INTERVIEW WITH KIM IVY

Kimberly Ivy is the founder of Embrace The Moon Taijiquan & Qigong in Seattle, WA, a thriving school of practitioners of all ages, skill & fitness levels. Embrace The Moon has been a focus in the Seattle community for 15 years successfully integrating both Western & Eastern methods of learning within an optimistic & supportive environment. The school offers study in the entire spectrum of Tai Chi & Qigong: health, martial skill, meditation, and overall self-development as well as Instructor Training. Embrace The Moon is also active in Corporate Wellness programs offering consulting, program develoment & teacher placement for a variety of modern needs. Kimberly has been training in the martial and internal martial arts for 32 years. She is certified in several different Qigong forms by notable teachers Don Leathers, Professor Chen, Hui Xian & Sifu Gaspar Garcia for the Hands of the 18 Luohan. Kimberly is a 20th Generation disciple of Chen Grandmaster Chen, Xiao Wang and is ranked 5th Duan by the International Wu Shu Association. She is also certified in Hatha yoga, holds black belt rankings in Judo and Aikido and was a National Bronze Medal Winner at the 1997 “A Taste of China" in Yang Taijiquan forms. Kim has developed several programs for those with special health concerns including Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease in association with Swedish Medical Center, The Center for Comprehensive Care, the Aveda Corporation and the Northwest Institute of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, Bastyr University among others, and she maintains associations with hospitals, clinics, and individual health care professionals in the Seattle area. She also collaborated with Group Health on a National Institute of Health grant studying Taijiquan, massage, meditation, and back pain, writing and implementing the first protocol studying Taijiquan within this framework.