An Honest Conversation about Qi Gong Tuition and Earning Potential

As I prepare to begin this year’s marketing, my attention has been on the business side of things.

As a teacher of Qi Gong teachers and Medical Qi Gong therapists, I sometimes wrestle with the ‘money stuff.’

I ask myself, “Am I holding and sharing this sacred medicine in a good way – an ethical way?”

Am I going to focus on making a living in the short term or building an international community of people sharing an approach to Qi Gong that meets the needs and worldview of modern Human beings?

I want to build a community that stands on the shoulders of countless generations of people holding and passing on monastic, martial, and/or shamanic lineages of devoted and specialized Qi Gong/Dao Yin/Nei Gong practice, interpreted through the lens of modern science and modern life.

I am hoping to move away from a medical career, and back to a teaching career – traveling and sharing my life’s work and the skills I am personally the most passionate about.

How do I decide on fair compensation for my time and expertise?

What is the value of future economic opportunities for my students (possibly the rest of their lives)?

What is the value of being part of a community that will continue to be associated with ‘Gong’ – the competence and effectiveness of teachers, of being trauma-informed, of training skills that are rooted in tradition and confirmed with clinical research?

What is the social credibility value of the above, plus the confidence people will have knowing you were taught by the author of several Qi Gong books – one that they may have read?

I am hopeful that publishing much of the course material will inspire people to find teachers of those skills. For many people new to Qi Gong, that would have immense value.

Sure, it is easy to say money is a form of energy, but it is also a representation of time – a finite resource. In asking for tuition, I am asking people to take the value of their time to generate that amount of money on the assumed possibility of not only recovering that tuition but also generating a significant part-time monthly income – or a full-time career.

Having the business side of things on my mind, I have been doing a lot of math.

I have been looking around the world at what is available. I feel like this is a good time to have this kind of conversation.

I would encourage you to compare this Qi Gong and Medical Qi Gong Therapy system with other teacher training programs. (please look into just Qi Gong teacher training courses and show me what you find). I have looked around and found that I am offering the most live, interactive (Q&A), and individual time of any course available.

There are several that are twice as expensive (or more – my prices are in Canadian dollars) and take about 3 months to complete, with little or no contact with the ‘teacher’.

That honestly terrifies me. Modern Yoga has become so watered down and sexualized that it is almost unrecognizable from the classic writings of long ago. What if Qi Gong is allowed to become a silly pantomime instead of a life-long immersive journey into Embodied Awareness?
A potentially terrifying loss to the world – and to human health.

So, here are the prices (and discounts) for all of the courses that I offer – as of 2024

If you are already a student, this will not affect any courses you have already registered for.

These increases in tuition will happen on November 15^th 2023

https://somadaoqigong.com/200-hour-traditional-qi-gong-teacher-training/

If you are planning to join the Phase One – 200-Hour Teacher Training Program, the cost is $1,888 ($1416 USD).

You save $334 by registering early.

We are always looking for scholarships. If you want to support another person’s journey, please reach out.

Reasonable Expectations for a Qi Gong Teacher

What is your Earning Potential as a Qi Gong teacher?

Part-time or full-time – depends on your willingness to make yourself ‘locally famous and online famous’ in a consistent and professional way.
If you teach 3 groups and fill each with 20 people – that is usually 6 classes per week (different locations or online – 2 hours per week per group). That is about 8 hours of your time per week. Your students get 8-9 classes for $100 per month – plus whatever perks you choose to include.
That alone is $6,000 per month before expenses.

It will take a while to build that kind of social/local/online credibility. Being part of a community like Soma Dao (ancient roots, trauma-informed, clinical evidence, esoteric/spiritual practices) will improve people’s confidence.

If that seems unlikely, three smaller classes should still generate $3,000 per month.

You could also offer free/by donation local/online classes to fill more specialized webinars ($500 per month) to fill weekend workshops (take home for a weekend is usually between $3,000 and $8,000).

Offering private lessons (say 5 per week) is also a great way to generate word of mouth. At first, a lower fee of $60 per hour is fair. That is still $1,200 per month.

If you are an inspired Entrepreneur – You could commit to offering Five classes per week, which would take about twenty hours a week of your time (20 people, 5 classes, 100 per month – $10,000 per month), plus a few local/online webinars workshops ($500 per month) and private students ($60 per hour – ten per week – $2,400 per month). That is 30 hours of gentle play and going from class to class each week.
One weekend workshop per season adds another $20,000 per year (a low average).

Potential Monthly Income: $4,000 – $14,000 per month

Qi Gong Teacher and Private/Group Health Consultant

With the extra knowledge base in therapeutic Qi Gong, TCM and evolutionary nutrition, exercise, strength and tensegrity, postural alignment, joint rehab, breathwork, meditation, Floor work, core rehab, and the rare and powerful practice of Nei Gong, you will have much greater social credibility and options for how you arrange your career.

Given all of the classes you can now teach – You could commit to offering Five classes per week, which would take about twenty hours a week of your time (20 people, 5 classes, 100 per month – $10,000 per month).

As a Qi Gong consultant – Offering private (small group) lessons is something you are trained to do. A fee of $100 per hour is reasonable now that you are teaching a therapeutic or enhancement skill that is unique to their needs. Ten professional clients a week is $4,000 per month.

You could also offer 2 specialized webinars ($1,000 per month).  They help fill classes, and weekend workshops and inspire people to become personal clients.
An intensive (maybe in Costa Rica) a couple of times a year ($18,000) and a weekend workshop per season (another $18,000 per year).

Potential Monthly Income: $8,000 – $18,000 per month

(or $96,000 to $216,000 per year)

It may take a few years to go from a full-time wage (teaching Qi Gong 10 – 30 hours per week) to a highly successful self-employed professional – but it is highly probable if you are devoted to your practice, your students and clients, and your professional brand.

As a Medical Qi Gong Teacher and Therapist

Now you are a teacher, a professional consultant, and a clinician!

You can now treat (in some ways) chronic and acute illnesses, spiritual emergencies, the lifelong impacts of trauma, the gripping agony of addiction, and many kinds of chronic pain. In many ways, what you will be offering will be more effective than most other options. Hands-on, interactive, old-school Medical Qi Gong treatments can be life-changing, profoundly personal journeys through many layers of Being.

This is a skill that you can share for the rest of your life. Why worry about retirement when you could focus on a skill that only gets better with age? Healing others in this way is almost certain to extend your life and health-span, and more importantly, the joyous generosity, sincerity, and vitality you will experience after decades of practice.

Medical Qi Gong therapy generally has three treatment approaches, each depending on the challenge at hand. Some protocols only involve a few treatments, some require 5 – 10 treatments, and for complex trauma, treatment can last from a few months to up to two years.

As I describe these different kinds of treatment, I will also create a potential weekly treatment schedule focused on a healthy balance between making money and not getting burned out. It will also include teaching some public classes, webinars, and workshops.

Crisis management patients 1 – 6 sessions (average per patient is four – This includes 1 @ 90 minutes – assess and treat at $200, then 3 or more follow-up treatments for tissue/organ, meridian, dan tian repair sessions 150 per hour. Usually sold as a package $600 ($50 discount for prepaying).
These are usually short-term clients. If you committed to seeing six crisis patients per week (1 day) this kind of Medical Qi Gong keeps you on your toes, and keeps many skills active, but more intensive work) $3,600 per month.

Inner Landscape – Mapping and RestoringIncludes 5 – 10 sessions weekly (average is 2 months)
Sold as a package: Includes a 90-minute assessment treatment – @$200–, 2 guided sessions for their personal practice @$150, then 6-10 Inner Landscape sessions (usually 90 minutes) @$200.
If you commit 1 day a week – 6 hours a day, to supporting people with these needs, your income would be approximately:
(4 patients @$200, 1 days per week x4 weeks) $3,200 per month.

Long-Term System Assessment, Appreciation, Regulation, and Restoration People with complex and chronic conditions of ten require weekly or bi-weekly treatments for several months – sometimes two years.

Some people come to a medical Qi Gong therapist just to refine their Qi Gong practice.

If you commit 2 days a week – 6 hours a day, to supporting long-term needs, your income would be approximately: (4 patients @$200, 2 days per week x4 weeks) $6,400 per month.

You are now making $13,000 a month, working four days a week, 6 hours a day.

Given all of the classes you could teach from the above phases of training, and given that, as a Medical Qi Gong Therapist you will have very large classes, full webinars, and weekend workshops.

You could commit to offering two or more groups per week, which would take about 6 hours a week of your time (only 4 classes per week (2 groups) just before your clinic day, 100 per month – $6,000 per month).

Add an evening class (2/week) and increase your income by another $3,000 per month.

You could also offer 2 specialized webinars ($1,000 per month).  They help fill classes, and weekend workshops, and inspire people to become personal clients.
An intensive (maybe in Costa Rica) a couple of times a year ($18,000) and a weekend workshop per season (another $18,000 per year).
Being a teacher in modern life asks you to teach classes, run an advertising agency, make connections, rent spaces, and pay taxes. Some of your income will naturally go to making you more efficient.

If you are willing to build a ‘brand’ (with a connection to mine) by teaching classes, doing seminars, offering some free initial consultations, offering webinars, and generating some word of mouth – you could easily have a 6 figure income for the rest of your life.

Potential Monthly Income: $12,500 (worst case) – $23,000 per month

(or $150,000 to $276,000 per year)

That all looks great on paper, but the challenge of running a business is the same for everyone.
A part of this training (Level Three) is about how to start and run your business.