McGrew, who was born and raised in New York City, began martial arts studies at age 19 and became fascinated with several forms of internal martial arts.
"As I got older I got into Tai Chi, which brought me to Qigong, and I haven't looked back," said McGrew, who has focused strictly on Qigong (pronounced chee gong) for the past 16 years and studied with Qigong masters in China.
She teaches 13 classes a week in San Diego County and will give a Qigong workshop from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Calavera Hills Community Center in Carlsbad.
The practice of Qigong is used for stress reduction, to enhance the body's natural healing abilities and to increase vitality and awareness of internal energy that furthers the connection between the mind and body.
"Chi" or "Qi" means vital energy or breath, and "Gong"means cultivation or work, translating to "breath work."
McGrew helps students discover their chi through a series of deep relaxation techniques and breathing exercises.
"Everyone needs a way to relax, destress and find inner peace," she said. "When one finds that, one's health improves in all different aspects."
Several forms of martial arts find their roots in Qigong, including acupuncture and Tai Chi.
"Instead of using needles, we do breathing techniques and very gentle movements to relieve the energetic and physical stress on the body,"she said.
The gentle exercises can be done while standing or sitting in a chair."You don't need full mobility to benefit from Qigong. You need the mind's intention," said McGrew, whose students include injured veterans in wheelchairs and patients with severe arthritis, multiple sclerosis and cancer.
McGrew said Qigong was kept secret for centuries in China until several Qigong grandmasters presented modernized version in the 1980s to enhance China's health care system and incorporate Qigong into modern scientific research.
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