Meijia Ling (Mei) first learnt Tai Chi from her grandparents whom she grew up with in China. In those early days, she learnt only the external form without the inner art. Later, when her spiritual yearning blossomed in the form of mindfulness, breathwork, somatic healing and devotional chanting, she began to embody the inner workings that give power to mind-body integrated practices like Qi Gong and Tai Chi.
Mei studied several years of Acupuncture at the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine during which time she formally learnt medical Qi Gongboth inside and outside of college. Her Qi Gong practise is particularly inspired by renowned Daoist Master Jeffrey Yuen, who is a lineage holder for two schools of Daoism - the Jade Purity School and the Complete Reality School - and late Grand Master Zhang Zhi Shun (1912 – 2015), who lived as a hermit in the sacred Mountain of Wudang.
In her classes, Mei infuses traditional Qi Gong forms with body awareness. She uses visual cues to help students understand inner balance. She emphasises internal observation, guiding students back to themselves into a state of natural ease. The forms she draws upon include Diamond and Longevity Qi Gong, Dragon and Tiger, Five Animal Frolics, Primal Qi Gong, Swimming Dragon among others.
Being a keen linguist with a honours degree in Sanskrit from Oxford and translator of the Dao De Jing, her Qi Gong classes combine knowledge of classical philosophy and traditional Chinese medicine, including the principle of Yin Yang, five elements, meridian channels and interconnections between physical, emotional and spiritual aspects. She is the author of Dao De Jing – Selected Chapters, which is due to be published by Mysterium.