with the avoidance issue), I decided to give Sifu a call and go for a Tuina session for myself.
It's been eight months since I walked into Sifu's school, and as I pulled up, he was just pulling up at the same time. He greeted me with a big smile and a great big hug! As soon as I walked into the school I felt the good energy of the school just flowing, as I looked up at all the dragon heads on the walls, the shrine for the ancestors, and the weapons and pictures all over the wall. I was in awe as if it were the first time I ever waked into the school.
I also got to meet some of his instructors at his school. One of them have been with Sifu for eighteen years! WOW! I hope I could have students who would stay with me for that long! Maybe I already do, we'll have to wait and see. We walked into the Tuina room and the scent was absolutely beautiful in the room. Then we began.
I started sitting in the chair and I discussed with Sifu the few things on my mind and that is on my spirit. I gave him my thoughts and feelings and my goals. I told him where I was at, where I want to be, and what I thought might be keeping me from doing it. I told him how I was feeling and how I want to feel. One particular thing was how my right knee cracks. Louise Hay says that joints represent our emotion of moving forward, which Sifu has said to me "Which you are!"
He put his hand on my knee and was able to tell me exactly the physical ailment. I was so impressed. I wanted to take his hand and look at it, to see if I could read his hand like a book or something to see I could see the answer too! He started on my neck and arms. OUCH! The radial nerve! Oh how I love thee. OUCH! Keep going Sifu! OUCH! I can take it! OUCH! Don't you mind me! OUCH! I was having so much fun!
Tuina therapy removes anything blocking energy flow within your body, it realigns your ligaments, it increases the mobility of your joints, regulates your nerves, increases the blood circulation, and heals soft tissue injuries. I wanted all of the above. I went onto the massage table laying on my back and he did something to my hips that made my whole body jerk and I couldn't help laughing at my body reaction. On the stomach he used his elbows to take out these knots in the top part of my back that meets my shoulders and neck. A lot of knots were there (this is where we keep our stress) and he told me "You're not going to like this" in which I thought in my head "Cool!" and he dug his elbows in. All your hear is CRACK, CRACK, CRACK. Siiiiigggghhhhhhh......
I am sure I looked very funny because everything else twitched after he did that and he said "Thank God you're so flexible." LOL!!!! I really felt as ease and very peaceful. That is emotionally and spiritually. Physically, I wanted to know what bus it was that hit me! But it was great.
But what I enjoyed most of all was the insight and advice given to me from the master. I told him, next time I am bringing a tape recorder because I wanted to hear his voice saying the things he was saying over and over and over again. I wanted my notebook with me and record everything he was saying because it all made sense and it all touched my heart. I won't give all the details but one thing he did say to me that was most insightful for me was the topic of chaos that comes into our lives.
Sifu said to me "The true test of becoming a master is whether you can emerge successfully out of chaos. Anyone can come out of blissful situations. But when you are able to come out of chaos, that is when you have mastered something in your life. Only the greatest things in our lives come out of chaos." It's something I always knew, but hearing it from Sifu, well it just made ten times more sense for some reason. To sit back and looking at the chaos in your life and say "Wow, what awesome thing is going to come out of this?" that is just an awesome insight for a master in training to hear.
We of course discussed the topic of attachments which I debate and question all the time. I posed the question about closure in order to DE-tatch. He said "Closure comes from not understanding. You should never close the doors on your past experiences because they happened to bringing you to being the person you are today. It is part of who you are, your development, and your growth. And that is a beautiful thing." GENIUS! And true.
I took a few moments talking to Sifu and his instructors a little bit before I left, and I walked around his school a little bit, admiring the training gear, the massive drums, the lion heads, the ancestor shrine, and I kept thinking "I'm going to be training here soon. What Sifu was doing to me today, he is going to teach me how to do someday." The excitement, the joy, and the motivation was filling me up. This is just what I needed. I was so grateful to Sifu. And now, a shift in focus. Its full speed ahead. Time to make things happen!
Yours in service,
ANDREW TRENTO
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