Dr. Chow's Bio

In July 2000, Dr. Chow was appointed by President Clinton to the original 15 member White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy. Recipient of the "Visionary of the Year 1997" "The Humanitarian of the Year 1999" and "The Visionary of the Decade 2000" Awards, Dr. Effie Poy Yew Chow has for over 40 years been working to integrate Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with Western Medicine. Toward this goal, she founded the East West Academy of Healing Arts (EWAHA) in 1973 in San Francisco. In 1988 an arm of that organization, The EWAHA Qigong Institute, was established within EWAHA to promote research and clinical work in medical Qigong. In 2003 she was appointed by the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago to their National Task Force on The 21st Century Initiative on Life and Health. In 2004 she was invited onto the 15 member international Advisory Board of the CAM Health Expo, and in 2005 onto the 20 member Advisory Board of the National Library of Medicine-Asian American Health Website Users Group. May, 2005 Vancouver General Hospital Nurses Alumnae Assoc. awarded Dr. Chow as the "Most Distinguished Nurse Graduate". In 2006, became an Associate of AHA! Ventures Int'l & GIMN. In 2007, the Editorial Board of the Boardroom Inc., Bottom Line Women's Health Publications, and Editorial Board of the prestigious new "super peer-reviewed publication "The Journal of the Science of Healing Outcomes". Also in October, 2007 AAAOM honored her as one of the"Pioneers and Leaders of Oriental Medicine in the USA"

Clients come from all parts of the world to consult with Dr. Chow. She travels internationally to see clients, give seminars and train practitioners. She has personally made presentations to over 450,000 people of all cultures, and to more than 600 corporations, including Fortune 500 companies, hospitals, health clinics, universities, and governmental agencies.

Dr. Chow has a Ph.D. in higher education, and a master's degree in behavioral sciences and communication. She is a registered public health and psychiatric nurse and Qigong Grandmaster with 40 years' experience. She is a National Diplomate in Acupuncture (NCCAOM) and a California-licensed acupuncturist since 1977. Dr. Chow received her training in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Qigong in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Canada and the United States. Her Qigong experience includes Frolic of Five Animals, Six Sounds, Taoist Qigong, Eight Silk Brocades, Dayan, Taiji (Tai Chi), Wai Tan Kung, Shaolin, Microcosmic Orbit, and others.

She is the only Qigong Grandmaster-Nurse-Acupuncturist in North America who has been active in the development of national health policies within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in the field of cultural diversity, alternative and ethno-medicine. In the early development (1970's) of acupuncture licensing law in California, Dr. Chow was a consultant to Senator Moscone and other legislators. For over 35 years she has been consultant with the DHHS in various areas, such as the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute/NIH, and the Minority Task Force. She has served as an appointed member of the National Advisory Council to The Secretary of DHHS on Health Professions' Education for Medicine, Osteopathy, Dentistry, Veterinary, Optometry, Pharmacy and Podiatry (MODVOPP).

Dr. Chow was recognized for her expertise in the field of alternative medicine, Qigong and TCM through an appointment to the first Ad Hoc Advisory Panel of the Congress-mandated Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health (research Division of DHHS) in Bethesda, Maryland. Other appointments include: the Editorial Advisory Board of Rodale Press for special publications on alternative medicine; Editorial Consultant to Time/life Books; Editorial Advisory Board of theJournal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine; and the scientific Advisory Board of the Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Center for Alternative/Complementary Medicine at Columbia University in New York; University of California San Francisco, a lecturer to the medical/health students; Advisory Board for a special project of Bastyr University of Naturopathic Medicine, Seattle, WA. She received honored recognition by the Ethnic/Racial Minority Fellowship Program of the American Nurses Association.

On over 500 occasions, Television/radio/news media publications internationally have featured Dr. Chow. They come to San Francisco from USA, Canada, Russia, Denmark, Australia, Korea, Japan, Rumania, and England to film her. Over 15 one hour or half-hour TV/Radio shows feature solely on her work. She is in a four-part TV series on alternative medicine. Many continue worldwide re-showing. Numerous awards honor her for being a pioneer/ leader in the fields of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Qigong, Natural & general health care. A few are listed below:

• 2006 Awarded by International Qigong Conference in Bangkok Thailand "International Contribution to Status of Qigong"
• Vancouver General Hospital Nursing Alumnae Assoc's "Distinguished Graduate Nurse" Award, 2005
• "Building Bridges of Integration for Traditional Chinese Medicine 2004 Award" from the World Foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
• "Year 2000: Qigong Promoter of the Year Award" for extraordinary services in promoting the cause of Qigong in the world. World Shaolin Chanmingong Association. April 23, 2000
• "Visionary of the Year" Award, from the Second World Congress on Qigong, 1997.
• The City and County of San Francisco proclaimed November 22nd as "Dr. Effie Poy Yew Chow Day", and November 20th-26th as "Qigong Week", 1997.
• "The President's Citation Award" of the American Assoc. for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, 1989.
• Distinguished Award from the National Society of Acupuncturists of the Republic of China, 1988.
• Distinguished Award: Ministry of Health, Department of Occupational Health, Republic of China, 1988.
• The American Nurses' Association (ANA) Award for Women's Honors in Public Service.
• Award in Entrepreneurship, given by the Human Rights and Minority Fellowship of ANA, 1988.
• Outstanding Service Award towards the recognition, advancement and acceptance of the Science of Acupuncture in the United States of America, given by the National Acupuncture Association.
• Listed in "Women's Who's Who of the World".
• "The Woman Warrior Award" from the Pacific Asian American Women's Bay Area Coalition.

Dr. Chow is founder and president of East West Academy of Healing Arts, American Qigong Association and World Qigong Federation. Qigong Grandmaster Effie Chow is chairperson for the annual World Congress on Qigong. Charles T. McGee, MD and Effie Poy Yew Chow, PhD have co-authored a book "Miracle Healing From China…QIGONG" (MediPress, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, 1994). Chow Qigong System videotapes/DVDs: vol.1 "Qigong Basics and Exercises"; vol.2 "Qi PressureTM", and a meditation CD are available. Dr. Chow is available to present programs and consult with individual clients in your area.

Basic concepts of the Chow Integrated Healing System for  initial practice are:

• Get at least eight hugs a day
• Get at least three Belly-Aching-Laughs-A-Day
• Maintain a positive mental attitude
• Maintain proper posture and breathe with the diaphragm
• Meditate daily
• Good nutrition, supplements, and perhaps herbs
• Practice the Chow Qigong exercises
• Be at peace with yourself and others
• Live the Qi energy concept
• Give and receive lots of love

What is Qigong?

 "Qigong is a discipline anyone can learn. Many people practice Qigong simply because it makes them feel good, perform better, experience higher levels of energy and stamina, and reach their level of optimal health. Qigong can improve sports performance, prevent jet lag, and supercharge the immune system. Qigong practice has been shown to super-oxygenate the cells of the body. It can reduce stress, improve bowel function, and relieve the symptoms of insomnia and other sleep disorders. In the area of pain control, Qigong practice can relieve acute and chronic pain, reduce the pain of childbirth, and speed recovery from sports or other injuries. In addition, Qigong can increase the effectiveness of Western medications, may reduce the side effects, and even allow the use of smaller doses.

Qigong is one of Traditional Chinese Medicine's (TCM) principal methods of treatment. Though there are many schools, concurrent theories are these:

• The mind, body, and spirit energies can be regulated and cultivated through the relaxation and concentration of mental and physical exercises
• Control of respiration plays a central role
• Bringing the body into a state of maximum repose and self-regulation can help realize full physical potential, resist illness, recover damage caused by diseases, and balance the body's relation with the mind.
• "Balancing the human with the sky". In traditional Chinese thought, the sky is a general term for nature. Qigong researchers maintain that the human body and nature exist as an interrelated and inseparable unity. Imbalances in this unity are a key cause of illness. Therefore, humankind should strive for the conscious awareness of our inherent coordination with nature.

Recent scientific research has begun to produce physiological evidence backing Qigong theory. For example, it has been shown that:

• Disordered or overstimulated cells in the cerebral cortex can be returned to a relaxed state through Qigong practice
• Positive physical changes can be traced to more efficient respiration and metabolism which in turn greatly reduces energy consumption
• The body's strength is fostered and more prepared to fight off illness by Qigong because of an improved immune system
• Qigong aids the generation of saliva and gastric juices thus improving digestion and absorption.

 "Qigong is a discipline anyone can learn. Many peoplepractice Qigong simply because it makes them feel good, perform better, experience higher levels of energy and stamina, and reach their level of optimal health. Qigong can improve sports performance, prevent jet lag, and supercharge the immune system. Qigong practice has been shown to super-oxygenate the cells of the body. It can reduce stress, improve bowel function, and relieve the symptoms of insomnia and other sleep disorders. In the area of pain control, Qigong practice can relieve acute and chronic pain, reduce the pain of childbirth, and speed recovery from sports or other injuries. In addition, Qigong can increase the effectiveness of Western medications, may reduce the side effects, and even allow the use of smaller doses.

Many scientific studies have documented that Qigong has value in the treatment of more serious problems. It can reduce healing time after surgery by 50%, normalize the blood pressure, and heal tuberculosis. It can heal gastric and duodenal ulcers chronic atrophic gastritis (stomach inflammation), and liver disease. It can relieve nearsightedness (myopia) and improve mental performance. It also has been effective in the treatment of substance abuse, obesity, respiratory conditions, asthma, and allergies.

Benefits have also been seen in a long list of serious neuromuscular  conditions, such as post-stroke syndrome, paralysis from brain and spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, aphasia (loss of the power of expression of speech), Parkinson's disease, and cerebral palsy.

In more than thirty research studies, Qigong has been found to reverse the effect of aging. Qigong has improved or reversed the results of many medical tests that usually become abnormal with age. In addition, it has cured many of the diseases that are common to senior citizens.

Qigong has been shown to reduce deaths related to high blood  pressure, reduce the frequency of strokes, reduce the incidence of retinopathy (deterioration of the back of the eye), improve the efficiency of the pumping action of the heart, and decrease blood  viscosity ("thin" the blood). It has also improved EKG (heart) and EEG (brain) readings, normalized the level of sex hormones, and improved blood sugar levels in diabetics."

To view excellent YouTube videos on Dr. Chow - posted November 12, 2009 — A 5-Part series by 'The American Health Journal Presents', Discoveries in Alternative Medicine program on Dr. Effie Chow and Qigong. This segment asks the question, "What is Qigong?", go here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pLL-Y4aDbo

Dr. Chow's website: www.EastWestQi.com

To contact Dr. Chow for a personal consultation or to take training, please e-mail eastwestqi@aol.com.