Foundations of Chinese Energetic Medicine
Where the Whole Path BeginsEverything that follows in this medicine rests on what you build here. Over five days in Carmel, you begin the disciplined work of cultivating qì through breath, posture, movement, and meditation, learning to feel it, refine it, and turn it toward healing.
Reserve My SeatThe Cultivation of Qì
This course introduces the foundational principles of Chinese Energetic Medicine. Qìgōng is the disciplined work of cultivating qì: gathering it, refining it, regulating it, and protecting it. Once cultivated, that qì can be turned toward martial, medical, or spiritual ends, and here it is turned toward healing.
Through breath, posture, movement, meditation, healing sounds, Daoist organ exercises, and energetic awareness, you build the personal practice, sensitivity, and discipline that deeper practitioner training depends on.
By the End of These Five Days
- 1
Explain the purpose, history, and guiding principles of Chinese Energetic Medicine as the healing stream of qìgōng, the disciplined work of cultivating qì that can be turned toward martial, medical, or spiritual ends.
- 2
Identify the foundational energetic anatomy of this work: the Three Bodies, Three Powers, the twelve organs, the channel systems, the Five Elements, the three dāntián, and the wèiqì field.
- 3
Practice the Three Regulations of posture, breath, and intent (意 yì) as the root of Medical Qìgōng self-cultivation.
- 4
Apply beginning methods of purging, tonifying, and regulating qì to clear stagnation, build and preserve vitality, and restore energetic balance.
- 5
Demonstrate foundational Medical Qìgōng exercises, including the healing sounds, Daoist organ exercises, Turtle Breathing, the Golden Ball, and protective meditations.
- 6
Develop the energetic awareness, sensitivity, and boundaries that make personal practice safe and prepare you for practitioner work.
- 7
Create a personal Medical Qìgōng routine that supports health, emotional clearing, spiritual connection, and ongoing training.
About Dr. David Hone
Dr. David Stokes Hone, DCEM, ND approaches healing through a multi-dimensional framework that addresses health at its physical, energetic, emotional, mental, and spiritual roots. With over a decade of clinical experience, he specializes in the most complex cases, from life-threatening illness and oncology to autoimmune and neurological disorders, fertility challenges, and multi-system imbalances, integrating Medical Qìgōng, breathwork, nutritional medicine, and intuitive health assessment to uncover root causes where conventional approaches fall short.
Since 2016, Dr. Hone has trained and mentored practitioners worldwide through the Elements of Life Institute, equipping them with the methodologies needed to navigate today’s most difficult health challenges. He teaches the Foundations course himself so that every practitioner begins on ground that is firm, clear, and rightly understood.
Elements of Life Institute
Elements of Life Institute trains practitioners of Chinese Energetic Medicine through a structured path that carries the student from foundational practice to clinical mastery. The Foundations course is the first step of that path, the ground on which every course above it is built.
We create learning that is grounded, precise, and genuinely transformative, for practitioners, seekers, and anyone ready to live and work with greater awareness, vitality, and balance.
This Course Is for You If You...
- Are beginning the Practitioner path and want to start on firm, well-understood ground
- Are drawn to Chinese Energetic Medicine and want a true foundation rather than scattered pieces
- Have practiced energy work before and sense that something foundational was never fully laid
- Want to feel and cultivate qì directly through practice, not only read about it
- Are ready to build a daily cultivation practice you can carry forward for years
- Intend to serve others one day and want to begin the way you mean to continue
Everything You Need to Know
This is a five-day, in-person intensive that pairs clear instruction with immediate guided practice. Each day runs from morning through evening with a generous midday break, so the material has room to settle and the body has room to rest.
Sunday, August 30, 2026
Two-hour midday break
✎ Venue name and address
Limited seats available
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need prior experience to attend?
No. Foundations is the entry point to the Practitioner path and is built for the complete beginner. If you have practiced before, the course will settle and clarify what you already carry, and fill in what may have been missed.
What should I wear and bring?
Wear comfortable, loose clothing that lets you move and breathe freely, since part of each day is spent in guided practice. Bring a notebook and anything you like to write with. Everything else you need will be provided.
How does the daily schedule work?
Each day runs from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM with a two-hour break at midday. The long break gives the morning’s material time to settle and leaves room to rest, eat well, and return ready for the afternoon.
Where does this lead after Foundations?
Foundations is the first of the courses that form the Practitioner tier. It prepares you for everything that follows, from perceptual awareness and energetic protection through the deeper clinical and cultivation work of the path.
Lay the Ground Well
The whole path opens from here. Give yourself five unhurried days in Carmel to learn this medicine at its root and to feel, for the first time, the forces you will spend your practice learning to serve.
Seats are limited. We keep each cohort intentionally small so that every student receives the attention and hands-on guidance this foundation deserves.
Reserve My Seat