For over a decade, a quiet revolution has been taking place within the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)—one rooted in ancient mindful movement rather than modern pharmaceuticals. In a recent in-depth interview, National Qigong Association (NQA) President Clayton Crosley sat down with me to discuss his groundbreaking work bringing Tai Chi & Qigong to veterans, his journey of recovering from injuries, and the systemic pathways now opening up for holistic instructors across the country.
A Personal Healing Journey
Crosley’s path to becoming a passionate advocate for Qigong began out of necessity. A 10-year veteran of the U.S. Army, Crosley later suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder that required surgery at the VA. Following the procedure, however, he was given no physical therapy and told to expect a year-long recovery.
Frustrated by the prognosis, Clayton turned to the internet, where he discovered a video by John Munro founder of Long White Cloud Qigong in New Zealand. Through self-paced remote learning and joint rotations, he shaved his expected recovery time in half, regaining full range of motion and strength in just over six months.
Inspired by Munro’s generous teaching philosophy—operating on a “give freely, receive freely” basis—Crosley decided to pay it forward. He began volunteering at the VA clinics in Savannah and Hinesville, Georgia, offering classes to veterans dealing with physical ailments, stress, and trauma. What started as an empty room on a Monday morning eventually blossomed into more than a decade of dedicated service, accumulating over 2,000 volunteer hours across VA clinics and even expanding to veterans incarcerated in the Chatham County Jail.
Bridging the Gap: Tai Chi and Qigong as Whole Health Care
The VA system is the largest integrated medical system in the United States, serving 9 million enrolled veterans. Recognizing the immense physical and psychological toll of military service, the VA integrated Complimentary Integrative Health (CIH) services into its broader “Whole Health” program. Under this initiative, Tai Chi and Qigong are formally categorized under CIH therapies.
Crosley explained that many veterans initially approach the practice with healthy skepticism. To bridge the gap, he translates traditional energetic concepts into concrete, relatable terms.
“When I start to talk about energy, I talk about how your body emits a thermal heat signature—if not, the military wouldn’t buy night vision goggles,” Clayton shared. “Your nervous system runs on electricity, which creates a magnetic field. We have bio-electrical-magnetic energy, and our moving fluids act much like hydraulic activity.”
This grounded approach has helped veterans achieve remarkable breakthroughs. Crosley has witnessed stroke survivors recover their balance and gait at accelerated rates, and individuals find relief from chronic conditions like Parkinson’s disease. Beyond physical rehabilitation, veterans utilize the practices to manage high anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and chronic pain. One memorable student achieved a two-year goal just to regain enough leg strength and stability to ride his Harley-Davidson motorcycle once again.
Creating Paid Pathways for Instructors
While Crosley dedicated thousands of hours to unpaid volunteer work, a major hurdle for the Tai Chi and Qigong community has been getting compensated while working for the veterans inside the VA’s official infrastructure.
Through the VA’s Community Care Network, veterans who cannot access specialty care directly can receive referrals to see approved external providers for up to 30 visits a year. Capitalizing on this, Crosley and the NQA leadership spent years laying down professional development frameworks so that qualified instructors can receive paid referrals to work with veterans.
The United States VA system is divided between two major third-party administrators for the Community Care Network: Tri West (primarily covering the West) and Optum (covering the East of the Rockies).
- Tri West Region: Resources, paperwork guides, and pathways are already fully established and accessible to NQA professional members.
- Optum Region: The NQA is currently undergoing an intensive audit and credentialing process with Optum, aiming to secure delegation of credentialing authority. This milestone would allow the NQA to help vet and streamline instructors in eastern states smoothly into the network.
Equipping Instructors to Understand Military Culture
Working with veterans requires a deep sense of empathy and cultural awareness. To ensure instructors are fully prepared, the NQA provides guidance on optional, free training modules hosted on VA platforms. These courses cover critical topics such as:
- Military culture
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Opioid addiction awareness
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Military sexual trauma
- Suicide awareness and prevention
Clayton emphasizes that while these courses aren’t mandatory prerequisites to teach, they make providers infinitely more informed and effective when dealing with the realities many veterans face.
The Power of Community
Reflecting on his years of teaching, Crosley highlights an aspect of practice that clinical studies often fail to capture: the profound social dynamic of the group. Whether meeting weekly online or in person, the ritual of gathering creates a communal bond that carries immense therapeutic value. For many veterans, these weekly classes offer a safe haven, consistency, and a shared sense of camaraderie that heals both body and mind.
For Qigong professionals interested in joining this national mission, the pathway requires an NQA professional-level membership (which includes 150 hours of documented formal training). Interested instructors can reach out directly to the NQA leadership at credentialing@nqa.org to access resources, guidance, and the next steps toward serving those who have served. For more information how Qigong helps veterans, you can click this link