Tara Tech’s passion to heal others came with a devastating punch to the gut as a teenager when her best friend developed cancer. The two girls were just 16 years old. Watching her friend suffer made such an impact that Tech became a nurse.
“I wanted to help Lisa heal, ease her pain and discomfort, and make her feel better,” Tech said of their precious time together. “Sadly, Lisa passed away a week before I graduated college. I was devastated. I pledged to do what I could to help other people so they wouldn’t have to go through what she did.”
Tech became disenchanted with traditional medicine and blended nursing with natural healing. She gained experience as a Tai Chi instructor, Qi (Chi) healer, health and anti-cancer coach, natural health consultant, laughter facilitator, Reiki master teacher, Qigong instructor and (Korean) Dahn (Vital Energy) master.
“I was helping people enough as a nurse for them to leave the care facility, but it wasn’t enough to make much of a difference in their lives,” she lamented. “We got them well enough to go home, but they inevitably would end up back in the hospital. We only managed symptoms. The root of the problem was never addressed.”
The turning point was her husband’s third bout with cancer in 13 years. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy had been prescribed for him twice before, she explained, but “the conventional route didn’t seem to be effective because he kept getting diagnosed with different cancers. The third time, he decided that it not only wasn’t working, but also had detrimental effects physically, mentally and emotionally. He asked me to research and find out if there were natural ways to heal.”
Concurrently, she lost her 24-year-old nephew and eight other family members and friends to cancer in a period of three months.
Diving deep into Qigong and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Tech particularly embraced Qigong, an ancient Chinese exercise of mediation, controlled breathing and flowing movements to enrich the body’s inner energy, or “chi.” The more she learned, the more avidly Tech “wanted to share with the whole world how amazing Qigong is. We are self-healing beings. If we get a cut or break a bone, we will heal.”
Applying that same healing power to cancer “was news to me,” she marveled. “If it’s true that practicing Qigong can be beneficial for healing from cancer, then why wasn’t anyone talking about or doing it? Why wasn’t it on the news? Why didn’t anyone mention it to my best friend, my husband, my nephew or anyone else? Why weren’t more people here in the U.S. practicing Qigong?”
She offers various Qigong classes at Yavapai College, CrossFit Prescott, the Prescott YMCA and privately through her company, Qigong For Health AZ. Her students rave about how Qigong has helped them recover from injuries, lessen pain, increase flexibility, improve balance, breathe better, expand oxygen saturation, sleep sounder, reduce allergy symptoms, alleviate headaches and experience better moods.
“Each story is unique and beautiful, just like the people who participate,” she said. “Everyone is on their own unique journey to health and wholeness. I advocate for them to find their own path without judgements or criticism for themselves or others, and no comparisons.”
Tech relocated to Prescott from Tempe in 1999 because she and her husband wanted to raise their two young boys in a smaller, hometown atmosphere. They appreciated the mountains, mild four seasons, friendly people and outdoor activities.
She says downtime provides a balance. “While I absolutely love what I do, I also need time for self-care. I do that by getting out in nature. I love being near water, so I often visit and hike around our local lakes. Last but not least, I love naps and regularly partake in a 20-minute daily nap to recharge.”
A voracious reader and researcher, Tech said her ultimate dream is to travel the world teaching and sharing Qigong. She’ll begin in 2020 by offering overseas retreats. QCBN
For more information, go to TaraTech.org.
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