Power of Chi Student and Client Testimonials

Over 2 years ago I twisted my ankle going down some steps. After months of indescribable pain, I was diagnosed with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD).

This is a nerve ending condition where the nerve endings send pain messages to the brain for physical damage that no longer exists.

The prognosis is horrible, no chance of a cure was given. The limb would discolor and turn into a useless “claw”.

Not only that, but there was a good chance it would go to the other limbs.

I went on a personal mission to beat the odds, no matter cost or time. I had always been active, going to the YMCA 3 days a week, backpacking and tennis. I fought sinking into depression with this hopeless diagnosis.

To ease the pain for two years, I wore only slippers, no matter the weather or the occasion and I often had to use a cane. I could not stand through an entire hymn at church. Not being able to stand for a couple of minutes or walk more than 20 feet without stopping was a huge disability for my personal life as well as my career.

I could not drive a car with my right foot. I had to throw my leg over the passenger seat and drive with my left foot. I could not go up or down stairs without extreme difficulty. This was especially difficult with 4 children upstairs.

I tried RSD drugs in the maximum quantities, often barely able to endure the side effects.

RSD targeting physical therapy for a severe sprained ankle was torture.

My super sensitive foot was subject to a swirling pit of hot sand for 30 minutes at the time, 3 times a week. I received six spinal injections at a pain clinic and seventeen local block injections directly into the affected foot. The last medical advice I was given was to have a TENS unit implanted in my spine.

I asked my orthopedic doctor about ways to correct my breathing and holistic therapies.

He was very supportive and I was given Patrick Fannes’s name. First I met his partner Maria who did a reading and intake for me. This was very helpful and got me on the mental track of healing and the path to regaining my health. A few days later I began working with Patrick.

He told me not to spend a lot of time analyzing, but to trust the process of illness and healing. Those words and my confidence in him freed me to get on with the work of healing.

In sessions with Patrick, he would work on my body’s energy channels while explaining all along in layman’s terms. It was so empowering to understand how my energy was off balance and to actually feel the energy being redirected. It is absolutely freeing. In the days and weeks between visits I recall images and phrases Patrick has shared with me.

When I surrender my mind to these thoughts the energy within me stirs in an incredible healing way.

In about 4 months I have progressed into wearing shoes and hiking boots again and going up and down stairs. Driving with my right foot while using my left foot to brake and cutting my medications to 1/3 of what I was taking before. My daily walking is back to normal although I can’t walk miles but I am progressing. Only on some occasions I am reminded of the pain. I can stand in one spot for minutes now before

I have to move my foot and I feel I no longer have a disability now.

My future is bright and I am empowered to continue my progress.

Peace to you,

Barbara Wike

North Carolina

Student Testimonial

I have been taking T'ai Chi Chuan classes for the past seven years. Two years ago I was privileged to meet Master Patrick Fannes.

He has been my Sifu since then. His classes are a true Mind, Body, Spirit experience.

I am at an age where good Health is an issue. His knowledge of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Qigong was learned at the renowned Shaolin Temple and is a very large part of our practice. He's extremely sensitive to the fact we are all different in our abilities and teaches with positive re-enforcement rather than criticism.

His unselfishness and willingness to share cannot be surpassed. He makes it so easy to take the lessons and principle of T'ai Chi and apply them to my daily thoughts and actions.

There is no place in his classes for negative emotions or any thoughts of wrong actions. I always leave with the same feeling I get while watching a perfect sunset. He is truly a spiritual being who leaves us with a deep sense of spirituality.

Faye Maynard

Greensboro, NC

I first met Master Patrick Fannes about three years ago. I had been diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (an untreatable form of bone marrow dysfunction) in 2000 and was suffering with weakness and constant fatigue from lowered blood counts and frequent illness due to suppressed immune function. In addition to having this condition, I was diagnosed in 2004 with Fibromalagia and severe allergies to almost all trees and grasses. I could not sleep at night, was in constant pain, too tired to function during the day, had frequent episodes of hives and severe swelling around my face and extremities, and needless to say quite stressed and depressed over my condition.
The doctor’s treatment plan was simply large doses of prescription pain medication, antihistamines, steroids, anti-depressants, sleep medication and stimulants to counteract fatigue. When I asked if there was anything pro-active I could do, I was referred to physical therapy to relieve muscle and joint pain. One of administrators at this practice suggested I get in touch with Sifu Patrick Fannes. She had heard that he had some good success with healing patients who had multiple sclerosis (which my sister suffers from) and that he was going to be teaching a Tai Chi class in a local temple.

I did not even know what Tai Chi was at this point, but I was willing to do just about anything I thought would help.
My sister and I made arrangements to meet with Patrick and his partner Maria after we missed the demonstration class. The first time I met Patrick and Maria, I noticed that just being in the same room with them made me feel better. They listened to our long lists of complaints. Occasionally one of them would ask us something or share a bit of their history with us. After talking for a couple of hours, we felt like long lost friends and when it came time for us to leave, we did not want to go. This was surprising to us, because we can be rather cynical and untrusting plus these were total strangers doing things we had never heard of before. But Patrick and Maria both left us with a sense of peace and hope. We made appointments to come back the next day for a "sample" healing treatment and official consultation. We went together, just in case... Again, our worries were unfounded. The treatment space in their home was very comfortable and their behavior extremely professional. Each step was explained in advance, and any questions were welcomed and thoroughly explained. The healing session was based on the ancient science of Chinese Energy Healing. Almost as soon as it started, I began to feel better and by the end of the first treatment I felt almost like a different person. I felt lighter and happier and peaceful, and at the same time like my energy was much higher. I slept well for the first night in months. I returned for several additional treatment sessions, each of which had the same effect. The most important thing that Patrick and Maria did for me however was to teach me HOW to heal myself and WHY I was getting ill in the first place. They did not promise any miracles, or suggest in any way that I should not follow my doctors treatment orders. They just made me see how intertwined the body and spirit are, and how each affects the other. In order for medical treatments to succeed, there has to be a change. That change is what Patrick encouraged and supported with his treatment. They taught me that the body wishes to be healthy, and that by finding and removing obstacles (such as stress, and bad habits) we can allow our bodies to return to health. That disease is an un-natural state, and by realigning our natural energy patterns, our natural ability to heal is brought back into being. So not only is Patrick a healer, he is also a teacher.
My medical records over the past several years serve as testimony that cannot be disputed. My blood counts have returned to an almost normal level - something that my hematologist cannot explain. By following Patrick’s advice and instructions, I have learned to face myself without fear and judgment, how to acknowledge my feelings and give them the opportunity to teach me what I need to know and do, how to breathe properly so that my body has the oxygen it needs to operate and the importance of being still and knowing myself. I am taking far less medication and having far fewer symptoms, and have learned to treat much of my pain and allergic reactions with meditation and qigong exercises instead of drugs. If I was not so determined to do everything on my own, I am sure additional treatments would have already brought me perfect health (my true and honest opinion), but I am trying to learn to do this for myself and only asking for help when I reach a block I cannot find my way through on my own. While Patrick is a gifted healer, he will not do what you are not ready for.
At the same time of our initial meeting, I also decided to attend the Tai Chi classes that Patrick would be teaching weekly. At the time of the first class, I was a hopelessly clumsy and uncoordinated. I could not stand on one foot without falling over, and could barely tell left from right. He gave us a demonstration of the Tai Chi Form that we would be learning, and it seemed so intricate and beautiful that none of us could imagine ourselves ever being able to do it ourselves. But Patrick was patient, and each week we repeated our lessons and got a little bit better and a little bit stronger.

When we made mistakes (there were plenty, and still are) there was no judgment or punishment. Each class was a beautiful exercise in learning what we were capable of doing, even if it was just one small thing we accomplished. Again, any questions were welcomed and explained in as much detail as requested. Our class was larger some days than others, students came and went. Only those of us who took it seriously remained, and our weekly class became a refuge from the outside world, a place we could find peace for an hour and renew our commitment to a healthy mind and body.

Now, during my third year as a student with Sifu Fannes, I find myself capable of more than I ever imagined. My balance is stable, I have much more stamina and strength, and I am more peaceful and focused. I can perform the Tai Chi exercise we have learned with far few mistakes and much more grace than I ever dreamed I could be capable of. And most importantly, I find myself knowing that I can and will continue to improve in both health and spirit as long as I am willing to work at it. Having the wisdom and clarity of thought available through Master Patrick Fannes is a resource of indeterminable value. As a teacher, and a Healer, Patrick is an amazing and gifted man. I look upon his presence in my life with great honor and would recommend his work to anyone in need of healing in their life.
Sincerely,
Kelly Francies
Greensboro, NC