Written by Nicole Lee, Qigong Devotee, Mentor & Guide
Nicole Lee is an experienced Qigong Teacher, Practitioner and Holistic Health mentor. After delivering thousands of classes and workshops and over a decade of devotion to Qigong, she specialises in training others to share this subtle, yet powerful modality.
All ancient cultures speak of nurturing the body, mind, and spirit for longevity and ultimate well-being. Indian culture promotes yoga and balancing the body through the lifestyle system of Ayurvedic medicine. Indigenous and native traditions revere the cycles of nature, ceremonies, rituals, and shamanic practices. The ancient Egyptians used healing temples, sound, frequency, and water to achieve balance and healing. Japanese culture encourages purposeful contribution and forest bathing. Various European cultures, along with the Mayans and Aztecs, utilised steam and saunas to detoxify the body. Every culture worldwide uses herbs and different plants for medicinal and spiritual purposes.
Generations past, across all cultures, understood that nurturing life is holistic— encompassing care of the physical body, emotional balance, spiritual alignment, and a harmonious connection with the natural world.
Modern culture—particularly Western culture—seems to have completely lost its way.
Why modern approaches to health are falling short
Today, more than half of the population relies on pharmaceuticals, a figure that rises to 90% among those aged 65 and older. We face unprecedented levels of chronic illness and obesity. The mainstream medical system adopts a reductionist approach, treating isolated body parts and emphasising practices that prioritise physical health while frequently overlooking the interconnected roles of the mind and spirit.
Modern medicine often focuses on quick fixes (that don’t fix anything), advocating for taking a pill for any ailment or resorting to surgical removal. This approach has led to a society that is increasingly disconnected, apathetic, and detached from the most vital part of our being—our spirit.
Understanding the body’s signals: Symptoms as calls for balance
Until a person is willing to make significant effort and take the road less travelled to address their dis-ease, they will merely be suppressing the messages their body is communicating. Symptoms are signals of imbalance from the body, mind, and spirit.
Over more than 10 years of studying Qigong, I’ve come to understand the principles of what traditional oriental culture refers to as Yang Sheng Fa—the practices of nurturing life. This is a way of living in harmony with the natural world and its cycles, a concept embraced by every ancient culture in various ways.
The culture of convenience
Modern culture often values convenience and affordability. We choose Uber Eats and fast food over the time and energy investment required to prepare and enjoy nutrient-dense, healthy meals. We prioritise doing and achieving more, often at the expense of quality and potency. In contrast, a practice from Ayurvedic medicine involves reciting the Dhanvantari Mantra during food preparation to infuse healing energy into the meal.
Modern culture—particularly in the Western world, but expanding globally—tends to believe that the answers to health, longevity, and well-being are found in a pill bottle or by pounding the treadmill inside a 24/7 gym.
Reclaiming your health: The path to holistic healing
It’s time to recognise that if one seeks healing and true health, effort is required. This nearly always means a change of habits and lifestyle. Achieving genuine well-being requires commitment, conscious choices, and a willingness to invest in ourselves. It involves nourishing not just the physical body but also engaging in the deep inner work required for emotional balance and spiritual connection.
Ancient cultures knew this well and embedded these principles into daily life, valuing harmony with nature, rituals that fed the soul, and practices that integrated body, mind, and spirit.
The path to true healing lies in reclaiming personal responsibility, embracing the effort to listen to our bodies, investing in daily acts of self-care, and integrating time-tested wisdom with contemporary understanding.
It’s time to rediscover the ancient wisdom within us and start taking steps toward holistic — body, mind, spirit well-being. Explore your personal Dao of Health and other Daoist Life Nurturing practices with Nicole Lee Qigong.
Nicole Lee, Qigong Devotee, Mentor & Guide
Nicole Lee is an internationally certified Qigong teacher, with training encompassing both Modern and Classical Qigong styles. Over a span of more than ten years instructing Qigong, she has witnessed the transformative impact of this gentle practice on physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Nicole approaches Qigong with reverence, advocating for a modern and contemporary perspective to make this ancient healing art accessible to those leading busy and demanding lives.
