About John Neff, D.Mn.

John has taught Qigong and related body-mind-spirit practices to thousands of people over more than 25 years. He has developed and directed holistic wellness programs for hospitals, businesses, universities, wellness centers, and internationally for the US Air Force, Army, and Navy. His doctorate is in Holistic Education and his programs have received national awards and recognition.

Qigong enabled John to overcome many years of severe Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and related illnesses. He discovered the extraordinary powers of self-healing through body, heart, mind and spirit methods – ways of regenerating empowered life out of disease and darkness. His passion is enabling and supporting people to live their full aliveness.

John also served as Teacher Training Adviser for the Chi Center and Wisdom Healing Foundation located at the Institute of Noetic Sciences in California. Working directly with Master Mingtong Gu, he co-developed a Teacher Training program for the Chi Center and mentored qigong teachers-in-training.

John has trained in and taught a variety of Qigong forms and is certified as:
• Integral Tai Chi and Qigong Teacher,
• Integral Tai Chi and Tai Chi Easy Teacher
• Integral Energetics Teacher
(All the above programs occurred with Dr Roger Jahnke, O.M.D. , at the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi in Santa Barbara, CA.)
• Instructor of Wisdom Healing Qigong with Master Mingtong  Gu of the Chi Center, Petaluma, CA.
• Board Certified Coach: Center for Credentialing and Education: Greensboro, North Carolina
• Circle of Life Coach, Health Action, Santa Barbara, CA
• Breema Instructor and Practitioner, Oakland, CA
• Ordained minister, UCC
• Doctorate in Integrative Education, PSR at Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA
• Ongoing Qigong, Tai Chi, Meditation training with neigong / internal systems of Taoist Lineage Holder Bruce Frantzis at Energy Arts and Supreme Science founder Jeff Primack, and more recently with Paul Cavel and Michael Winn.

John has been coaching individuals for over 25 years and is a certified coach of Circle of Life: a nationally prominent holistic health and wellness coaching system, that integrates Qigong practices. John is also a certified instructor and practitioner of Breema with over 20 years of practice. Breema is an in-depth and comprehensive system incorporating Breema bodywork, Self-Breema exercises, Breema principles, and integral practices which all center on the “Art of Being Present” in moment-to-moment daily life.

John founded and directed a large scale Outdoor Wellness Program and Training Center for the US Air Force, Army, and Navy that received many awards over a 10 year period. As a nationally certified whitewater kayaking instructor (ACA) and nationally certified back country ski guide and instructor (PSIA), he led a wide variety of year-round adventures on western rivers and in the Northern Rocky mountains, helping participants deepen their connection with nature, themselves, and each other. He also trained as a Wilderness Rites of Passage Vision Quest Guide and led 12 day programs in the California Sierra, incorporating 4 day water-only fasts.

John received a doctorate in Integrative Education from Pacific School of Religion at The Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA, where he served as Adjunct Faculty and coach / spiritual guide for graduate students. In the 1990’s he led the Integral Transformative Practice (ITP) program of Berkeley, CA and worked directly with Michael Murphy and George Leonard of Esalen Institute, “fathers of the human potential movement”.  He was ordained as a UCC minister and in the 1980s served a variety of communities with a specialized ministry of body-mind-spirit education.

Since mid-2012, John has served as a founding board member of the North Central Washington Integrative Health Network (www.ncwihn.com).

He lives with his wife, Jamie, in the town of Leavenworth amidst the Cascade mountains and rivers of North Central Washington.