TAO Journal Report

Inner

Q uest

The Monthly Tao Journal Special Report

Tao Meditation Tao + Energy Arts Tree-part Article Series: By Ladder or Lattice? How to Build Your Y our Foundation Foundation Te Art of Microcosmic raining Te 5 Keys to Unlocking the Nei Gong System

Paul Cavel, Editor

IQ: Introduction Introduc tion to t o Tao Tao Arts Ar ts Training Training

Dear Student of the Tao,

Since 1995, I've taught Tao meditaon and energy arts to share ancient wisdom with the modern age that can help people relax, increase their state of health, achieve their personal goals, and enjoy a beer quality of life. My courses are based in Islington, London, although you can nd me teaching seminars in Cologne and Stugart, Germany and retreats in Andalucía, Spain. For those who want to train in-depth to create posive change, I have 18 years experience in helping high performing indi viduals realise their potenal with one-to-one coaching. I created the Tao Arts School and online resource centre (see www.CircleWalking.com for www.CircleWalking.com for anyone interested in growing their understanding of or personal development through Tao meditaon and en ergy arts—regardless of your current state of health, previous training experience, or reasons for studying. I found out for myself how powerful these exercises can be aer sustaining serious injuries from a mo torcycle accident in the 1980s that le me limping and unable to carry out daily acvies without pain and discomfort. My own healing jour ney led me to a passion for helping people gain insight into how to culvate their mind, body and qi energy in ways that are eecve and ef cient, yet safe and sustainable. My aim is to provide you with the most in-depth, quality live training available, as well as educaonal tools to support your ongoing pracce on your own to achieve anything in life you deem worth pursuing.

The following three arcles will give you a base knowledge of the potenal results you can achieve from Tao meditaon and internal en ergy arts pracces, as well as the training protocols I recommend to achieve best results—whether you train for maral power, power, health, heal ing or meditaon. If you have any quesons or wish to provide feedback, please email my team at [email protected]. Keep your pracce alive and well, and it’ll do the same for you.

Paul Cavel, Editor

© 2013 Paul Cavel. All rights reserved.

Page 2

IQ: Introduction to Tao Arts Training

By Ladder or Lattice?

How to Build Your Foundation in ao Meditation & Energy Arts (Part I) © i s t o c k p h o t o / k i r s t y p a r g e t e r

The sheer depth and complexity of the nei gong system, with each of its 16 components represenng cosmic potenal for developing the mind, body and qi, aracts many people to train Tao meditaon and energy arts. The mysterious 4,000-year-old tradion that roots these enigmac results in concrete, tangible and systemac training techniques makes it all the more alluring.

However, many students apply a leapfrog tacc to internal Tao arts training as they jump from one pracce to another with out deepening skill in any aspect before moving on to the next. Others employ a linear, step-by-step methodology that precludes them from catalysing their understanding of interconnected levels of nei gong science and, therefore, simply do not move forward. Such strategies are precisely why true embodiment and realisaon of more advanced internal development has alluded all but a few.


What Is Nei Gong?

All Tao meditaon and energy arts are based on nei gong science, which dictates that there are 16 essenal energy exercises responsible for generang internal power for health, healing, maral arts and meditaon. Click here to see the list of 16 nei gong.

Page 3

IQ: Introduction to Tao Arts Training On the other hand, approaching Tao arts with the same spherical training progression that is inherent to its composion allows students to exploit real and mullayered benets—all that makes dedicated pracce worthwhile.

Entering a Circle without a Beginning or an End Beginning a Tao arts pracce imbued with nei gong content conjures up a well-known conundrum of a chicken and an egg. Most students inially become interested in the internal energy arts through tai chi since its 300-year-old reputaon of remarkable health and healing properes in the East has slowly begun to saturate the West. However, few understand the nei gong-form relaonship, where nei gong is the tech nology responsible for tai chi’s power generang and associated health benets (which is also true for all other internal energy arts forms). So although tai chi is most certainly capable of producing desired results—maral prowess, vitality, healing and/or meditaon— it can cost students lost me and eort if not rmly embedded in rudimentary, albeit less popular, nei gong training. Upon aending your rst college course, you may indeed have in mind that you wish to aain a PhD. Regardless, you must rst sasfy prerequisite requirements to embark on any eld of study and earn the associated bach elor’s degree. And, even before being accepted into a university, some level of basic educaon is required. Literacy and mathemacs, for example, will gure to some degree in every class, and may also become highly specialised studies unto themselves. Likewise, a training hierarchy exists within Tao arts pracces where tai chi and bagua constute PhD programmes and the bulk of qi gong sases an undergraduate de gree. Fundamental nei gong techniques serve as a basic educaon and introducon into your studies, dictated by principles of

simple, gentle and repeve movement that evolve into mullayered components, eventually mixing together in endless paerns to create all formwork (i.e. qi gong sets, tai chi styles and bagua palm changes). Most component pieces become common to all pracces while others are unique to only one or a few.

n o i x a r E / o t o h p k c o t s i ©

What Is Qi Gong? Qi gong is the Chinese name for “internal energy exercise”, which engage the body and

boost the body’s energy levels through low-impact, targeted movements based on the science of nei gong.

Overview of Medical + Five Element Qi Gong You could think of qi gong as having three broadly dened levels (see Figure 1 on p. 5), which are: • Beginning or foundation practices • Intermediate or power-production practices • Advanced or integration practices In the Energy Arts System, the three levels would generally correspond to the following qigong programmes: • Foundation—medical qi gong,

Water Element Qi Gong and Wood Qi Gong • Power-production —Fire Element

and Metal Element Qi Gong • Integration—Earth Element Qi Gong

In ancient mes, the learning progression dictated aptude at each previous level before embarking on study of the next, more complex, dicult and complete level of training. That is beginning qi gong sets would be developed over several years before


Page 4


Integraon

Earth Element Qi Gong

Power-producon

Foundaon

Fire Element Qi Gong

Water Element Qi Gong

Metal Element Qi Gong

Medical Qi Gong

Wood Element Qi Gong

Figure 1 Tree Levels of Nei Gong raining The three levels of nei gong—foundaon, power producon and integraon— correspond to Five Elementy Qi Gong sets with the introductory sets overlapping beginning and intermediate levels, and power-producon sets overlapping intermediate and advanced levels. Earth Element Qi Gong encompasses training on all three levels, from beginning to advanced.

progressing to intermediate sets, where once again you would spend many years before moving on to advanced sets. Tradionally, students devoted decades to learning tenets of Tao meditaon and energy arts. The only excepons to the training hierarchy occurred in the case of special consideraons, such as serious injury, illness, emoonal disposion or deranged mental funcon.1

Tree Introductory Qi Gong Systems: Building a Solid Foundation Each qi gong system consists of nite layers, which must be learned in stages to eventually master in their enrety. Together, three foundaonal sets form the physical and energec material up to the intermediate level in the Energy Arts System2 that I teach, where: • Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body Qi Gong (Water Element)—teaches all move-

ment on the horizontal plane, including turning and weight shifting techniques, as well as initiating the downward flow of energy and dissolving. • Marriage of Heaven + Earth Qi Gong (Wood Element)—teaches all movement on the

vertical plane, including bending-and-stretching and opening-and-closing techniques, as well as activating the microcosmic and macrocosmic orbits of energy. • Dragon + Tiger Medical Qi Gong—helps students to begin to feel their life-force, qi

energy by teaching methods for stirring and releasing stagnant qi utilising the basic physical mechanics of Energy Gates and Heaven + Earth. 1.

These excepons would only be taken onboard by a true master or group of iniates within a monastery overseen by a master.

2.

The Energy Arts System was designed by my teacher, Taoist Master Bruce Frantzis, whose lineage was passed down to him by Taoist Grandmaster Liu Hung Chieh of Beijing, China. See hp://www.circlewalking.com/chinese-taoism/ for complete details. © 2013 Paul Cavel. All rights reserved.

Page 5


Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body Qi Gong Classically, the neigong learning progression commences with Energy Gates to:3

• Contact and feel the body with the mind; • Correctly align the body; • Open up and develop the internal senses; • Release bound qi energy;

Paul Adjusts a Student's Heaven + Earth Qi Gong Form to Optimise Qi Energy Flow

• Properly shift weight and turn the waist;

Marriage of Heaven & Earth Qi Gong

• Open the spine; and • Make all the basic physical and energetic connections in the body.

Heaven + Earth is arguably the most complex and advanced foundaonal set, having the capacity to contain all that is within Dragon + Tiger and Energy Gates, and specically hon ing techniques to: • Bend and stretch the body from the outside in and the inside out; • Activate the fluid pumps and thereby initiate the pulse; • By way of the pulse, gain deeper access to your nerves; and

In the beginning, your mind may have a few problems achieving all of these direcves. For example, unambiguously pung your mind inside specic tense places in your body and releasing them without physical movement could be quite tricky. If you were to stunt all other aspects of pracce, it could take several decades to release bound qi in the body, if at all. So aer a period of regular pracce and once you feel you have gone as far as possible for you in a given meframe (from several weeks to many months), you would move onto the next qi gong set in the progression.

3.

• Create and engage whole-body movement through the tenet of “one part moves, all parts move”. Training at this level for some me pays dividends in the future as enlivening associated nei gong strands soens and smoothes out the esh, releases layers of tension and clears the qi channels to some degree. Then, aer some months, upon returning to Energy Gates you may nd that you can stand more comfortably, possibly for longer periods, and your mind can beer penetrate your esh. In turn, you gain access to deeper, long-term and bound tension, and conceivably start to release some of it.

You might noce that all of these principles are equally germane to ear ly tai chi and bagua pracce.


Page 6


Dragon & Tiger Medical Qi Gong Inially, many students nd it dicult to clearly feel qi energy. In this case, Dragon + Tiger teaches methods for tuning into and manipulang the etheric energy with the hands during movement. In me and with pracce, the heightened awareness of qi energy can easily be transferred to Heaven + Earth and Energy Gates, generang a dierent quality of moon in both sets. You might nd a smoother, lighter yet thicker characterisc to your forms, which is the result of engaging more of your body, mind and qi energy. Further training of Heaven + Earth opens up your spine and internal organs, so when you pracce Dragon + Tiger, your etheric eld is stronger, fuller and more tangible due to increased spine and organ acvity. All of it serves to help you pull and push more qi energy through your system, and achieve deeper relaxaon and releases of bound or stagnant qi.

Te Single Fabric Principle The learning progression of the three foundaonal qi gong sets could just as easily commence with Dragon + Tiger or Heaven + Earth. Each set has its advantages, methods that might make nei gong content more accessible to you. Whatever the case, each set exists within a larger context and therefore serves to develop all others while folding into the internal aspects that are embodied from all previous studies. The foundaonal sets, rather than forming three individual pracces, actually coalesce into a single woven fabric. The threads themselves are created from various techniques within nei gong components, which, through consistent pracce, slowly knit together over me. Some nei gong are uniquely developed within a specic pracce, whereas most are pragmacally developed through several, and somemes all, qi gong sets. Once individual nei gong techniques have been embodied through pracce of their associated qi gong set(s), they can be upgraded in more advanced sets and embedded within all more basic sets—thereby raising the overall quality of any form you train. To make lasagne, you precook the main lling, the sauce for the top and prepare the pasta. Then, you put all ingredients into one dish and bake them together in the oven, creang a taste sensa on that if the three parts were eaten individually wouldn’t be possible. Just as it wouldn’t much maer which of the three parts of the dish you prepared rst, second or last (although cooks around the world likely have their preferences!), likewise you can pracse the three foundaonal qi gong programmes as it feels right or as they are available to you.4

4.

This approach may be altered if you have a special requirement (e.g. personal goal) or predisposion (e.g. injury or health issue) that dictates otherwise. © 2013 Paul Cavel. All rights reserved.

Page 7


Each nei gong strand requires stages of development, which can usually be best achieved through a training hierarchy. The process doesn’t always start with the most basic external form and work its way up as if to climb a ladder. Instead, nei gong science makes use of networks of forms, each with their own specic learning protocols. Pracce of the three foundaonal qi gong programmes gives you a taste for the rst eight nei gong components (see box on p. 9), as well as the disnct avour each set has to oer since certain internal aspects will dominate within each one. This dominaon is precisely what generates the overall energy and feel—the quality a praconer can achieve and eventually apply at will with the mind’s intent—through training of individual sets.

Gods Qi Gong: A Beginner’s Puzzle Piece? Given all the good the three foundaonal sets can oer, curiously another logical pracce with which to begin your nei gong journey could be Gods Playing in the Clouds. Convenonally, Gods is regarded as the most advanced set in the Water tradion of Taoism and does in fact boast the capacity to contain all 16 nei gong, thereby serving as a bridge to Tao meditaon—technology no other qi gong system has to oer. You may recall that Gods is categorised as the highest “integraon” level of the system, and obviously a beginner would have lile to integrate (see Figure 1 on p. 5). I’m certainly not suggest ing that a beginner try to take onboard the enrety of the 16 nei gong from the outset. However, some of the form movements that comprise Gods are rather straighorward and easy to learn when compared to say the Swings in Energy Gates or Exercises 2 and 7 in Dragon + Tiger.


Page 8


Specic Gods movements can therefore serve as a praccal container for learning align ments, as well as bending-and-stretching and opening-and-closing techniques, important rst steps to open and release restricted or ght places in the so ssues of the body. Arguably, some movements in Gods are extremely physically demanding with the purpose of opening up the core structure of the body quickly and eciently. So if you are a beginner and decide to learn Gods, you must be sure you are in good physical condion without knee, hip or spinal injuries. If you have any physical limitaons, you will be much beer o scking with the three foundaonal sets unl you’re ready to take on more rigorous choreography. You may be lucky enough not to experience further harm, but nonetheless cost-benet consideraons gure prominently. If you are generally healthy, learning Gods early in your training can support your overall development, most specically if you also wish to train bagua. Gods is like the hand in bagua’s glove: the movements and content found in Gods t rather exactly and precisely into bagua palm changes. So if you have your sights set on bagua, pracce of Gods will be come necessary at some phase of your development. The crical point is that if you decide to learn Gods before you have stabilised the internal content found in the three foundaonal qi gongs, you will essenally skip the prerequi site stages of nei gong training. Teasing out the many layers of complexity and geng a taste for separate and disnct weaves of nei gong would therefore require diligent and persistent eort beyond the scope of most praconers. So although beginners could benet tremendously from early Gods training, it is best incorporated alongside pracce of the foundaonal sets and denitely not as a replacement for them.


Page 9


Te Spiralling Nature of Nei Gong raining Through alternang and ongoing pracce of Dragon + Tiger, Energy Gates and Heaven + Earth—possibly in conjuncon with Gods, tai chi and/or bagua training—you begin an authenc journey into the realm of internal energy exercise. You will be introduced and start to work deeply (but not completely) with aspects of the rst eight nei gong components. As you release layers of tension and rene your pracce, the depth and breadth of your experienal knowledge, embodiment of nei gong, naturally develops. That is form movements acvate corresponding internals and begin to grow as each nei gong thread is inextricably linked to all others, creang a web that allows your pracce to evolve with connued training. This is why, for instance, you could aend Dragon + Ti ger, Energy Gates and Heaven + Earth courses half a dozen to a dozen or more mes each and not only consistently learn new material, but also deepen your ability and understanding of the enre system with only succinct instrucon. Each course shis the spotlight to more fully focus on unique nei gong threads or weaves and, over me, aempts to cover the depth and breadth of each pracce set. As an example, I’ve completed more than 2,000 hours of formal instrucon with my teacher, including hundreds of hours studying the foundaonal qi gong sets followed up by thousands of hours of personal pracce on these three sets alone. Also, as I've taught internal energy arts full me since 1995, I’m absolutely immersed in pracce at the fun damental level. Yet I wouldn’t hesitate to aend any Dragon + Tiger, Energy Gates or Heaven + Earth course taught by my teacher because just one or two key nei gong exercises, explanaons or perspecves oered could and oen does radically transform and up grade my overall pracce. As your knowledge base and embodiment of nei gong grows, so

too does your ability to integrate new input on all levels of training—from the most mundane to the more advanced. Anyone who has a “been there, done that” atude in re sponse to course tles, especially where the base material is concerned, is missing the point and will have to be a genius in mind, body and qi to excel in the system. The circular and spiralling nature of learning nei gong science dictates that to whatever degree you reach a so-called advanced level, you once again link what you have learned back into the basics, propel through the intermediate material and once again return to the advanced. With each revoluon, you clear and ll in any gaps at each layer. Those who unwingly maintain their pracce of only the more advanced material create a glass ceiling and can progress no further. Any holes in your foundaon will prevent your overall evoluon, and quite oen do not reveal themselves unl many stages down the line. So when any weaknesses present themselves, delve back into the fundamentals, conscienously seek out and ll in any gaps, and you will thereby strengthen your overall core.

To say more, every me you complete a rotaon from beginning to intermediate to advanced and back to the foundaonal material again, you plunge ever-deeper into the essence of each form, the internal content it accommodates and your body—unveiling aspects that could not have revealed


Page 10

IQ: Introduction to Tao Arts Training themselves to you in your previous mode of understanding. As you gain greater control over your body, its energy and your mind, leaving no stone unturned, you systemacally make every part of your body alive and conscious. You not only achieve incredible health and vitality—a body and mind capable of superior funconing and ability—but also peace, tranquillity and a deep contentment with life.

Form, No Form All of the above in mind, whether or not a pracce is deemed advanced depends less upon the name given to idenfy its formwork (e.g. Heaven + Earth) and more on the internal content acve within that form. Energy Gates could therefore be prac sed to a higher level than Gods in the same vein that a Yugo body with a Porsche engine and rolling chasse could conceivably perform beer than a Porsche ed with a Yugo engine. The more content present in any parcular nei gong weave (which com prises any qi gong set), the more likely it will operate as a smooth, integrated and wellbalanced system. Therefore, the labelling of intermediate or advanced only points to a form’s potenal. Many students pay special credence to branding, the perceived value of one form over another, and ideas that some forms are more advanced than others. In fact, it is the ability of each individual student (at a given moment in me) that imbues a form with in ternal power (to some degree or another), and therefore makes any form worthy of such preconceived noons. How well you execute crical nei gong components and the cohe sion of those threads with all others is what supercharges your form, and makes it beginning, intermediate or advanced. This point seems to be sorely lost in the West, parcularly in the last decade as Tao meditaon and energy arts teachings have become more widely available.

Geng caught up in what is best or beer than something else is one of the illusions of the ego that neigong training seeks to resolve. So my earnest advice is to forget about what is beginning, intermediate or even advanced—if any of us are lucky enough to achieve it. The me you devote to building a strong foundaon will enable you to take giant leaps in the future while many others are heading back to the starng line to ll in gaps. Pracce of the basics will naturally evolve into intermediate


Page 11

IQ: Introduction to Tao Arts Training training, where qi energy—directed by the mind’s intent—literally drives form movements rather than the form driving qi energy development, making forms ever-more malleable and, ulmately, less signicant.

Building the Nei Gong Lattice Creates Health + Vitality There are many ways to navigate your way through the nei gong system as an interwoven lace of integrated components, where each piece is supported by, connected to and reinforces all others. Therefore, you cannot gain access to the enrety of any single thread without training its interconnected strands. Learning Dragon + Tiger, Energy Gates and Heaven + Earth will give you a taste for the rst eight nei gong components and their disncve avours, while oering a specialised assortment of health and healing benets.

Essenally, you will knit together a single woven fabric that serves as an integrated network of nei gong, propelling you towards the intermediate material, where even just a few minutes of pracce can yield profound results; the depth gained in a very short meframe trumps hours of training at earlier stages because the synergy of the whole produces far greater eects than its in dividual parts. The quality of your pracce can awaken a whole new life within you, enabling and iniang posive transformaons in body, mind and qi.


Page 12


Te Art of Microcosmic raining (Part II)

In Part I, I presented a case for focusing on Dragon + Tiger, Energy Gates and Heaven + Earth Qi Gong sets since together they provide the essenal framework for all nei gong training. That is the bulk of the choreography and internal content learned in these programmes provides the basis for and can be readily transferred to more sophiscated qi gong systems, tai chi and bagua. Also, this so-called foundaonal material is normally more than enough training for the average student and will provide most of the physical structure, internals and qi energy development needed for tai chi and bagua —whether pracsed for health and vitality, maral arts and/or as preparaon for meditaon. Intermediate nei gong training is all about supercharging physical and, equally, energec power, which is based upon the assumpon that you have achieved the goals of the three foundaonal sets—in body, mind and qi. If so, you will naturally transion into the intermediate realm, where the game shis to peeling back ever-more minute if not tedious layers and integrang the experienal knowledge gained from this work on all levels of your conscious awareness.


Page 13


Te wo Paths of Intermediate Practice

Option 1: Te Caveats of Power Production

If aer reaching an intermediate level of pracce you wish to further your studies, there are two possibilies from which to choose: Opon 1—Move onto either Fire Element

Qi Gong, Metal Element Qi Gong or both, where the following safety precauons must be considered— • Spiralling techniques germane to Fire Element training require very clear energy lines since everything in your system will be amplified —the good, bad and ugly. If you have sufficiently and unambiguously cleared your energy, spiralling can yield incredible qi development; but any tension, blockages or stagnant qi will also be amplified, likely to your detriment. • The heavy compression and release work of the Metal Element puts enormous pressure on the body, especially the spine and internal organs. Again, there are no issues if your insides are liquid and your joints are flexible. If not, you can damage joints, spinal discs, ligaments or, worse still, organs. Opon

2—Connue directly onto Gods

Earth Element Qi Gong, integrang and solidifying all you have learned from the three foundaonal sets while studying new material specic to Gods. This is the safer and typically more producve route on the rst cycle through the nei gong system. You can upgrade your qi gong skills as well as tai chi and/or bagua pracce with lile potenal of harm.

If you choose the rst opon, you must do your homework exceponally well and, at least inially, train with a master who not only understands the implicaons of what to do and when, but also how to avert or x problems if any should arise. Learning Fire Element or Metal Element arts from anyone other than a master (or a teacher who a master fully endorses and has given their express public permission to teach these exercises) out of curiosity or any other more imprudent reason is ill-advised. If you are among the few who have truly dedicated themselves to exploring and diligently pracsing the fundamentals of the neigong system to the farthest reaches of your ability, then learning Fire and Metal Element power producon pracces taught by a master can help you develop incredible power well beyond the normal realms of the foundaonal material —both physically and energecally. However, in my personal experience, I have found that it is a ghtrope along which to walk as the intensity of the releases and demands on the body, mind and qi increase dramacally. I would highly recommend to anyone interested in pursuing pracce of Fire and Metal Ele ment arts to be painstakingly conscienous in developing skill in the foundaon pracces as training of the power producon package will then be a much easier ride. Many students inadequately solidify basics or do not open their body suciently in preparaon for these more rigorous exercises and therefore waste their me, if not experience much personal anguish. Some simply give up, while those who have the resolve to connue must revisit introductory components that allow the pracces to take eect.

With great power comes great responsibility —Stan Lee, Spider-Man


Page 14


Integraon

Power-producon

Gods Playing in the Clouds ↕

↑

Fire

↕ ↕ ↕ ↕

Opening the Energy Gates

Foundaon

Metal

Marriage of Heaven + Earth

Dragon + Tiger

↓

Figure 1 Te Microcosm

The three levels of nei gong—foundaon, power producon and integraon— can be trained by pracsing Dragon + Tiger, Energy Gates and Heaven + Earth in conjuncon with Gods Playing in the Clouds for the safest energec development.

Devong the me necessary and eort required to train foundaonal forms with precision from the outset will naturally catapult you into higher aspects of nei gong pracce; whereas, applying force of will eventually exhausts your energy and, along with it, sustainable growth and development. Regardless of whether you reach an intermediate level through pracce of the foundaon sets alone or in associaon with the power-producon package, progressing to Gods eventually becomes critical because it is the only qi gong vessel capable of containing the enrety of the 16 neigong (or, more likely, all nei gong you have embodied at any parcular moment in me). Accordingly, Gods serves as a means for upgrading and unifying your body and energy into one coherent whole —a prime direcve of energy arts training.

Option 2: Te Microcosm Relegang the power band (Fire and Metal Element Qi Gongs) either to a later stage of training or altogether allows you to advance to Gods Playing in the Clouds as an intermediate praconer, while ensuring safe qi energy development. With the power band removed, the integraon level descends to meet with the foundaon layer, forming a smaller yet incredibly well-organised and integrated system (see Figure 1). Gods works with circularity at the advanced level, where it morphs and evolves into spheri cal moon. All previous sets, including Fire and Metal Element Qi Gongs, work with cir cularity at the beginning and intermediate levels. Once you make the jump from circularity to spherical moon through pracce of Gods, certain elements can transfer and upgrade any of the lower sets, thereby strengthening the development and deepening the connecvity of mind, body and qi. Again, this is only possible if you spend the me and energy necessary to accurately implement what was taught through Gods in subordinate pracces. Spherical moon transforms and supercharges the foundaonal material, bringing about radical change to any internal energy arts pracce.


Page 15

IQ: Introduction to Tao Arts Training Likewise, the circular-spiralling nature of nei gong training entails learning a skill, developing it to some degree, advancing to a new component or set, then folding the individual thread(s) back into what you learned before (e.g., nei gong components or a qi gong set). In this mod el, you oscillate between Dragon + Tiger, Energy Gates and Heaven + Earth sev eral mes, learning, deepening and ad vancing your understanding and embodiment of the internals unl you hit a plateau, at which me you would learn Gods. As you will recall, some of the Gods move ments are extremely physically demanding in order to access and open the core structure of the body, especially the kwa, spine and organ base. It is this precise material that can release the deeper knots and blockages in these areas, further soen the ssues and liquidise the organs. Then, you can return to the three base qi gong sets with more internal content and a freer body with which to integrate and thereby upgrade your forms.

During this me, you would also devote copious pracce to dissolving as the fundamental mechanism for releasing bound energy within the Water tradion. Dissolving also becomes the safety net to keep you from harm when entering higher-level energec pracces and is therefore imperave to learn well for serious internal arts students (see box on p. 17). You would spend some years circumnavigating the Dragon + Tiger, Energy Gates, Heaven + Earth and Gods loop, broadening and forfying your base, and deepening embodiment of internal nei gong content —to develop your body, mind and qi. If you do this work properly and diligently, you will truly discover and release many, many layers of tension, open up your body, nerves, energy and mind, which will not only bring about health benets, but suciently pre pare your body for the heavy compressions found in Bend the Bow Metal Element Qi Gong and the energec jump required for Spiralling Fire Element Qi Gong.

raining Power Producing Energy Arts Spiralling Energy Body and Bend the Bow essenally build upon Energy Gates and Heaven + Earth, respecvely. In the old days, Spiralling was literally referred to as “Energy Gates Part II” and Bend the Bow as “Heaven + Earth Part II”. Spiralling uses the exact same components as Energy Gates: Standing with alignments and Outer Dissolving, Cloud Hands, the Three Swings and Spinal Stretch. The only dierence is what you do with your mind and qi. Bend the Bow is a condensed form of the Heaven + Earth movement with exactly the same stance, kwa work and spinal curve as its foundaon. The arm movements and spinal techniques (in depth and breadth) are dierent, but again there is very lile change from an external formwork point of view. Both sets open up several new neigong threads that are certainly not covered by the three base sets and further develop the rst eight nei gong, but these studies can also be pursued through Gods.

The specic nei gong threads developed within Spiralling and Bend the Bow are de nitely intermediate to advanced, and therefore only become available to the dedicated student with the proper foundaon in place. That is all previous energy work has rened their awareness of and ability to manipulate energy suciently to have expelled a signicant poron of the residue, energec tension and stagnancy that plagues the body.

Practising Bend the Bow Metal Element Qi Gong at Arques


Page 16


Te Dissolving Continuum In recent years, I have begun teaching Outer Dissolving techniques much more oen because it is absolutely fundamental to all Tao meditaon and energy arts prac ces—whether done sing, standing, lying down, moving or as partner exercises. Most students hopscotch to training—or at least aempng to train—Inner Dissolving before solidifying their understanding of and ability to Outer Dissolve. However, dissolving techniques form a connuum and all Inner Dissolving techniques rely upon the Outer Dissolving prerequisite. The hierarchy is: • Scanning the physical body from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet while simply observing what is there without trying to affect it; •

Sinking Qi to drop your energy from the crown of the head to below your feet;

•

Outer Dissolving, which requires your intent to penetrate the physical

body and qi energy body to release associated blockages; and •

Inner Dissolving, which requires the Heart-Mind to become activated and engaged (to various degrees) to release blockages in a ny of the Eight Energy Bodies that comprise the totality of your being.

If you cannot scan your body from head to toe without losing your concentraon or focus, dissolving of any form will be quite dicult, if not impossible, to achieve. In the early stages of pracce, in whichever of the ve modes of pracce you choose and eventually in all modes, you want to become capable of scanning through your body (always down and never up) and sinking qi energy. In me and with sustained eort, you can introduce Outer Dissolving techniques, rst while stand ing and later while sing, standing or ly ing down. Once you develop some skill, you can try it while pracsing a qi gong set. Classically, you would begin moving Outer Dissolving pracce in Clouds Hands (a nei gong exercise that is a part of En ergy Gates Qi Gong). Once you are capable of integrang Outer Dissolving into any given pracce, at some point the Heart-Mind, supported by your mind’s intent, will become acve and thereby make it possible to implement the methodology unique to Inner Dis solving. All the force of will in the world will not make it happen. So start by developing your ability to scan and sink qi energy without gaps, and allow your path to unfold in your own me.


Page 17


The glitches many praconers have experienced from insucient pracce before embarking on study of Fire and Metal Element Qi Gongs are: • Wasted time and effort because simply being capable of performing a physical movement doesn’t cut it for internal nei gong development. • They manage to supercharge their qi, but in the process amplify all that is blocked, stagnant or tense. The laer is where real problems can be created because if you charge your negave energies, emoons and thoughts, life can quickly become very intense, even pain ful. If you are one of the unlucky few, you could cause permanent damage to your energy channels. Since the channels govern the funconing of your body and mind, derangement here causes the same in the totality of your being. Understanding how the system works is crically important, so you can operate sensibly within it. If you adhere to the prerequisites, you will build in a series of safety nets as a maer of course and thereby reduce your chances of experiencing lile more than the dis comfort normally associated with riding out waves of releases of ever-deeper layers of tension, blocked and stagnant qi, and their associated emoons. In short, you will divert grave harm and save yourself years of squandered eort.


Page 18

IQ: Introduction to Tao Arts Training For these reasons, I encourage you to follow the well-beaten path of working deeply with the foundaonal material, exploring various nei gong and observing what they can do for you before automacally wanting, expecng or demanding more. Over the years, many, many of my students have expressed how amazed they are at the effecveness of and results they get from even the introductory qi gong sets when they nally stabilise a regular pracce roune. The depth and range of material found in beginning Tao meditaon and energy arts pracces is equal to and beyond most modern exercise-healing systems in their enrety. This is due to its rich millennia-old history, and the perpetual dedicaon of lineage masters through me.

ai Chi + Bagua: Te Bigger Picture View The arts of tai chi and bagua are far more complex and demanding than qi gong, but for the eort deliver results that nei gong alone never could. Tai chi is a string of evolving movements that connect together in a graceful ow, lulling the nervous system into a sense of deep relaxaon. Each move collects and develops the energy from the last, which requires me and paence to hone and achieve a high level of skill. Bagua, on the other hand, is taught in short sequences of intense formwork, each con-

taining great depth that can be repeated dozens or even hundreds of mes in a single pracce session. All choreography is pracsed while connuously walking in a circle, requiring stamina and resolve to maintain. Both arts open the body, release bound tension, develop qi energy and provide a systemac method for leng go of all that holds you back from realising your human potenal—albeit by approaching the end goal from opposite ends of the spectrum. Regardless, both tai chi and bagua necessitate training in the nei gong system to develop real skill. Although it is possible to learn nei gong science through the sole pracce of tai chi or bagua, they constute the most dicult and longest routes since movements are complex and mullayered. It is far easier and a faster method to imbue forms with internal content through training of slow, gentle and repeve movement, such as qi gong forms, than only via pracce of the arts of tai chi and bagua. Over the millennia, most students have followed a progression of learning crical nei gong content slowly and methodically, while simultaneously learning tai chi and/or bagua forms. For this reason, I oer my teachings in this format, which allows for the depth of content to be absorbed though classic neigong training. The work then naturally transfers to tai chi/bagua formwork at each student’s individual pace. Whether you train tai chi, bagua or both, the degree to which you embody nei gong content ulmately determines where


Page 19

IQ: Introduction to Tao Arts Training these arts can take you. Qigong teaches you how to pracse nei gong while tai chi and bagua provide the containment eld to apply neigong. Throughout the ages, bagua has been regarded as the classic vehicle for taking the human body to the absolute pinnacle of health, strength and vitality, but pracce requires a reasonably healthy body to start. Tai chi can be learned by just about anybody who can stand up and has become the most performed health exercises on the planet over the last 300 years, illustrang its eecveness and popularity as a health and healing system.

When you truly embody any level of nei gong, it transfers to forms with lile eort, providing the most ecient methodology for advancing your qi gong, tai chi and/or bagua pracce. Each form (i.e. the six qigong sets, tai chi and bagua) has its own disnct avour and specic aributes that provides the basis for the associated benets of pracce, which is derived from movement patterns coupled with weaves of predominant neigong strands.

Nei Gong Science for Life Today and throughout the ages, few people have had the me, willingness and resolve necessary to learn the complete Water tradion of Taoism, including all qi gong sets, tai chi, bagua and medi taon pracces. Although it is not necessary to do so. Most people are only searching for a few pracces to maintain health and well-being, and prevent suering. Even sll, it takes discipline and eort to achieve as a half-hearted aempt at prac sing anything once in a blue moon will yield little returns. For those who are searching for more from their pracce, it will take considerably more dedicaon and determinaon.

Whatever your level of commitment, creang your own pracce microcosm is a good strategy for achieving your training goals. As you travel along your path, opening on ever-deeper layers of your being, you can adapt and accommodate what might not have been conceivable before. So there’s no need to force or rush your progress in any specic way, no need for mental projecons about what life will be like in the future. Instead, be content at the place where you nd yourself, focus on creang more stability in that place and allow your next phase of development to unfold naturally through pracce. By honing in on the most benecial pracces for you personally, you can more easily tune into your inner wisdom and create a sustainable pracce roune malleable enough to ow with the changes inherent to living yet steadfast enough to remain as a guiding light.


Page 20


Te Five Keys to Unlocking the Nei Gong System (Part III) P h o t o b y R i c a r d a S a l l m a n

In Part I and II, I presented an overview of Tao meditaon and energy arts pracces, and made a case for microcosmic training as a strategy for overcoming the prospecve trials and tribulaons that make advanced training extremely rare. When mulfaceted parts that comprise a larger framework are linked together and superimposed—as is the case with the nei gong system, the essenal building blocks can become illusive, even invisible. However, like all sophiscated, reliable and longstanding systems, crical components of nei gong lay the foundaon stones that work like keys to unlock doors to body-mind-qi development. At whatever point you enter the labyrinth, eventually you must dedicate me and eort to learning and training these key components to make sense of all other inputs. Then, as the principles that underlie each key come into play on ever-more rened and complex levels, each aids posive transformaons in your pracce (and life in general) rather than down grading or totally derailing your success.


Page 21


Stabilising Fundamental Nei Gong echniques

Te 5 Keys of Qi Energy Development

Over the last 25 years, I’ve observed thousands of students join Tao meditaon and energy arts courses and struggled to nd a foothold. The allure of advanced nei gong techniques coupled with the innite ways in which they can be weaved oen complicates a student’s ability to understand which pieces are crical to develop for them personally and when. Many students are enced to skip fundamental curriculum and aempt to progress too quickly. But, as I've discussed, the system operates as a highly integrated lace rather than a step ladder, so you cannot simply jump rungs yet gain the experienal knowledge and embodiment of nei gong culvated by subtle, intri cate techniques associated with earlier stages of pracce.

Derived from the three foundaonal qigong sets (Dragon + Tiger, Energy Gates and Heaven + Earth), together the ve pracces form foongs upon which all more advanced material rests. They are:

Although most students manage to learn some fancy moves with exoc names, many don’t actually aain denive benets since nei gong must stabilise suciently in body-mindqi to elicit lasng posive change. As a teach er and student totally commied to study ing every possible facet of nei gong science available to me and helping others to do the same, I nd this scenario unfortunate.

What I want every student to know is that ve essenal exercises segue crical areas of all nei gong pracce, both in form and content. They are inially so easy to learn that almost anyone who has the ability to stand up can do them. In me, with paence and dedicated and accurate pracce, you can totally transform your body-mind-qi with these ve exercises alone.

• Whole-body, Diaphragm Breathing • Standing Qi Gong (from Energy Gates) • Dragon + Tiger Exercise 1 • Cloud Hands (from Energy Gates) • Circling Hands Qi Gong (adjunct practice of Heaven + Earth) Each of these exercises in themselves contains many, many threads of nei gong content that can be weaved together to culvate body, mind and qi. Therefore, the pace at which a praconer learns and the approach each takes is truly unique to the individual. In this way, the methodology applied to training nei gong is not set in stone, but rather liquid and organic in every construcon. All praconers use the same standard threads yet create unique fab rics that suit their personal journey.

Unlocking Human Potential: Where Do You Want to Go? Since the energy arts training doesn’t employ a one-size-ts-all approach, every student must discover for themselves how to ulise the ve keys and when. Although, eventually, you will want to train all ve exercises exceponally well, both in tandem with the qi gong sets to which they belong and as individual pracces unto themselves. For example, someone with a ght nervous system would want to incorporate simple breathing techniques into their train ing right from the start, and connue developing the ability to breathe well as a core objecve for some me. Breathing can


Page 22


directly release the nervous system and thereby creates a posive feedback loop of relaxaon in body, mind and qi. Although there are many nei gong methods that yield the same result, relaxaon may be a secondary eect or require more skill to achieve. A stu dent with a back, spine or joint injury would want to start by focusing on Circling Hands with its slow, gentle and repeve movement capable of unwinding and releasing tension in relevant body parts. Yet another student with weak or stagnant wei qi,1 or who works with a lot of people and picks up negave energy from others, would nd Dragon + Tiger Exercise 1 an eecve means for srring up and loosening stagnant qi, beginning to clear their energy channels, and increasing the strength of the wei qi and etheric eld.

Each key individually has its benets and every combinaon of keys amplies the ben ets of all others. For example, Cloud Hands connects the limbs to the spine, stretches open the body and begins the process of releasing deep layers of tension from the body. If, however, you stand for a period

1.

of me beforehand, you can release the outer layer of stress and tension, relax the muscles and nerves, and increase the eecveness of Cloud Hands by several hundred percent. This is because standing techniques allow deeper access to the body—mentally and physically. You can move better because of both the releasing of the outer tension and the way the mind penetrates the body in Standing; this improved contact with the body enables you to make micro-adjustments to form movements, so they are far more ecient and eecve. This principle is applicable for any combinaon of the ve keys. Obviously, there are certain combinaons that create specic results, but these are not absolutes. Instead, one combinaon might deliver a parcular result for one person, whereas someone else might gain that same result from a dierent combina on. The only way to know what works for you is to experiment. Like baking, you add a lile of this and a lot of that and see what avours you get. The same four basic ingre dients—our, buer, sugar and eggs—in dif ferent combinaons produce very dierent cakes.

Wei qi is the second, protecve layer of qi in the human body, which is located just below the skin.


Page 23


Multiplying Practice Beneﬁts Pracce of the ve keys alone could comprise a student’s enre curriculum for several years since between them they include iniaon of the rst half a dozen or so neigong comp-onents (see the box on p. 6). 2 Even the material found in early nei gong training is far beyond the scope of most modern exercise programmes (if not all) and many internal arts systems. So although from an external movement point of view they are rather rudimentary, you can pack them with power producing techniques that develop the body-mind-qi in ways that simply aren’t possible without nei gong forcaon. As you gain experience training the ve key exercises, you become aware of that which works well for you and that which does not, and in which ways. This understanding can then lead to a beer and more accurate analysis of which of the three foundaonal sets are best suited to the as pects of nei gong development you need at any parcular point in me. When you consider that movaon is such a crical factor to maintaining any form of exercise, this inmate appreciaon of what your bodymind-qi needs and why is as good as gold to propel you towards learning more in-depth qi gong systems. The keys are absolutely necessary to unlocking the doors to genuine internal exercise but, once inside, the complete qi gong sets, tai chi and bagua make use of more sophiscated nei gong technology, thereby building incredible momentum and mulplying potenal benets.

Energy Gates Qi Gong In Energy Gates, for example, Standing and Cloud Hands start the process of releasing tension and mobilising your qi, but it is the Three Swings that energise the three tan-

ens and shed the bulk of the tension, espe cially from the upper body. However, if the body is not connected properly and the hips are not loose enough from pracsing Cloud Hands, then it’s impossible to perform the swings correctly, and the desired results will remain lile more than a myth or mental pro jecon.

Dragon + Tiger Qi Gong Dragon + Tiger Exercise 13 is constructed to create balance in the body’s energy grid. This is done by contacng your qi energy and manipulang the etheric eld with your hands. Here, you begin the process of pulling and pushing qi through the energy channels, which inially srs up stagnant qi. However, it’s through Exercises 2 and 5 that you really release the stagnant qi that is srred up by Exercises 1, 3 and 4. Again, we nd the same phenomenon as with Energy Gates: the whole set oers a lot more than any one of its exercises ever could, but without sucient me, eort and energy devoted to the prerequisite work, the end result of pracsing the whole set is demoted to a shadow of its potenal. This is due to all the fundamental threads of internal content that create depth and quality of moon, and their associated outcomes.

Frantzis, Bruce, The Power of Internal Maral Arts and Chi (Blue Snake Books, 2007) pp. 63-64, available at www.energyarts.com.

2.

Exercise 1 of Dragon + Tiger is the only movement of the seven in the set that should be pracsed alone. Ei ther pracse Exercise 1 only, 1-4-5 together, or the whole set. Pracsing any other combinaons can and probably will unbalance the qi of your body.

3.


Page 24

IQ: Introduction to Tao Arts Training By learning and pracsing Dragon + Tiger Ex ercise 1 for a period of me, you can more easily transfer funconal nei gong technol ogy to the rest of the set. You also have the added benet of much less to focus on, leaving the mind free to develop content: in this case, it’s culvaon of qi in the etheric eld, which directly impacts upon the wei qi. With enough pracce, Dragon + Tiger can create an incredibly strong defense against a whole host of illnesses and negave energies, and develops the ability to draw upon environmental energies at will. Heaven + Earth follows the same path with added sophiscaon.

Circling Hands Circling Hands Qi Gong is basically a smaller and easier version of Heaven + Earth, once again requiring a lot less choreography on which to focus and thereby freeing the mind to concentrate on content. Classically, natural breathing (one of the ve keys), bend ing and stretching, pulsing and lengthening are learned and developed through Heaven + Earth to produce deep, internal exercise. All of these techniques can be iniated through the short, gentle, repe ve and slow-moon circling of the hands with kwa and spine work. They can then be transferred directly into Heaven + Earth, a longer, stronger and denively more com-

eaching Dragon + iger Energetics, 2012 Crete Retreat

plete method of opening and connecng the body. Finally, if properly assimilated in Circling Hands, the energy work of both the microcosmic and macrocosmic orbits can also be upgraded in Heaven + Earth.

Creating a Continuum from Your Core to the Environment I have yet to encounter a student who has spent less than several years training any one of three foundaonal sets capable of incorporang all the fundamental material to cre ate a smooth and integrated pracce. And, even then, it does not mean that training is complete or advanced. On the contrary, it means the relevant nei gong have been iniated and culvated to the point that they can stabilise within the body, mind and qi, so they are available to the praconer for experimentaon (at will). Only then can they be applied in other qi gong sets, tai chi or bagua, and without too much eort. As you embody progressively more fundamental nei gong and begin to take them deeper into your body, you will realise that there really is not anything basic about Dragon + Tiger, Energy Gates and Heaven + Earth at all. They can develop the human body, mind and qi to a high level, especially when pracsed in conjuncon with one another. In fact, at more advanced stages of training, you can experience the barrier between what is inside and outside of you begin to dissolve and disappear, creang one connuum from your core to the environment. Taoists consider simultaneously being conscious of what is happening both inside and outside of yourself a very worthy pracce. This allows you to take what you have learned from your pracce and integrate it into the world around you, and your daily acvies. All the me you are focused on the physical body, there is a separaon between that which is inside versus outside of yourself.


Page 25

IQ: Introduction to Tao Arts Training However, from the perspecve of qi, there is no separaon. You can only truly experience the qi connuum (i.e. that which is inside and outside of you as one integrated stream) through qi gong pracce by making the jump from a physical pracce that moves qi to a chi prac ce that moves your physique. Use of the ve keys and the foundaon qi gong sets is crical in this case since forms must be completely on autopilot for you to immerse yourself in the percepon of qi. The easier and more familiar the forms, the deeper the immersion. Once you have breached the physical realm and entered that of qi, you can begin to adapt to higher level nei gong and more complex tai chi and bagua forms without diminishing returns.

When the mind moves qi, qi nourishes the body, so the specic movements you pracce become somewhat irrelevant (because, for example, you could conceivably pracse a foundaonal qi gong set with far more content than a more advanced one). Nei gong training is about methodically and meculously compleng the prerequisites of each level of training, forging links between the body, its qi and the mind at eve ry micro-step. When these links become connuous and fully assimilated, the game switches to the mind developing qi. Remember, it is qi that ulmately governs the funconing, quality and health of the physi cal body, so qi gong quite literally trains the mind’s intent to bring about health and wellbeing.

Applying Nei Gong echnology to Achieve Your Goals

of working with qi. Many are programmed to seek results or shoot for the moon, keeping their proverbial “eye on the prize”, yet do not develop the skills necessary to make the journey meaningful or the end goal possible. The study of nei gong science over (at least) the last 4,000 years has yielded incredible technology for creang real and lasng posive changes in body, mind and qi. Together, the ve keys derived from Dragon + Tiger, Energy Gates and Heaven + Earth allow the breadth and depth of foundaonal material to be vast and strong enough to sustain the pressure and power generated by intermediate pracces, so that the advanced material can reach to the heavens. The highest mountains peaks are seen as spiritual places where union with God/the Tao/Essence of the Universe can be experienced. The advanced material within the Tao meditaon and energy arts is about trans forming your mind, body and qi into purity of spirit, allowing the emergence with that essence to occur. The ve keys iniate the process—whether your interest lies in such loy aainments as enlightenment or union with Essence, or you just want to rid your body of aches and pains, and feel more at peace inside yourself. Consistent pracce of the ve keys provides a clear and systemac approach to embodying layers of nei gong content that will not only help you sidestep common pialls, but also make it possible to realise the posive changes that movated you to take up training in the rst place!

Nei gong science dictates that doing a lile well provides beer results than doing a lot poorly. In the modern, push-buon world, many people do not have the paence to culvate their pracce to the point of understanding the nuance, subtlety and complexity © 2013 Paul Cavel. All rights reserved.

Page 26


Tao Meditation Arts Quality Courses + Coaching since 1995 Islington, London - Germany - Andaluc í a, Spain

I Invite You to rain with Me I Oer Three Integrated Programmes to Develop Your Mind, Body + Qi Energy: •

Energy Arts: 5 Element Qi Gong + Tao Breathing Techniques

•

I Ching Arts: Circle Walking + Bagua Palm Changes

•

Tao Meditation: Movement + Stillness Practices

"Teaching included levels of depth-physical, energec, spiritual. Expansive!" — Julie Weston, Radiographer + Acupuncturist

A qi gong seminar is the most cost and me ecient way to assess whether my programme and teaching/coaching style is right for you. You will never be under any obligaon to book mulple sessions or meet any minimum required training hours. In every course I oer: •

A thorough explanation of the theory that underlies training techniques.

•

Instruction on practical exercises that you can train and develop at home.

•

Personal feedback and hands-on corrections.

•

Opportunities to ask me questions.

See my programme of courses at hp://www.circlewalking.com/meditaon-classes/ .


Page 27


The 5 Keys to Taoist Energy Arts

Online Course What’s in the programme:

•

80+ instructional videos – all available for download

•

Introduction to Tai Chi Circling Hands 60-page PDF

•

Weekly practice logs

•

Guided sinking qi + dissolving practices (MP3s)

•

Access to a closed forum All course materials are available for keeps! Just three monthly low payments of $39.95.

Join the 5 Keys programme now>> hp://www.circlewalking.com/5203/qigong-online-course/

I’ve had the great opportunity to partner with my primary teacher, Taoist Master Bruce Frantzis, to create a 10-week programme that will systemacally build your foundaon for all qi gong, tai chi and bagua forms—incredibly detailed and mulfaceted arts considered to be lifelong pracces. Each of the keys can be pracced alone or in tandem with any other keys to boost the benets of Tao arts training. The Five Keys are:

•

Tao Whole-body Breathing

•

Standing Qi Gong, including Sinking Qi + Outer Dissolving

•

Dragon + Tiger Medical Qi Gong Exercise 1

•

Cloud Hands Nei Gong

•

Tai Chi Circling Hands

"Paul is a gied teacher who is fully dedicated to these arts. I have seen him help others build extraordinary energec foundaons in their bodies. Paul is able to embody the arts and break them down into easy steps, so that you have the best chance of success and to progress to great depths with these powerful Taoist energy arts. You could call his Five Keys the secrets to longevity or the secrets to great qi gong, tai chi and bagua." —Taoist Master Bruce Frantzis


IQ

Tank You to: My teacher, Taoist Lineage Holder Bruce Frantzis, who has openly taught me about the depths of nei gong; Heather Hale for eding, design + photography; Gee Loose for photography; and Elena Ray for cover artwork © istockphoto/elenaray; and the Tao Arts School Members who made this special report possible.

"The level of material Paul teaches is really well-gauged to the people being taught" —Pete McLeod, Founder, Speech Link Mulmedia

"I parcularly like Paul's clarity of explanaon and depth of knowledge/understanding" —Mir Ali, Acupuncturist, Bedfordshire

Health + Safety Noce:

Any mind-body-energy exercise may carry risks. Do not aempt any exercises presented in this publicaon if you have any physical, emoonal or mental condions that may make you suscepble to injury without rst seeking the advice of your healthcare professional.

© 2013 Paul Cavel All rights reserved. Reprinng or sharing any poron of this publicaon without expressed wrien consent is strictly prohibited.

Tao Arts Membership

Become a Member of Tao Arts and receive course discounts and training perks, including:

• 10 hours free seminar training Did you know? All links in the IQ journal are acve— simply point + click!

• 10% off seminars, retreats and private training • Curriculum planning tailored to Members Terms and condions apply. Learn more at www.circlewalking.com/tao-school

"I’m so happy to connue my membership for another year"! —P.B., Germany Tao Arts London (Trading as Internal Energy Arts Limited)

+44 (0)7411 418018 [email protected]

"I have really enjoyed being a member (with all its discounts and great arcles), so I am happy to conrm that I will be extending my annual membership".

www.CircleWalking.com

—E.M., Community Acvist, UK


TAO Journal Report

Recommend Documents