October 19, 2017
Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.
Robert Peng is a world-renowned Qigong Master, healer, and author of “The Master Key: Qigong Secrets for Vitality, Love, and Wisdom” book, CD and DVD series.
Robert was born and raised in Hunan, China. At age eight, he began an intensive apprenticeship under the close guidance of the legendary monk Xiao Yao, an enlightened master known for his profound healing ability and martial arts skill.
At age fifteen, Robert performed a 100 day water fast in a small dark room at a secluded monastery in the remote mountains of Hunan province. He underwent a radical spiritual transformation and awakened amazing healing powers.
Master Xiao Yao encouraged Robert to develop his healing skills by studying with other Chinese masters. He pursued his training quietly while attending university in Changsha where he majored in English Literature. When he was twenty-nine years old, he began to teach publicly, and within five years he had trained over 150,000 students all over China.
With his deep understanding and practice of this ancient Chinese healing art of Qigong, and with extensive life and teaching experience in the western world, Robert has developed a unique way to teach Qigong that people from different culture can easily understand and follow but meanwhile still enjoy the real essence of this ancient Chinese art of wisdom, love and vitality.
In 1997, Robert was invited to relocate to Australia. Seven years later, he moved to New York City. And it was to his New York City offices where I traveled – all the way from Washington State – for a personal one-on-one deep dive into Qigong with the man himself, Robert Peng.
During the fascinating discussion that ensued, you'll discover:
-Why Robert went form severe pain at eight years old to discovering the mysterious “Mr. Tan”…[8:22]
-How Robert's master stopped a raging bull with his bare hands…[16:55]
-Why Robert held “horse stance” in a trance for over 4 hours…[18:35]
-What he discovered during a 100 day water fast in a small dark room and his radical spiritual transformation that occurred afterwards…[25:35]
-How to gather nutrients with the way that you breathe…[39:30]
-How Robert “zaps” people with healing powers…[43:40]
-Research into the physical benefits of Qi Gong, like anti-aging, lower cortisol and lower blood pressure…[46:50]
-The six emotions that humans worry about, and how Qi Gong addresses each…[49:45]
-The first exercise you should do if you want to experience Qi or “awaken Qi power” if you have never have done Qi Gong before…[54:03]
-The three dantians and the different types of imbalances that can arise if your dantians are not all strong…[59:55]
-How you can “secretly” practice Qi Gong 24 hours a day…[65:15]
-And much more!
Resources from this episode:
-Book: The Master Key: Qigong Secrets for Vitality, Love, and Wisdom
–All Robert Peng's “Master Key” titles on Amazon
–My podcast with “The Scraper” Scott Dolly
–The” Zapping” video (Robert Peng zaps Australian Prime Minister)
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Do you have questions, thoughts or feedback for Robert or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!
Hi Ben
As a tennis coach I’m fascinated with the concept of flow through breathing methods. I use the lower Dan tian ( focus) during practice and competition on court based on qigong I did in the martial arts. How exactly do you apply this area to your tennis game?
Primarily it is training lower and middle dantian APART from matches, then keeping core coiled during matches to "unleash" that energy.
On a related area, I recently came across some podcast interviews with this academic who writes about the Chinese concept of “effortless action” (wu wei) and relates it to research in psychology on “hot cognition” and “cold cognition”
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0857863487/
Interesting stuff. Amy Alkon’s talked to him, so has the guy at Art of Manliness. Could you maybe get him on, Ben?
Just ordered the book. Stay tuned!
Hi,
Do you have a video or instructions of Mark Divine’s routine you used to do in the morning ?
Thanks much!
The shaking? It was just this type of thing:: http://www.funwithqigong.com/five-flows-qigong-se…
I find the two recent episodes on qi gong very interesting, but i hesitate to start with this practice or to start taking classes, because I also read about potential dangers if you do these things not the right way or of you have a bad teacher with wrong energy or wrong teaching.
Is this a realistic things to consider?
Thanks , best regards.
No, this is absolutely not something that should keep you from learning and practicing qigong. It is fear-based, shrinking thinking. The potential upsides are huge, the potential downsides miniscule. This would be like not going to a doctor because you heard it can be dangerous, or like not exercising because you heard that some people have hurt themselves while doing it. Get out there and find a good teacher! 💪
I was meditating deeply in my back yard one time when I felt a light touch on my right shoulder. After a few seconds I slowly opened my eyes and out of the corner of my eye a bird had landed on my shoulder. After a few more seconds it fly away. Wonder if this was related to Robert’s theory of animals not being concerned with humans when in a certain state? Quantum physics? The lack of movement on my part? Not sure but it was pretty darn cool regardless.
Great podcast, it was out there but I wouldn’t expect anything less.
Thanks. Great episode! I was hoping to learn more of Robert’s fascinating story, so downloaded the audiobook. That seems to be the exercises only, so I can see I’m going to have to wait till I can get hold of the paperback.
The stuff about wild animals not bothering Robert’s master in China was interesting. I’ve heard something similar about forest-dwelling Buddhist monks in SE Asia, and the same seems to be true in the Christian tradition of monastics on Mount Athos–bears apparently obey some of these guys, and snakes will come and slither around their cells and not harm them:
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=4BmdAwAAQBAJ&…
I suppose if this state is possible for someone, and there are enough plausible accounts of such things, it must take thousands of hours of meditation (or prayer if you’re on Athos) to get to that level of stillness.
Hi Ben, interesting to see some coverage of Qigong. I’ve spent a couple of months in China studying Qigong / Gongfu and I do believe it has many benefits. However I’ve met some local masters and competition winners and there I never heard talk of 20 minutes ‘out breaths’ during meditation or some of the other more extreme ideas.
Is there any evidence behind some of Robert Peng’s more extreme claims? No disrespect meant to him, but some of it sounds a bit woo woo. And it would be a shame for people to make life changing investments in this w/out understanding the facts or having realistic expectations.
Well…there are certainly videos of it happening if you follow the links in the shownotes and resources above!
Perfect timing Ben! I was JUST looking into learning Qigong this past week. My question to you is, where do we start, if we learn from Mr Peng? The Master Key Video Series…?
Yes, the resources I list above are perfect places to start!
Hi,
What Qigong DVD does your family enjoy the most? Which DVD do you like the most of his?
Thanks!
Definitely the Master Key series I link to in the shownotes above!
Just got this update from Robert ~ For anyone who wants to learn more ~ He will have an online course “YI JIN JING – 14 Weeks of BodyMind Transformation”, it is an ancient practice originated from Shaolin Temple. The course starts on December 9th, ending on March 23rd 2018. Registration begins Nov 10. He's creating a webpage to give you more details now which I'll update ASAP. Stay tuned!
Aloha—
i am not able to open up and listen to the podcasts you write every week. I have been listening to the podcasts for about two years and for some reason haven’t been able to open up the last 3 podcasts–can you give me any advice to this situation.
Thanks-Golden
Looking into this ASAP. Stay tuned!
Ben, I can see almost nothing on any of your website pages in Safari on my Mac. They’re mostly blank white. I’ve no trouble in Internet Explorer 11 on a Windows machine, and everything seems fine on my iPhone, too. But the pages are screwed for me on MacOS.
Thanks for the feedback. We'll look into this. Try clearing your cache.