Qigong Teacher
Level 1
- At least 200 hours of documented formal Qigong Training
- 2 years of personal Qigong practice
Level 2
- At least 350 hours of documented formal Qigong training
- 3 years of personal Qigong practice
- 2 years experience teaching Qigong
Level 3
- 500 Hours of documented formal Qigong Training
- 6 years of personal Qigong practice
- 5 years experience teaching Qigong
Senior Qigong Teacher
- 1000 hours of documented formal Qigong Training
- 10 years Qigong experience teaching teachers or clinical practitioners
- Must participate in an interview with members of the Application Review Committee
Clinical Qigong Practitioner
- At least 500 hours documented formal Qigong training including 350 didactic hours (see website for description) 200 of which are specific to Qigong
- Includes at least 100 hours of Qigong treatment which may include contact and non-contact Qi emission, adjunct massage manipulations, and teaching of prescriptive exercises or any combination thereof.
- At least 2 years clinical experience
- Must carry a current liability insurance policy
- An interview with members of the Application Review committee may be required
Senior Clinical Qigong Practitioner
- At least 1500 hours documented formal Qigong training including 500 didactic hours (see website for description) 350 of which are specific to Qigong
- Includes at least 1000 hours of Qigong treatment which may include contact and non-contact Qi emission, adjunct massage manipulations, and teaching of prescriptive exercises or any combination thereof.
- At least 10 years clinical experience
- Must carry a current liability insurance policy
- An interview with members of the Application Review committee may be required
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: If I am already a professional member of the NQA, how is this different?
A: Certification is a separate additional option that you may choose to enhance and highlight your professional standing.
Q: How do I determine my proper level?
A: There are two divisions to Professional Member Certification: Instructor and Clinical. See each tab above for more details.
Q: May a person hold certification in both tracks?
A: Yes, a person may hold certification as both Qigong Teacher and Clinical Practitioner and some of the same hours could apply to both. You may apply simultaneously on the same Certification Application.
Q: How will I benefit from this certification?
A: 1) You will receive a certification listing on your member page of the NQA website, a resource for the public seeking a professional with distinction.
2) Our publications often highlight certified professionals with articles about them and their practice.
3) You will receive a certificate for display so that the public/clients/students will know that you have been internally certified by the NQA. Please note that these benefits may change or be added onto without notice at any time, based on the needs of our members.
4) You will become part of a strong active organization involved in protecting Qigong from the numerous legislative attempts around the nation to control Qigong in a variety of ways, specifically in Mass. and Illinois. Qigong should remain self-governed. Your involvement will make us even stronger.
5) Within the last 3 years, the NQA has been actively involved in protecting Qigong from numerous legislative attempts around the nation. We have participated in joint efforts at writing legislation (Illinois S3516) and thwarted efforts in Massachusetts to license Qigong as a subset of bodywork. The only way we can keep Qigong autonomous (self-governed) is to have the numbers to speak up and let your legislators know we’re out there and are involved. Please join us in our efforts to protect our beloved Qigong by becoming a NQA Certified Professional member.
6) In response to the many attempts to legislate Qigong, the most popular response has been to seek the protection of “Health Freedom Act” related Bills. The California bill (SB577) has been very successful and been in force since 2002. All of the currently in-force or proposed Health Freedom Act related bills around the country, have one very important requirement written into them. they require that every practitioner (along with their treatment plan) provide documentation supporting their training and certification to potential clients and/or anyone requesting that information. A certificate from the NQA Certification Committee fulfills that requirement, and is likewise, nationally recognized.
Q: How much does it cost and for how long is the certification?
A: Initial certification extends for two years at a fee of $150 except for the Senior Qigong Teacher which has a fee of $250 due to the needed interview. Renewals are $50 and extend for two years. An upgrade or add-on is charged $100 except for the Senior Qigong Teacher, which is $150.
Q: Is there a requirement for continuing education for renewal?
A: Not at the present time, but a continuing education requirement for renewal may be initiated at some point in the future.
Q: What is a didactic hour of instruction?
A: Didactic hours include anatomy, physiology, Chinese medical theory and Qigong history, theory and philosophy (with regard to Qigong.) It is considered to be instruction received in a class setting from an instructor rather than clinical practice with patients.
Q: What is considered Formal Qigong Training?
A: Formal Qigong Training is considered in-person training, meaning that the teacher and student are physically present in the same location. It includes cultivation of the perception of Qi, and the experience of Qi in practice (neidan and weidan) –– cultivation of the Qigong State / Centering, cultivation of Rooting / Grounding, and includes the study of Qigong Theory, describing what Qi is, how Qi works, how Qi is utilized in practice, teaching and Qi emission. Formal Training includes an understanding, and Qi perception, of the Three Tan Tians, Jing / Qi / Shen, Yin/Yang polarity, Five Element Theory, and the Meridian / Acupoint system
Q: How are online, virtual training hours incorporated into my studies?
A: Classes where the teacher and student are connected online and can see and speak to each other describe “virtual training.” It may be one on one, or it may be a larger group. Virtual courses can have different values for certification depending on the specific circumstances of the online training. The certification committee has the discretion to decide on the number of hours to be awarded for virtual training in each individual case, up to 25% of the total hours required for a specific level of certification. A letter of explanation from the teacher explaining the format of the virtual training and what was taught will be needed as part of the committee’s assessment of the value of this training.
Example: Level I = 200 hours formal Qigong training, therefore the maximum number of virtual training hours would be 50.
Level II = maximum 87 hours out of 350
Level III = maximum 125 hours out of 500
Senior Teacher = maximum 250 hours out of 1000
Q: What if I receive additional training in the course of my certification?
A: If you wish, you may submit an upgrade. Just enter the additional information on a new application and send it in along with the appropriate fee. The supplemental application will be added to the information already in your file.
Q: How long does it take after I send in the application?
A: With the exception of the Senior Qigong Teacher – which requires an in-person interview with Certification Committee members – most applicants will receive a decision within a reasonable amount of time after full completion and submission of your application.
Q: What if my application is denied or if I receive a lower level of Certification classification than the one that I applied for?
A: If the application is denied or if you receive a lower level of classification than that for which you applied, you are welcome to apply again after one year.
