Grand Master Shi DeRu, 31st generation indoor disciple of the venerable Great Grand Master Shi Suxi, and world-renowned Shaolin martial arts Master, highly sought after teacher, esteemed scholar, and U.S. Olympic Style Sanshou Team Coach held Shaolin Institute’s 14th Annual Qi Retreat in Pensacola, Florida February 22nd through the 25th at the Pensacola Beach Escapade in Pensacola Beach, Florida 32561. The annual Qi Retreat gets rave reviews from its enthusiastic attendees countrywide.
As a physician from Georgia expressed: “People from all walks of life with an array of challenges and differences came together with the common goal of working to improve their mind and body. Not only did they share thoughts and ideas about Chan meditation, relaxation, and Tai/Qi Gong techniques, they shared positive, restorative, healing energy. As everybody here has said, we all benefited greatly from this interaction, physically, mentally and spiritually.”
A variety of lessons were taught to many enthusiastic participants, including Master DeRu’s own healing specific Immune Defense form of Qi-Gong, Tai-Gong, targeting restoring, energizing, and improving the immune system.
Tai Gong-Xi Sui Gong, one of the mind-body medical Qi Gong series Grand Master Shi DeRu has released to his students without reservation for the first time.
The Immune Defense Series focusing on awakening and energizing the inner wisdom of the body to promote self-healing and empower individuals to take control of their physical and mental well-being has been the main theme of the event.
The ancient wisdom of the Shaolin Temple Masters was shared with people who came to the Retreat from all over the country seeking a foundation for a positive physical and mental health transformation.
Grand Master DeRu taught students Zen (Chan) meditation exercises, Chan nutrition/cooking lessons, and Tai-Gong and Qi Gong mind-body Qi therapies aimed at opening Qi channels within the body and enhancing the flow of the body’s natural healing energy (Qi).
The audience included healthy people seeking to better manage their diet and the stress in their lives, doctors seeking to blend East/West medicine to better serve their patients’ needs, arthritis patients, cancer patients, cancer survivors that Master DeRu helped to beat the odds of a “terminal” diagnosis, people with debilitating autoimmune diseases, as well as Chinese Shaolin students from the Shaolin Temple in China who have come to the U.S. to train under Master Shi Deru and who are stationed at one of three of his Shaolin Institute campuses; Atlanta, Mobile, AL, and New Orleans,
As Master DeRu said, “The oldest attendee was 79 years old, the youngest 14. That is because the Chan mind (the development of which was a major focus of the Retreat) is for everyone. These ancient Shaolin healing arts have no boundaries.
The lessons the participants were taught apply to the healthy, the sick, the out-of shape, and to all people who desire to make a positive change in their mind and body wellness. As one of the patient expressed, “I was very happy to see doctors attend this Retreat, signaling the beginning of a change in the way Western medicine practitioners approach the treatment of patients mentally and physically”. 
Shaolin offers people a demonstrably effective alternative to the often times limited Western medical journal approach to treatment.”
In the words of one of many repeat Retreat attendees, “This is my third time at Master DeRu’s Retreat and every time, I learn more and more about adopting the Chan mind and Shaolin way-of- life. 
This year I am focusing on learning ‘calm’; trying to channel my hyper-energy to functional pursuits. I find the Retreat very refreshing, mentally and physically, and very helpful in putting me and keeping me on the right path.”
For additional information about the 2014 Qi Retreat call 770-286-9808.
Master DeRu and Shaolin Institute invite all health conscientious people to actively participate in the celebration of World Tai Chi & Qi Gong Day by attending one of many FREE TO THE PUBLIC Tai Chi/Qi Gong demonstrations, seminars and mini-classes the Institute is holding at sites throughout the Atlanta area Saturday, April 27th, 2013 starting 10:00 Am. The main class will be held at Pinckneyville Park in Norcross GA. . Please call: 770-286-9808 for a schedule of events for this health enriching day. FYI: http://www.shaolin-world.net