Ping Huang   |   USA

No one can tell that I was once a Parkinson’s disease patient. As further evidence of my dramatic turnaround, I lead Energy Bagua in the park.

I worked the nightshift at a post office from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. My nocturnal lifestyle resulted in constant fatigue. Consequently, my health started showing signs of deterioration. My movements slowed down. At first, I didn’t pay much attention. But in 2007, I visited my doctor and was told that I had Parkinson’s disease. I was devastated and terrified.

Multiple Sorrows

Two years later, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. It was 160mmHg. (Note: A healthy blood pressure reading for an adult is below 120 mmHg for systolic and 80 mmHg for diastolic.) In 2011, my irregular sleep pattern took a further toll and I began to suffer severe insomnia. To compound my woes, after undergoing three operations to get rid of a spur, I continued to suffer severe pain. My body weakened and my Parkinson’s-related symptoms became more intense. My body was stiff and my muscles taut. I had to consume various medications every day for Parkinson’s disease, high blood pressure, insomnia, and pain.

My hands and legs were weak and trembling. I had to walk with small steps to avoid falling. I was so susceptible to falling that I had to be cautious about the amount of strength I used: Excessive use of force to, for example, open my fridge door or get out of the car would cause me to fall. I couldn’t stand up from a seated position. I relied on a walking cane and had to be extremely careful on the roads and in crowded places. Due to this inconvenience, I stayed at home most of the time. My days were spent weeping and feeling depressed. Thoughts of suicide ran rampant in my head. 

Seeing Results

At my wits’ end, I came to Bai Lian Bodhi Meditation Center, California, in May 2015, accompanied by my husband. In July, I joined the 8.5-Day Health & Happiness Retreat. Initially, my legs were so weak that I couldn’t stand. My body ached to the extent that I had to sit on a chair to practice The Meditation of Greater Illumination. I tried sitting on a meditation cushion but two people were required to lift me up from it. Seeing the persistence of other practitioners, I was determined to persevere for the sake of my health and wellness.  

I experienced results toward the end of the retreat. I could stand to practice The Meditation of Greater Illumination and was able to walk an hour of Energy Bagua, and I could get up from a meditation cushion by myself. The growing strength in my legs also meant I could get out of the car without assistance. My sleeping hours doubled from three to almost seven hours a night without the aid of sleeping pills.

At a retreat in August, I could stand to practice meditation for a total of seven hours. During the Bodhi Meditation Second Level Retreat in September, my health leapt forward again. I was blessed with spontaneous fasting, losing 20 pounds (9 kilograms), dropping from 180 pounds (81 kilograms) to 160 pounds (72 kilograms). I felt lighter and more agile. My body didn’t react negatively when I stopped taking medications for high blood pressure, pain and depression. (Editor’s note: Bodhi Meditation does not advocate reduction or discontinuation of medication and treatment without seeking a doctor’s advice.) My blood pressure dropped to a normal range.

Daily Practice

My daily practice includes The Meditation of Greater Illumination, Energy Bagua and full prostration. As my health continues to show improvement and I can move with ease without a cane, I am consumed with joy and happiness.

No one can tell that I was once a Parkinson’s disease patient. As further evidence of my dramatic turnaround, I lead Energy Bagua in the park. It is beyond my imagination that a person once deemed incurably sick could become healthy and get a new lease on life through three years spent with Bodhi Meditation.