promoting health and healing will be discussed when the Integrated Healing Arts presents a three-day seminar at the Gilbert Primary School Hall this weekend.

The Qigong (pronounced chee gong) and Healing Herbs and Foods workshops will be conducted by visiting practioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Master Tai Peter Hom and Dr. Ming Wu.

On Friday night a two-hour workshop will explore Qigong Meditation (7 p.m. to 9 p.m.) while Master Hom and Dr. Ming Wu will demonstrate Qigong exercises on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $50 for each of the first two seminars while a Healing Herbs Seminar on Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m. will cost $100 to attend.

Larry Trott of Integrated Healing Arts, who has studied with Master Hom since January 1997 when he went to New Orleans and now travels twice a year to study with him, says it will be a "very informative'' weekend with some very practical information being made available by Master Hom and Dr. Ming Wu.

"On the Friday night will be meditation with light breathing along with Mantras which causes vibrations in our body which help to bring about healing,'' explained Mr. Trott.

"It will be moving meditation as well as still meditation. Saturday's Qigong class will be exercises with gentle movement and breathing exercises. Qigong combines mind, body and breath exercises. I practice Qigong healing as well.'' Master Hom began studying and practising Tai Chi under the guidance of his grandfather at the age of nine. He later studied Acupuncture and Qigong at the Hong Kong Acupuncture Research Centre and continued his studies under Masters from Taiwan and China.

Master Hom is the director of the Tai Chi Wellness Centre in Harahan, founder of the Chi Kung and Tai Chi Association of New Orleans and regional director of the Oriental Culture Institute. He has taught Qigong and Tai Chi exercises at the University of New Orleans, Delgardo Community College and Tulane University.

"It (Qigong) relaxes the mind as well as the body,'' says Master Hom. "The exercise helps digestion, quiets the nerve system, benefits the blood circulation, rejuvenates the immune system, loosens stiff joints, refreshes bone marrow and skin and balances emotions.'' Dr. Ming Wu is a third generation Chinese herbalist in his family. He has studied TCM, Qigong and Tai Chi with his father Muqing Wu since 1972 when he was seven years old.

In 1981 Dr. Ming Wu attended the University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Guangzhou, China and in May 1986 received his doctorate in TCM. In 1988 he was honoured as director of China Taoist Qigong Research Association and taught Qigong.

Dr. Ming Wu moved to the United States in 1989 and the following year opened a Chinese herb store in in Lowell, Massachusetts. Dr. Ming Wu frequently travels back to China to join with his colleagues to practice TCM and take back new knowledge on Qigong and TCM to share in America.

He has successfully treated many kinds of diseases by using herbs and Qigong healing, diseases such as cancer, asthma, stroke, alzheimer's disease, ADD, depression, anxiety, arthritis and sciatica.

"He's going to be talking about the benefits of using Chinese healing herbs and foods for specific ailments and diseases and will give some backgrounds on tradition Chinese medicine,'' said Mr. Trott of the Saturday seminar by Dr.

Ming Wu.

Dr. Ming Wu has had 20 articles published in the Chinese Medical Journal on Qigong and Chinese medicine in Taiwan and Mainland China. His name is documented in "The Book of Famous People of TCM in China Today''. "For the herbal workshop already we've got 25 people, 26 for the Saturday (Qigong exercises) and 21 for the Friday (Qigong meditation),'' Mr. Trott noted.

"And people are yet to reply. It should go really well. It's very practical and something anyone can use without any prior background at all.'' Mr. Trott says he has been studying Qigong for about seven years and studied martial arts and yoga for many years before that.

"I've been involved with different types of martial arts, weight training, yoga, running and this is by far the best thing that I've come across,'' he admitted.

"Qigong is the foundation for Chinese martial arts. It helps to build up your internal energy as well as external energy. I practice Qigong as a therapy as well and treat people with a lot of different ailments.

"Breathing exercises, if done correctly, restore vital energy and that's why you find Masters are very, very old, living to be 90 or 100 years old and still teaching and practising.'' For more information or to register for the seminars Mr. Trott can be contacted at 234-3098.