Why I asked about eighty million people

When I sat down with Hongchi Xiao, the first thing I asked him about was a number. One percent of the world is eighty million people. I wanted to know if he thought that many could come to learn this. And honestly, I wanted to hear myself say it out loud.

Part 1 was his story. This part is mine. I've gone back through our conversation, and I want to share what stayed with me, what surprised me, and what I'm still turning over.

Knowing it versus doing it

I didn't come to this conversation as an outsider. I've done the slapping and stretching myself. I know what it's like when an area gets warm, then hot, and you realise you've been at it twenty minutes without noticing.

Near the end, something came out of my mouth that I hadn't planned to say. I knew about doing the whole body. But I didn't know the whole body until I had actually done my whole body. That's the difference between agreeing with an idea and living it, and I've had a lot of ideas I agreed with for years without ever testing them.

Hongchi's answer stuck with me. He said that's exactly why the workshops exist. On your own, there are places you can't reach, or can't reach properly. I think that's true of more than the body. Some things you only learn with other people around you.

The medical manual on one page

At one point I pictured a medical manual this thick, and Paida Lajin bringing it down to a single page. Whatever name you put in, you get the same answer back: arms, legs, hands, feet, the whole body. Hongchi calls it carpet bombing. I laughed, but I think that image is the heart of why this appeals to people.

It costs nothing. You don't need to memorise points or book an appointment. You can do it at home tonight, or on someone you love. For people worn out from years of referrals, that simplicity is a real gift.

I'll be honest about the other side of it too. One answer for everything is comforting, and comfort can stop you asking questions. The stories Hongchi tells are moving and I believe he tells them sincerely, but they're stories, not studies. What I can speak to is my own experience, and for me, this has become a daily way of paying attention to my body.

The questions I asked, and the ones I didn't

Most of my questions were the practical ones I'd want answered if I were starting out. How many areas in a day? Do you start at the elbow and work down? How long on the head? I wanted the how, because that's what lets someone actually try it.

A couple of times I pushed a little further. When Hongchi told the story of the man with epilepsy, I asked whether it could be erased completely. He said he wasn't sure how often. I respected that. When I asked about broken bones, he talked about the muscles and tissue around the bone rather than claiming to mend a fracture.

Looking back, there are questions I should have asked out loud, because you'll be asking them. So I'll answer them myself. If someone collapses, or has chest pain or a seizure, call emergency services first and do CPR if it's needed. And please don't stop a medication you've been prescribed without your doctor. If this practice helps you, it can sit right alongside your care, not replace it.

Laughing in a prison cell

I didn't expect to laugh as much as I did. When Hongchi told me about his cellmate celebrating that he could finally wipe himself again, I couldn't help suggesting a bidet. Some moments are just funny, and pretending otherwise would be dishonest.

So many of his stories happen in prison: cellmates slapping each other's heads, a father flying in from Vietnam to tell his son he was lucky to be locked up. When he mentioned writing his case reports on his bed, my first thought was, good, at least they gave you paper and a pen. I didn't want to tiptoe around that part of his life. It's where a lot of these stories come from.

And yes, I asked about the lump on his forehead. I called it a unicorn. He laughed and told me it's an energy lump, something the old Chinese paintings show on people who live long lives. I'll leave you to make of that what you will. When he described the workshops, three to a group, people crying and screaming and laughing, like a carnival, I recognised the feeling of our whole conversation.

Just the beginning

I closed by thanking him, and I meant every word. Hongchi has helped me more than anyone I've ever met, with things nothing else had been able to touch. That's my experience, and it's why I wanted this conversation on record.

We both said it: this is just the beginning. The next step I'd love to see is workshops here in North America, getting people into a room together instead of trying it alone in front of a video.

If this is going to reach eighty million people, here's what I'd ask of you. Try it for yourself. Ask practical questions. Stay curious, and keep your sense of humour. And keep your doctor in the loop. Slap and stretch as a daily practice if it helps you, never as a reason to stop treatment or skip emergency care.

Ian

These are my personal reflections, not medical advice. Please talk with a qualified health professional before changing any treatment.