- Matt Van Dyke, L.Ac. EAMP1405 Fraser St. # 1
Bellingham, WA 98229(360) 466-1800 - Testimonials
Matt is a compassionate healer and truly cares for his patients. He’s thorough to figure out the issues affecting you and goes out of his way to provide the best treatment at each session. He communicates well to understand the underlying issues. He helped me with my Covid vaccine side effects and helped my body to recover. I appreciate all that he’s done for me. It’s too bad that I am leaving B’ham and I hope to find another healer
... Read more »I have been seeing Matt for a couple of months now , since my episode with COVID-19. I have been working on a strange side-effect that had to do with the movement of my right foot. Every visit has been uplifting with progress that I’m sure wouldn’t have been as obvious as it is when I get home after a treatment with Matt. I never knew that acupuncture could yield such dramatic results. Matt is very personable in his approach
... Read more »Matt combines knowledge, experience, professionalism, humility and genuine caring to greatly assist in the restoration and maintenance of health. His clinic is orderly, comfortable and clean! Matt doesn’t rush anything, asking thoughtful questions and he listens with his full focus. Matt is gentle in technique and spirit, and interacting with him is, in itself, calming. His acupuncture treatments have helped my chronic low back pain a lot!
Doug – Ferndale, WA
I feel fortunate to have found Matt and his services. He is very knowledgeable and caring. I see him for acupuncture and herbal support. I have had 2 surgeries in the last year and felt pretty out of whack. Since the treatments started I can sleep 6-7 hours without waking up…which is kind of a miracle for me, especially since one of the reasons for waking up after 3 or so hours was bladder urge. It feels like things are
... Read more »After years of struggling with significant and debilitating lack of energy and trying what felt like everything under the sun with little success, I am back not only to my old self, but to my younger self as well! This after only a little more than a month receiving acupuncture treatments and recently starting Golden Shield Qigong. Matt applies his deep knowledge of Chinese medicine with skill and most importantly, from the heart – a true healer! I am grateful
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Health
Learn Wild Goose Qigong
Taught by Robert Bates and Matt Van Dyke
New Three-Month Class Starting October 6, 2022.
Times, Costs, Location
Dates and times: Friday mornings from 7:30—9 AM
Beginning: Friday, October 6, 2022. Going through Dec 30
Cost: $100 per three-month quarter
Location: Presence Studio on Cornwall Avenue
To Sign Up Contact: Robert Bates at rbbatesdc@comcast.net
-or-
Matt Van Dyke at matt@bellinghamqigong.com
Dayan Qigong/Wild Goose Qigong
The Wild Goose Qigong system contains Chinese longevity exercises and meditations that originated in the Kunlun Mountains of Western China many centuries ago. The system is also known as Kunlun Dayan Qigong. Long a secret, Wild Goose Qigong became widely practiced in China in recent decades and is spreading to the rest of the globe. The exercises represent the daily routine of a wild goose—a bird of longevity, stamina, and high energy—and are effective at helping treat disease, increase energy, improve mental clarity and brain functions, and maintain general fitness. Matt and Robert know more than 20 movement forms in Wild Goose Qigong—several years worth of instruction. In addition, there are some 15 meditations taught in the system and many of these will be taught as well, over time.
Class Progression
Each class consists of warmups, followed by instruction and practice in one or more Wild Goose forms, and ends with a meditation.
The curriculum will be a varied sequence of short and long forms, with a particular focus on the foundational form called The First 64.
Some of these forms are fairly short and can be learned at a basic level in only a few weeks. Other forms are long and complex and take several months to learn the movements. Mastery of some of these forms takes years of practice, as there are many subtle details to incorporate. Wild Goose Qigong is a lifelong practice for health and longevity.
This quarter we will be focusing on the 8 Character Back Stretching Qi Gong, along with the 1st 64 form.
New Students
New students are welcome to join on the first class of each quarter year; that is the first Friday in October, January, April, and July. Qigong experience is useful, but not required
8 Character Back Stretching Qi Gong -八字拔腰功 Bāzì bá yāo gōng
With 14 movements, 8 Character Back & Waist Stretching Qi Gong is a relatively short form in the Wild Goose Goose system. However, like all forms in this system, a little bit goes a long way toward health. This qi gong is designed to open the spine, waist, and hips, allowing for greater circulation throughout the hips and pelvic area and into the legs. With a blend of vigorous shaking and soft movements similar to tai chi, the whole body is invigorated, resulting in greater vitality, more energy, and targeted healing for the back and legs.
Matt Van Dyke, AEMP MQP
Matt Van Dyke is an Acupuncturist, Herbalist, and Qi Gong practitioner clinically focused on maximizing quality of life and longevity. Matt is especially interested in helping to train patients and students to tap into their own innate potential and to facilitate new landscapes of healing. Matt is a student of Dr. Zhang Dong Xun OMD, having studied Jingui Golden Shield Qi Gong and Fit 150 Intended Evolution for the past 20 years. He has been teaching Qi Gong since 2007, both private classes, and at Middle Way Acupuncture Institute. Matt has also studied Dayan Wild Goose Qi Gong with Robert Bates religiously for the last 7 years. Together Matt and Robert have delved deep, studying and practicing over 20 forms and meditations of this vast system.
Robert B. Bates DC, MMQ
Robert is a healer and teacher of healing based in Bellingham, Washington. A 1990 graduate of Southern California College of Chiropractic, he has practiced in Washington State since 1992. He has taught many Qigong courses since 1997. He earned his Master of Medical Qigong certificate in 2001 from Jerry Alan Johnson at the International Institute of Medical Qigong. He has been practicing Wild Goose Qigong since 1999 and has taken Wild Goose classes and workshops from noted teachers Michael Tse, Bingkun Hu, and Paul Li. He currently teaches Medical Qigong at the Middle Way Acupuncture Institute. In addition he teaches workshops in Lymph Drainage Therapy and Fluid Articular Release for the Chikly Health Institute, an international teaching organization based in Arizona.
Summer Solstice
During the summer solstice your yang energy reaches its peak. It is important to harness the peak of this yang energy, because as summer shifts into fall yang energy will decline. This great abundance of yang energy will translate throughout your body because during this season you are active and growing.
According to five element theory, during the summer the organ that receives extra energy is the heart. When the seasons change so do the organs we should focus on in the body. You should focus on the heart during summer. Feed the heart heart-nourishing foods and make sure to remain active so the heart receives positive energy. continue reading
Fighting Flu Season with Acupuncture
While the flu is actually not a season, we have become programmed to think of it as the months of November through March. On average, the flu hospitalizes thousands every year, especially the young and elderly. There are also a number of deaths related to the flu, mostly due to people already having compromised immune systems.
The flu, also known as influenza, is a highly contagious respiratory infection that is caused by a number of viruses. To date, there are approximately 26 to 30 different known strains of the flu virus. This is one of the reasons the flu vaccine has only mild efficacy. The flu vaccine itself, typically only covers five to seven strains of the flu. Symptoms of the flu include fever, coughing, a sore throat, fatigue, muscle aches, pains, runny nose and watery eyes. continue reading
Nutrition for Heart Health OM Nutrition & Hypertension
Oriental medicine (OM) nutrition combines ancient wisdom with modern science. OM nutrition is a holistic approach, which aims to balance all five flavors within most meals with one or two flavors being emphasized for therapeutic purposes. OM nutrition for a hypertension emphasizes bitter flavors, sour flavors and energetically-cooling foods.
OM theory states the bitter flavor benefits the heart in moderation but an excess is harmful as it has a drying effect; for example, coffee is bitter. In moderation coffee acts as vasodilator increasing circulation but in excess it can raise blood pressure and has a diuretic effect. Modern scientific research has discovered while the human genome has 25 bitter taste receptors 12 of these are expressed in the human heart. continue reading
7 Ways to Communicate Healthy Habits to Your Kids
As the school year kicks back into gear so should the healthy habits that you and your children have before practiced. Notice how I said “practiced,” because we all know during the summer-vacation months we tend to indulge a little. Maybe you have had one too many backyard barbecues, or three too many trips to the favorite ice cream shop down the street. Whatever your summer vice may be don’t worry about it, you can regain those healthy habits from before and introduce them into your children’s lives! continue reading