"I have been doing Tai Chi with Devin Osborne on and off for awhile now but recently, within the last 3 months, we have started working to lessen the chronic, debilitating pain of Fibromyalgia. Devin has given me a complete turnaround health wise, healing the body from the inside out. I say that because when the pain comes up now it is only temporary. I am not so overwhelmed and depressed like I had been 3 months ago. I now have the tools/exercises need to help myself feel better, thanks to Devin."

   "I used to take 3 Morphine and 8 Dilaudid for pain. I would also take Ibuprophin when I was in too much pain and the Morphine and Dialudid were not working. This was a daily ritual and every week I had to go to the emergency room at least once. That was because I had taken the maximum amount of medicine so I needed to be monitored by the emergency room doctor whenever I needed more than the maximum doses. My pain level was always between 7 and 10 on a range of 1 to 10. I would be in tears the majority of evenings due to pain."

   "Three months ago Devin began teaching me Qigong to use along with Tai Chi and sending me home with a worksheet until the following class. I questioned the worksheet the first week, but never again. He has me doing exercises that are healing me from the inside out. I can simply do one of the exercises and the pain is either lessened or gone. I get more and more eager to go to class to see what other steps we can do to make me feel better without the use of medicine. I don’t want to start becoming immune to medications."

   "Now I still have good days and bad but the majority are on the better side. I now only use 2 Morphine a day and 2 or 3 times a week 1 Dilaudid as opposed to 3 Morphine and 8 Dialudid per day. I was taking about 50 tablets a week for pain! So in three months time I have cut the medication I was taking by around 80%. I have learned just how far I am able to push the Fibromyalgia and still become pain free within a couple of hours."

  "Devin has given me a whole new outlook on my health. I know if I get in too much pain I can always take my medication, but I attempt all the steps from the weekly worksheet first. With this I become in control of my health and not the medication like it was 3 months ago. My pain level has dropped to a 0 on a good day and up to a 5 on a bad one. That is much better than before. With less pain you have less depression, stress, and the terrible fatigue that are all associated with the illness. Last week I had to walk up 3 flights of stairs and was expecting it to be painful and difficult. When I got to the 3^rd floor I was amazed that I was already there. Before I would have to stop every floor and rest because I would be out of breath and in too much pain. There was no pain and I did not have to stop once! I could not do that 3 months ago."

   "Devin has taught me, and can also lead you in the great path to feeling healthy again. All it takes are the simple exercises he teaches. His approach is much more gentle and effective than physical therapy. I did over 4 months of physical therapy and had to finally give it up because I felt I was not improving and was being injured by the treatment. I would recommend Devin to anyone with Fibromyalgia pain who is willing to live their life to the fullest."

B.

  “For 15 years I had chronic back pain and would take between 3 and 6 pain pills a day.  After 2 months of Tai Chi/Chi Gong classes with Devin my back pain went away, and in the 2 years that I have been practicing Tai Chi and Chi Gong I've only taken pain pills 4 times.”   B

     “I began taking Tai Chi classes when I was forty-seven years old.  I had injured my back playing tennis in my early thirties after being inactive for several years.  I was prescribed physical therapy from my doctor but my back was never the same. As the years when on my back problems increased and I began to get muscle spasms in my back.  My visits to my doctor increased but all I was given was ibuprofen and more physical therapy; neither one helped.  As I tried to get physically fit, I would always end up hurting my back, spraining my ankle, or hurting my knee.  All my symptoms seem to worsen when I became perimenopausal.  I literally felt as if I was carrying my body instead of my body carrying me.  I finally came to the conclusion that my doctors, which included specialists, were not going to help me get better.  I had seen a flyer offering Tai Chi classes so I decided to attend one.” 

    “After practicing Tai Chi for four years, my back problems are gone; I can now exercise without hurting my knee or ankle.  I have more energy, better flexibility and balance.  My posture has improved significantly and I no longer take medication for back pain. I am more aware of my body and how things like posture, thoughts, emotions, and breathing to name a few effect it.  I am also better able to handle stress.” 

      “What’s fascinating is that as you begin healing your body or getting better from whatever is ailing you, you become aware of emotional baggage.  Devin is a great sounding board when emotional issues come up and very helpful in guiding and giving techniques to help you become more aware of the problem and how to resolve it.  Simply put Devin uses Tai Chi to help you resolve your physical and emotional problems and gives you tools to know and understand yourself better.”   R.

  “I feel honored to offer my testimonial for Devin’s website.  When Devin and I first met I felt like a “fat” middle aged woman who was stiff, out of shape and most importantly in pain from a Sciatic nerve condition that was affecting my lower back and hip.  My treatment up to that point solely had consisted of taking a high level of muscle relaxers, and occasional pain pills.  I was also encouraged to use a heating pad on occasion.  The medications worked to mask the pain unless I moved too quickly or experienced fatigue from driving, and then I would have pain again.  I thought I had to resign myself to living with this until some magic day in the future when it might go away.  My Western Medical Doctor while compassionate could not offer me anything else except pharmaceutical medications."

   "My experience with Devin was and still is a remarkable “transformative” working relationship.  Through his guidance and patience with me I started a practice of stretching, breathing, walking, and postures that alleviated my pain.  I am now chronic pain free. The full benefits of my work with Devin include, but are not limited to; increased flexibility, decreased stress, better posture, improved circulation and increased self esteem. On occasion when Devin and I were in a session of work, I can remember when I couldn’t get off of the floor when laying down. Devin would re-assure me that eventually I would be able to so. I just had such a difficult time imagining it.  I am pleased to say that Devin was right.  I can get up from the floor with ease now!  Devin has taught me how to feel good physically and how to further appreciate the Mind-Body connection. I would recommend him to anyone looking for help.”   A.

   “I have been attending Qigong classes with Devin around 4 years now. I would say that he is very knowledgeable and dedicated in his area.  I experience him constantly researching and developing new knowledge and techniques to help to his class participants in better ways. He works with each person individually based on their needs and, physical and emotional health conditions. He follows up and surprisingly remembers every detail of my health conditions over the years. I feel trust and confidence choosing his classes as a source to keep my body/mind healthy and my daily stress level well managed.” B.

     “I have been a student of Mr. Devin Osborne for the past several years. As an instructor, Devin has a very easy going style. He also thoroughly explains the basis for his training and what we expect to accomplish. As a result, he makes the program much more interesting and entertaining.”

     “I can also attest to the benefits of his Tai Chi and other martial arts training programs. The most obvious is the learning of self defense. However, for me the real value has emanated from accomplishing the skills that a good martial artist needs. These include body mechanics, posture, balance, breathing, and focusing the mind. Much of the readily translates to real world situations that have nothing to do with combat.”

     “For example, the same techniques of breathing and meditation that allows one to remain relaxed and focused in the face of a physical onslaught can also be used in other stressful situations like giving a speech or attending a job interview. Similarly, I have found that the work we have done with posture, balance, increased body flexibility and mental focus have also carried major benefits into my golf and tennis games. Lastly, and most significantly, since I have begun my work with Devin on body mechanics and posture I have been virtually free of the lower back pain I used to experience.”   C.

“Tai Chi to me stands for the achievement of inner calmness, happiness, and intuitiveness:”

     “Three years ago when I joined Tai Chi class my one purpose was to get relief from the almost debilitating pain in my back that was the result of a major car accident 2 years prior. According to the doctors my only options were cortisol shots, anti-depressant drugs, and eventually surgery. My refusal to believe that these were my only options is what led me on this amazing journey through what I feel is one of the best disciplines in the world.”

     “Tai Chi is the practice of a routine sequence of movements intertwined with breathing exercises. Tai Chi is also known as walking meditation because the practice of it is what unites the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual to make a person whole.”

     “I was fortunate enough to meet Devin Osborne. He is the one of the most gifted teachers I have ever met. He is perceptive and intuitive and leads and guides us through the complex movements to achieve harmony with different aspects of our being.”

     “The beauty of this discipline is that one can practice at anytime, anywhere without anyone knowing. I have come a long way though I am still learning!”   S.

     “I have practiced various martial arts for a long time now, and while most of the external styles of martial arts look impressive, you can spend years doing repetitive techniques and forms that may or may not have real world application.  Tai Chi, on the other hand, while unimposing on the surface, studies internal principles that you just intuitively know have real world application for self defense and/or health.  All Tai Chi is not the same. Devin has a way and ease about explaining the extraordinary mysteries of these principles and making them understandable.  It is really something to be experienced to be believed.”   G.