Qigong: The Art of Self-Healing

Long ago in ancient Greece, the great hero god Heracles was invited to the cave of the centaur Pholos. Chiron, a wise and beneficent centaur and a great master of healing, was also present. As a token of appreciation and hospitality, Heracles brought a flask of heady wine to the gathering. The rich fragrant liquid attracted other centaurs, who, unaccustomed to wine, became drunk and then began to fight. In the ensuing melee Chiron was struck in the knee by an arrow shot by Heracles. Chiron then instructed Heracles in the art of treating the wound. Since the arrow had been tipped with poison from the Hydra-a many-headed monster nearly impossible to slay-the wound would never fully heal. Capable of healing others, the greatest of healers was unable to completely heal himself; and being immortal, Chiron lives forever with this wound as the archetypal wounded healer. Following his wounding, Chiron received and trained thousands of students at his cave on Mount Pelion. It is said that one of these students, Asclepius, learned from Chiron the knowledge of plants, the power of the serpent, and the wisdom of the wounded healer. It was through the lineage of Asclepius that Hippocrates began to practice the art and science of medicine.

Henri J.M. Nowen in his book, The Wounded Healer (1972, p. 82), identifies a wounded healer as “one who must look after his own wounds but at the same time be prepared to heal the wounds of others.” Nurses fit this description better than any group of people I know. We are constantly called upon to be healers not only in the work place but also outside the work place, while often ignoring our own needs and wounds, be they physical, emotional, or spiritual. Let’s explore the ancient practice of Qigong to better understand how we as nurses can heal ourselves in order to better heal those who come to us: our clients.