(inspirational music)
- I'm Bianca Molle and I'm
originally from New York,
from Long Island, transplanted
to Northern California
many decades ago.
And I healed from Parkinson's myself.
I was born in Queens, New York
and I was the first child for my parents.
They were both first generation Americans.
My four grandparents all
came over from Italy.
I was in Queens just a train
or a bus ride from Manhattan.
And as a small child, my mother had been,
she had studied to be a teacher.
She would take me to the
museums and show me around.
At a very young age, I
went to Broadway plays.
I was your consummate student.
I loved being in school.
So, if you love being in school,
you wanna stay in school.
Well, how do you stay in school?
You become a teacher.
When I was in high school,
we got one day where we could go visit
any classroom that we wanted
and work with the teacher.
And we didn't have to
stay at the high school.
We could go anywhere.
And I selected an elementary
school special education class.
And then when I went to
graduate school, years later,
I got my degree in Education
with a focus in Special Education.
- Bianca and I met in the mid-'80s
when we both were resource specialists
at Drake High School in San Anselmo.
She had a good relationship with the kids.
She treated them well
and she cared about them
and I respected what she did with them.
- And then I had some
difficult with brain fog,
but I didn't, I was in denial about that.
You know, being a teacher,
my mind was my greatest tool
and there couldn't be
anything wrong with that.
So, I was having a lot
of difficulty teaching
five classes of the same topic
and trying to remember each day
where I left off with
one class or another.
And I tried note-keeping
systems and things like that
but nothing seemed to work well enough.
- Her condition, both
physically and mentally,
was pretty rough.
So, I remember that, you
know, she'd gained some weight
and she was obviously physically frail.
- She had some tremors in her arm.
She found she had some
difficulty with her legs.
And it was of concern because she wasn't
quite sure what was happening.
- The trembling was the thing
that I did notice the most,
just, you know, with raising a
cup and I could see her hand.
And that was the thing that
got me the most kinda scared,
was that you could tell that
something wasn't right there.
- I started walking,
veering off to the side,
like my balance was off.
And this was particularly noticeable
and annoying to people like
when I was at an airport
and everybody's rolling
their luggage along
and walking in straight lines.
And I would be sort of
veering and, you know,
a couple times I had people
make comments about that.
And then riding my bike, I started falling
and hurting my legs so
I stopped doing that.
- Maybe a period of six to 12 months
where I noticed something was not right.
And, you know, then I was
projecting ahead long-term.
This was not lookin' good.
So, both physically and mentally,
it felt like this could be the
beginning of a long decline.
- What finally lead me to
the doctor were two things.
Number one, I enjoy food and
I particularly like soups.
And it was getting more and more
challenging to try and eat soup.
The other thing that really motivated me
was that I had a young granddaughter
and my grandson was due in a few months.
And I wanted so much to
be an active grandma.
I wanted, you know, I wanted to be able
to get down on the floor
and play with them.
I wanted to be able to
share stories with them.
I wanted to be able to
go to the park with them.
And it was looking like that was
going to be more and more difficult.
So, and also, my own autistic son,
I'm in charge of his care.
And I was thinking, down the line
somebody's gonna be in charge of my care.
How is this gonna work?
In April of 2008,
at age 59,
I was diagnosed with Parkinson's.
So, when I got my diagnosis,
I was told that Parkinson's was incurable,
irreversible, and progressive.
But I know a lot of
people, that I understand,
get diagnosed and they get so depressed
that they wind in bed for several weeks.
That was not my reaction
and that, I think,
was because through the experience
of my autistic son's diagnosis,
that's when I had that response.
On the one hand, that was
a very difficult thing,
a very difficult challenge.
On the other hand, it helped
prepare me for Parkinson's.
It was like, well, I got through autism.
I'll manage my way through this.
And I learned that education
takes over where medicine leaves off.
And I was following the
Western medicine protocols.
I was taking the Parkinson's
drug Sinemet 25-100,
three times a day.
And then after a months,
Requip XL as added.
So, I was doing that and
initially it felt okay.
And for a while, I thought,
well, with these drugs
make it so manageable.
This is gonna be all right.
I can deal with this.
But then gradually, the drugs
had less and less effect
and the condition was progressing.
And I decided that it was,
that I needed to use the tools
that I used in researching
for my son, Justin,
with his autism 'cause I had found
some treatments that had helped him.
And then I started doing my own research.
- After she was diagnosed
with Parkinson's,
she got involved with Qigong.
And she got very involved with Qigong.
- I was signed up for the first time
for Master Mingtong Gu's
class that The Healer Within.
And I went to that class
on June 19th of 2009.
And it was totally life-changing.
- And I remember very well when Bianca
came to my workshop in California.
First time was the weekend workshop.
And there are hundreds of people there.
But she was very eager
and came to the front
to ask me the questions.
And the question was very simple.
Basically, you know, asking
me what my suggestion is.
And so, in workshop, I suggest to everyone
that more you practice,
more benefit you going
to receive and cultivate.
- I remember Mingtong explaining such
ephemeral, arcane concepts in a way
that it was understandable.
And he talked about energy
and he talked about blockages.
And it all made sense.
So, I was very interested.
And then when we got
into doing the practice,
he was teaching the lift chi up,
pour chi down practice
and I was having some difficulty,
cognitively, making my, well,
cognitively and also physically,
like making my body, understanding
what needed to be done
and then making my body do it.
But, I just, to quote Mingtong,
"Made my best effort."
And I continue to make my best effort
for three hours a day until I healed.
- Parkinson's disease in Western medicine
is a neurological
dysfunction and disorder.
And it takes a period of time
before we diagnose it.
Meanwhile, the patient
might experience a variety
of symptoms like the
most common is tremors.
In Western medicine, patients
are given medications
that help their dopamine,
which usually bottoms out,
medications like levodopa
and muscle relaxants
and stool softeners because
a lot of times they get
heat and they get
problems with elimination.
Chinese medicine looks
at the energy fields
and where they go.
The body's like a network.
And the energy flows in this network
that controls our central nervous system.
- So, in a case of Parkinson condition
or in general, neurological condition,
yes, we know the problem
is relating to brain,
nerve system, the
communication between the brain
with the rest of the body,
including the arm, including the leg,
including different part of your body.
So, that is one understanding is true,
but deeply, what is
connecting the entire body,
communicating, yeah,
affecting the communication
of the entire body is energy,
is connection between
the mind and the body.
So, the mind is initiating
the communication
in the conscious level,
subconscious level,
as well, in the the
sort of energetic level.
Slow the energy, the
communication can happen,
connection can happen, all
the function, regulation
of the nerve system including, you know,
motor function, memory
function, coordination,
and all different activity of the body
is coming out of this communication.
So, the key is connecting with energy.
The energy, you're linking
every part of your body,
linking the mind-body, linking different
aspect as human being, you know?
The physical dimension,
the emotional dimension,
the mental, spiritual dimension,
and actually how we are
connecting with the Earth.
It is so important for our health.
- And Qigong is also
moving your life force.
And Qigong, whether we go to a class
or whether we do it on our own,
it facilitates our own healing process
and patients need to do it.
- I attended the first Qigong experience,
that workshop on June 19th.
And I left for the retreat mid-September
and was off all meds by then.
I wanted to be off all meds by then
because I wanted to go to the retreat
with no symptoms being masked.
I wanted to work on it in its full glory.
That being said, there was
already some healing occurring.
I was already less fatigued.
The tremor, at times, was calmer.
But a lot of times when I practiced,
particularly, it was more intense.
And I want people to
know that, that happens,
that that's a part of healing,
that it can be a good thing, you know,
to have more tremor because it's actually,
tremor is movement and then
energy vibration is movement.
So, it can intensify.
I know that people hear about
somebody with Parkinson's
getting off medication, doing Qigong.
I've heard people tell me,
"Well, I'm gonna throw out my pills
"and then do Qigong."
That's not how it works, you know?
So, I want people out
there to be very aware
that this is a serious commitment.
And when I was going through this,
I didn't know about
compounding pharmacists
and there weren't very many around.
And my doctors, I knew,
I could not approach
with the fact that I was practicing Qigong
and needed to gradually
reduce my medication.
But now, more and more people
are finding alternative approaches
and it's not so unheard of.
So, I would like people not to do it
the way I did it, which
was with no assistance.
I think it's important to
have professional assistance.
- Yeah, she told me about
getting off of medication.
She was very excited about
it and I was excited for her.
And you know, you could
see both the physical
and mental benefits of the practice
over the previous few months.
Her energy levels were much higher.
Her confidence was much higher.
She seemed to be really enjoying life.
And it was, again, it was
very heartening for me
because that's what I imagine
for her in her retirement.
And it seemed like it
was a bit supercharged.
So, she went from a space
where she was not healthy and not happy
to a place in life where she was excited
and feeling good and found a community
that was sharing in that discipline
and mutually fulfilling.
So, it was a great transformation
over those couple years.
- She started doing the Qigong
and I was hoping that
the Qigong would help,
but I never considered the idea
that it could get rid of it.
But I thought it would help
and it seemed to help the symptoms
and push the symptoms back.
And the more she did it,
eventually, there were no more symptoms.
So, it was a really
commitment on her part.
She was totally committed and dedicated
to put in three hours a day toward Qigong.
And her message was, anything I can do
to ward this off is worth it.
And as far as I know,
she's still putting in
three hours a day to Qigong (chuckles).
But it's a lifetime commitment
to her and it's worked.
The main thing is it's worked.
- When I first heard
Mingtong suggest that,
you know, if you had a
serious or chronic condition,
you should practice three hours a day,
I got very annoyed (laughs).
I said I could feel the steam
coming out of my ears, you know?
What?
But that only lasted a few minutes
because then I thought,
what's the big deal?
I'm on the sofa 12 hours a day.
So, if I spend three hours doing Qigong,
then maybe the other nine
I could be productive.
So, and besides which,
it wasn't that I was doing
intense physical activity.
The movements are so slow and meditational
and I believe that that's what really help
get the mind and body back
together was the slow movement.
And when I work with people,
we work not only on moving slowly,
but speaking slowly,
giving other people, the
pragmatics of language,
which sometimes, when you
have a chronic condition,
you're in such a hurry
to get out everything
that you need to get out.
So, working on the pause,
working on being slow with the movements.
It wasn't that it was
physically exhausting to do it.
And the sound healing meditation,
I lay on the, to this
day, I lay on the couch
and I put a lavender-scented
bean bag pillow
over my eyes and it's lovely.
Transported me to a place of sanctuary.
I did not generally practice
three hours at once.
It was generally in
40-minute to an hour block,
sometimes less.
I try to encourage people to do
at least 20 minutes at a time,
preferably more because
I think you get deeper
into the field when you
practice, into the chi field,
when you practice a longer period of time.
- So, on one hand, in the case of Bianca,
was the key that she was able to
not only practicing three hours day
for probably a long period of time,
but also she really has a consistency
created a structure, a
consistent structure,
knowing when to do it, yeah,
and what to do it, what's the recording,
the guidance she needed,
and what is the support system,
yeah, available for her at the time.
So, she made this whole teaching
and practice and support system
most workable for her, yeah.
And so, as each chi practitioner students
need to figure this out
and to apply into your own practice,
your own life in general.
- Regarding retreats,
not only have I noticed
a difference when I'm attending a retreat,
but also, I spoke to the
people that I work with
before this filming, and I
asked if there's anything
that they wanted to contribute
about their experience
with Qigong, that, if I could,
I would convey to the general public.
And one of them, who was a
Buddhist practitioner for years
before she ever came to the practice,
said that she finds that the retreats
were extremely helpful,
the power of the chi field,
of the community, the
incentive, the motivation.
(chiming)
(soft music)
Somewhere around a year and
half after I started practicing,
I went to the neurologist and
was diagnosed as symptom-free.
So, I was told, "You're symptom-free,
"and if you don't have
any further complications,
"don't come back for another year or two.
"But we do wanna see you again."
So, I waited the two years,
'cause I was feeling so good
I didn't want to go to the neurologist.
And I went back and was
declared Parkinson's-free.
- I see Bianca now that's she healed
from Parkinson's disease,
as a whole person.
It's really simply.
- She's active, interested
in things, reads,
likes going to movies (chuckles), busy.
- As something of a more relaxed
frame of mind, discipline,
being a Long Island New
Yorker with a, you know,
a characteristically high
energy and anxiety level
to a little bit more relaxed.
And I could see that in
all her interactions,
including with the family.
And I think the most
important thing is that
just seeing grandma healthy for my kids,
that was super important.
And the energy level, too.
The, you know, to have a grandparent
with a high energy level,
high energy of engagement,
that enriches the life of your kids.
And that was something that she brought
that's really important.
- The contrast between who I was
up to and including Parkinson's
and who I am now, I think it's funny,
the one word that comes
to mind right away is
that I would have never
described myself as unflappable.
And I'm probably still not unflappable,
but I'm much more in that territory now
that I ever was.
I shrug a lot off.
I view the day differently.
I'm 71 years old.
I'm obviously further along in my life
than I've ever been,
but I feel like I have fields and fields
of flowers in front of me to romp through.
I'm just, I don't look at
time that way I used to.
And I realize that the
practice helped teach me that
because when you have a
condition like Parkinson's,
it's progressive so you're
playing beat the clock.
But, again, when you
step in to that practice
and you're just moving so slowly,
your body, mind, and spirit together,
there is no real time
that you're dealing with.
And it's so wonderful.
And I realize that when
I step into Qigong,
I'm stepping into timelessness.
So, that takes a lot of the pressure
and stress off of everything.
After I healed, I definitely
felt I had a job to do,
that a new job had just
been created for me,
that I had to get the message out.
And Robert Rogers contacted me
and asked me if I would be interviewed
for his radio, internet radio show.
And I said I would.
And at that point in
time, after the interview,
he said to me, "You better
get a blog and a website
"because you're gonna be
bombarded with emails,"
which is what happened.
As a result of meeting with Dr. Rogers
and starting the website and the blog,
then I put together two
books, "Reboot and Rejoice,"
which the title kinda
tells the story, you know?
I mean, reboot your thought processes,
reboot your practices,
and then rejoice in the outcome.
My second book, "Make Time to Heal,"
focuses on the wisdom
healing Qigong practices,
and visualizations and tips,
how to integrate Qigong
into your life 24/7.
My practice now, I get
over an hour every morning
and then later on in the day,
I will do some more meditation
and I will work in some more
of the awakening practices
and sometimes lift chi
up, pour chi down as well.
Plus, I co-teach a Monday night class
for an hour and half so
I get practice in then.
And I volunteer with a special
ed class one day a week,
so I get practice there.
I do Qigong with them.
I love working with the special
education kids with Qigong.
They're a middle school class
and it's a class of varied abilities.
I would love to bring
Qigong into the schools,
maybe introduce first
through special education
and then it would be great
to get into a P.E. class
or a mindfulness class
or something like that
because I think that our
future might even depend on it
in terms of critical
thinking and creativity
and everything that is
so necessary right now.
I'd love for our children
to be given this gift.
Parkinson's has been a gift in my life
and I realize that very early on
actually, even before Qigong,
I was that positively oriented.
And when I had to break
the news to my friends,
that was really difficult, you know,
dealing with their response.
And I remember, after I healed,
having some friends come up to me and say,
"You know, when you
told us that you thought
"Parkinson's was a gift,
"we nodded and smiled
because we're your friends,
"but we thought you were crazy."
And look what happened.
It has been a gift and it's
the gift that keeps on giving
because of the physical
healing was just the start.
And then the mental, emotional healing,
and the work that I'm doing now
and the outreach and just
being able to help people
and to give them hope.
So, it is the gift that keeps on giving
and I'm grateful to Mingtong and Lingling
and Dr. Pang and all the wonderful masters
and practitioners.
Every one of us out there
who does a practice,
we're adding to the quality of other lives
and of the planet.
(chiming)
(soft music)
(swooshing)
