Past Series
EFT GROUP TAPPING:
Offered in Series of 3, held every other week. Note that at least three people must RSVP for group to be held.
Upcoming in May: 3, 17 and 31
Each Series: $45
SUMMER SOLSTICE GATHERING: Gather and celebrate the entrance of Summer with Qigong and sharing of the Fire Element: We’ll each bring a favorite tea and a favorite fire-element inspired or summer food, herb or plant to share.
We’ll learn M.E.L.T. Ball Massage; knuckle and palm methods, as well as Qigong techniques to promote Qi flow and flexibility.
FEET on MARCH 15: Foot problems are one of the main mobility problems in older adults. Take care of your feet.
HANDS on MARCH 29: Loss of hand strength is a major concern in older adults. Take care of your hands!
FOR YOUR FEET: We will learn how to help your feet repair and heal –from daily tromping as well as arthritic or other daily pain… as well as what we can do to minimize the wear and tear of aging and athletics. We’ll use M.E.L.T. Hand & Foot Ball Massage (contact us if you don’t already have a set); Self-Massage from Qigong and some Reflexology if we have time.
FOR YOUR HANDS: We will learn how to help your hands repair and heal –from texting and handwork as well as arthritic or other daily pain… We’ll also look at what we can do to minimize the wear and tear of aging and athletics. We’ll use M.E.L.T. Hand & Foot Ball Massage (contact us if you don’t already have a set); Self-Massage and other techniques from Qigong.
MASSAGE BALLS: You will need two small balls: 1″ and 2-2.25″ If you don’t have any, contact me and I can send links to purchase or you can purchase from me (be sure to do this in time to receive them for class!)
SPRING EQUINOX GATHERING: Gather and celebrate the return of Spring with Qigong and sharing of the Wood Element: We’ll each bring a favorite tea and bring a favorite wood-element inspired food, herb or plant to share.
TAO IDEAS & IMAGES: We’ll spend time with some major concepts from Taoist anatomy, philosophy and cosmology that shape our practices, paired with practices that bring the ideas into our breath and body.
Yin & Yang is familiar, but what about Wu Wei, the Pakua (Bagua)… the 4 Celestial Animals and the 5 Elements? Jing, Qi and Shen… The Three Treasures of Heaven, those of Earth and those of Humanity… Then there’s microcosm-macrocosm and returning to your original innocence… Taoism is a 4000 year old tradition and philosophy. I’m not a philosopher and there’s no way to convey all that in an evening. But we will go over ideas that are essential to your Qigong and Tao practice using important images and numbers that recur… and we’ll do a few Qigong to bring them into our body as well. You’ll receive additional materials to dive into after class on additional tools and concepts as well.
QI-WORK: CARING FOR OTHERS:
Class 1:
Energetics of Qi Emission, boundaries and connecting.
Class 2:
Practices to support relaxation and healing for another.
Use your Qigong practices to help a friend! In Class 1 we will learn practices to grow our Qi and transmitting it. But –more importantly– we’ll also learn about connecting, severing Qi connections and maintaining boundaries. You should set aside time to do these practices daily until Class 2 (one week later).
In Class 2, we will learn some ways to use Qi to support, calm and heal another. Simple and safe, we will look at some important “tsubo” or energy points to stimulate, helping another root and ground, brushing and shaking, and gentle Qi emission.
EFT – Emotional Freedom Tapping / Meridian Tapping
Emotional Freedom Tapping is a contemporary western application of TCM’s Meridian Tapping. It is remarkably effective for calming anxiety and stress, but also can go deeper to release old trauma and emotional triggers. In group Tapping we use a technique called “Borrowing Benefits” where we may focus on one volunteer’s issue, but everyone taps, modifying the process to personally benefit. Monthly offering. $15. See “Classes” page for additional information.
Wednesdays Series & Special Offerings~
Taoist Inner Alchemy Practices
(Fusion of the Five Elements)
2 Wednesdays each Month, JANUARY-MARCH
6:30-8:30pm ~ (On Line for Now}
These practices are ancient and special and require previous experience. Because of this, the classes are always small, but there is a minimum registration of 3 people to hold a class.
On Wednesdays I am offering classes that go deeper into the intermediate practices of Neidan, usually known as Inner Alchemy. In Universal Tao, the practice of “Fusion of the Five Elements” begins with 9 Formulae from this alchemy.
January through March we will have a 2-hour class every other Wednesday (more or less). Along with the live practice with plenty of opportunity for questions, you will receive Summary Practice Guides, other support materials and a Guided Audio of the Practice.
We learned Formulae 1 through 4 in the Autumn, which powerfully set an energetic structure or scaffolding that transforms stress and difficult emotions before they manifest… into neutral qi, then high vibrating compassion qi.
In January, February and March, we will first review the practice of Formulae 1-4, then learn the next practices:
January 6: Reviewing Practices 1-4
January 20: Formula 5 “Connecting to your Qi Body”
February 3: Formula 6 “Recruiting the Celestial Animals”
February 17: Formula 7 “Gathering Earth Forces”
March 3: Formuls 8 “Calling in Planets & Stars”
March 17: Formula 9 “Cultivating Depth in your Qi Body”
To get the most out of these sometimes complex, always powerful, practices, it is advisable that you know the foundation practices of Universal Healing Tao:
~Inner Smile
~6 Healing Sounds
~Microcosmic Orbit
If you have experience in other traditions or lineages and wish to try these practices, feel free to email me and we can figure out together if these are a good fit for you.
Class Size, etc.:
I require at least 3 people registered at least 2 days beforehand to hold a class. I cannot offer refunds if a class is missed, but I will record them and you can “attend” the class on video afterward. I also offer a 15 minute Q&A with anyone missing the class as well.
Past Inner Alchemy Classes and Special Events~
“Calling Forth the Planets’ and Stars’ Forces
to Empower and Protect”
at the New Moon before Winter Solstice
December 14 6:30-8:30pm
In honor of, and to prepare for the darkness and cold (energetic if not physical) of Winter, we will practice Formula 8 of Fusion of the Five Elements… and bring to us, into us the elemental energies of the 5 Ancient Planets (that could be viewed before high powered optics)… Each Planet is governed by and offers up one of the 5 Energies:
Mercury: Water
Mars: Fire
Saturn: Earth
Venus: Metal
Jupiter: Wood
Adding to these, the purple light of the North Star and the Red Light of the Big Dipper, we are centered, strengthened and aligned with the season to come.
October 21 & 28
Inner Alchemy Formulas 4 and 5
Usually the “Fusion of Five Elements” is taught in 3 full day intensives… and then you’re on your own… But in the past these 9 Formulas were taught over time allowing for your connection, digestion and struggle with the practice while having support of the teacher.
The first three Formulas are unique and lay important groundwork for the later formulas, yet offer deep tools for transformation on their own.
Formula 4: Using intention, visualization and breath, we Draw out our Organ (Elemental) Energy that will manifest as detrimental stagnation and ‘difficult emotions’. We then combine and balance them into a powerful “Neutral Qi Energy” that can nourish any part of us and further grow our internal harmony. In this Formula we continue to move energies that reside in our Yin organs into their Collection Spaces (in our body). Once nice and plump, we combine them in our Bagua and Alchemically create our harmonious neutral Qi… and then circle it around our Microcosmic Orbit with our Pearl.
Formula 5: Once we have cleared out some of our difficult emotional energy in Formula 4, we have the internal space to collect and work with our Wisdom Qi Energies. It is these energies we use to create our “Compassion Pearl” that we continue to create and use in all the following Inner Alchemical Formulas.
After this Series of Two Classes, we will shift for a while to Inner Alchemy Practice Gatherings. These can be attended by anyone familiar with Fusion of the Five Elements from any Teacher.
September 2, 9 & 16
Inner Alchemy Formulas 1, 2 and 3
Usually the “Fusion of Five Elements” is taught in 3 full day intensives… and then you’re on your own… But in the past these 9 Formulas were taught over time allowing for your connection, digestion and struggle with the practice while having support of the teacher.
The first three Formulas are unique and lay important groundwork for the later formulas, yet offer deep tools for transformation on their own.
Formula 1: Using intention, visualization and chanting we imprint the Pakua/Bagua onto and into our bodies. Often referred to as “Tatooing,” it is even more because we set them in motion. These spinning Bagua build in us an energetic scaffolding and framework that transform our subtle body. We use them to attract and draw toward us the energies of the earth and the cosmos. We use them to draw out sullied Elemental energy from organs and combine and neutralize it so that we can use it for balance and vitality. And we use them to work with the later formulas as well.
Formula 2: In this Formula we Balance our Organ (Elemental) Energy to grow our internal harmony. In this Formula we move the various energies that reside in our Yin organs into their Collection Spaces (in our body). Once nice and plump, we combine them in our Bagua and Alchemically create our harmonious neutral Qi… and then move it around our Microcosmic Orbit with our Pearl.
Formula 3: In Formula 3 we connect our senses back to their Mother Organ (i.e., drawing our Hearing energies back into our Kidneys). Especially crucial in our culture now with so much sensory overload, this practice takes excess or ragged Qi left in our overused sense organs and returns it to it’s source to be settled and balanced.
We may continue on to the next three formula in the next Wednesday series, or we may stay with these to repeat and review after you have a couple weeks to practice.
August 12 ~ 6:30 – 8:30pm
Star Stepping with the Perseids
A type of “Advanced Microcosmic Orbit,” Star Stepping uses your luminous Pearl to tether you to the Earth and Earth energies then travel upward. We will draw our Pearls up into the “cloud” of Asteroid rocks and dust that we’re passing through this month… honoring these very long term visitors (the first reference to them dates to 36 CE)… Then on to connect with the Moon, then Saturn, then to the Big Dipper. Here we imprint each of the Big Dipper’s stars –by name– into our Orbit… using that to draw this ancient star light, star chi into us… Finally we reach to the North Star before returning, step by step to our Ground and our body… to circulate it all in our Microcosmic Orbit.
Open to anyone familiar with the Microcosmic Orbit meditation.