I caught up with Pete Larking, who is one of the awesome teachers on the Forest Rock 23 Day – 200 Hour Qigong Teacher Trainings in Ubud, Bali.

Pete’s journey with Chinese Medicine started at 16 years old when he was looking for a healthful alternative to pharmaceuticals to cure his auto immune disease. He runs a clinic in New Zealand and has over 15 years teaching in the industry.

Jemma: How did you get into this profession? What made you choose this path?

Pete Larking: It’s an interesting story actually. I had a sickly childhood with Auto immune disease, and so it was my quest for health led me to Traditional Chinese Medicine and Qigong as I wanted to find health rather than taking pharmaceuticals.

At 16 years old I took an interest in Martial Arts which really exposed me to Chinese culture. I received acupuncture and Chinese medicine which woke my body up energetically, it was quite profound.

From there, I really found home in Chinese culture and Daoist practices. I met a teacher by the name of Tunji who took me under his wing at 19 and trained me up. I dived right in and sunk my teeth into 8 years of learning and healing work, as a result re-wired my whole immune system.

Jemma: Wow. That is so cool. And an inspiring journey of self-healing. So this has been a part of your life for some time?

Pete Larking: Yes indeed. I started training at 19 and then spent my early twenties in training under several teachers in different environments from formal medical education to more monastic spaces and retreats immersing myself in practice. And I have been teaching for 15 years now.

Jemma: That’s so cool that you found your path at such a young age, you must be so full of knowledge.

Pete Larking: You could say that. I have definitely done a lot of research over the years. I travelled India, Japan, China and South East Asia looking at how medicine works in different parts of the world in both formal clinical settings and more traditional community based healing centre’s.

Jemma: That’s amazing. What an adventure! So out of all that knowledge, what do you teach?

Pete Larking: I teach a variety of things as well as treating patients in clinic. Pete and I first joined forces with our skills and knowledge and taught a Taiji Qigong diploma for around 5 years in New Zealand.

On the 30 Day – 200 Hour Qigong Teacher Training retreat next year, I’ll teach 5 phase Qigong, Channel palpation, Chinese medicine theory and touch based therapies.

Jemma: Very cool. That sounds like profound wisdom teachings that will help people to enhance their health and life in many ways.

So I know that your auto immune disease guided you to Chinese Medicine, but did you always think you’d be a healer, teacher and therapist?

Pete Larking: Actually no I didn’t! Prior to healing I was studying music at Jazz school, playing in bands and doing some music teaching.

Jemma: What do you love to do outside of teaching and healing people?

Pete Larking: My hobbies are making music. I enjoy the creative environment of being a musician. I also love being in nature and gain much pleasure in raising my beautiful children. Bringing the quality of Daoism into family life.

Jemma: What is something interesting / weird that many people don’t know about you?

Pete Larking: I am quite good at joinery and building. I built a complete soundproof studio in our garage in New Zealand so I can teach online and keep up my creative pursuits.

Jemma: Cool! An finally, what is your favourite quote?

Pete Larking: “Change is the only constant.”