Program Host: Vicki Dello Joio
February 12, 2026
8:30 – 9:30 PM Eastern
Shen, Spirit. Qigong teachers and TCM practitioners often refer to “Shen.” We see Shen as “a light behind the eyes.” Shen, a sign of one’s emotional and mental state of health. Shen is tied to the heart-mind and our ability to make meaningful connections, find balance, and to guide us in our daily lives.
What if we consider the other Yin organs: the liver, lungs, kidneys, and spleen? Emotions are linked to each organ. We can animate these mind-body connections with spiritual essences, the Five Spirits, or Wu Shen. The Five Spirits embody the understanding that our bodies, mental activities, emotions and spiritual expressions are all integrated facets of our lives.
Brian will introduce the Five Spirits and how they have played an integral part in his journey through life which most recently includes cancer diagnoses and treatments. His own experiences have inspired him to practicing with other cancer patients. Additionally, the Five Spirits have resonated with people in addiction recovery programs, and those receiving palliative and hospice care.
Brian Cook’s Qigong journey began as a young boy pretending to be a crane flying across the school playground. That didn’t bode well with the other boys. Now as an adult, Brian unabashedly flies like a crane, swims like a dragon, and steals fruit like a cheeky monkey in parks around the Denver metro area. He’s reclaimed his crane.
Brian is a certified Qigong instructor leading practices in parks along the front range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. His practices are open to all interested, irrespective of their previous experience. He also focuses on practices that support cancer patients, at-risk youth, people in addiction recovery programs, and in nursing homes. He is a licensed massage therapist dedicated to integrating mind-body approaches from the East and the West. Brian is a retired classical musician and a dreamer, always a dreamer.
