Real Taoism Workshops and Retreats

Ba Gua Zhang as Contemplative Art Form

Sunday 30th June 2013 11-4pm £65 member £80 non member

The Internal martial Art practice of Ba Gua Zhang has, as a foundation, a unique circle walking exercise. The design of the walking exercise itself alters our energy and soft tissue. The martrix of the art is consciousness itself.

As Ba Gua Zhang practitioners we aspire to reach the high points of practice, a place of spontanous, fully conscious, uninhibited and uninterputed flow. Ba Gua Zhang's uniqueness resides in this integrative experience.

Ba Gua Zhang as an art of change, can only manfiest in a practitioner when all limitations to movement occur and this begins with the mind itslef.

Ba Gua Zhang stepping patterns arise directly out of the circle walking matrix. Progressive circular movement patterns and the strong twisting of myo-fascia ( soft tissue) further opens the energy pathways.

Maintaining a stable awareness, presence of mind is also a foundation practice as important as correct bio-mechanics. Ba Gua Zhang creates a powerful and immediate rising energy/ force which in turn can stir up unresolved energetic, physical and emotional blockages. Because of this potential of highlighting tension, it is vitally important that you as a practitioner can relax and stabilise the mind whilst practicing Ba Gua Zhang. This idea has implications for arts that develop ego at the expense of peace of mind in our chosen sport or exercise. Flow arises out of the an egoless state, not the other way around.

This workshop will focus on creating a stable mind state for practice, so that you can intelligently self regulate and guide your practice to get the most out of it.

For change to manifest ( in life as well as in this practice ) we need an attitude that is not limited by agenda's or expectations. The only way to get this awareness is to directly develop and aspriation and use simple methods. To help in this process we will be working specifically with fixed and open field awareness exercises.

Improve your overall body control
Stabilise the mind in movement
Unleash your potential to move uncritically and freely
Break negative patterns through aware use of Ba Gua Zhang

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The Hun Yuan 8 Tai Chi-Hsing-I Weekend

Saturday and Sunday 15-16th June 2013. 11-4pm

Investment £120

Pre-requistite, knowledge of Master Ma's basic level Hun Yuan Qi Gong

Join us for a weekend, learning Master Ma's incomparable Combined Short form.

This short form is a combination of applied Qi Gong/ Nei Gong ( Internal body Control ) comprising the expression and application of Tai Chi and Hsing-I Chuan forces and Ba Gua Zhang stepping.

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Qi Gong Workshop - The Art of Dynamic Flow

Introductory Session Saturday June 22nd 2013 11- 5pm (one hour lunch)

£65 members £75 non members

Discover your flow in life and live in a body that is relaxed, functional and expressive. Generating flow in all aspects of being can be discovered through practicing an intelligent movement system. You can heal injuries, reduce psychological and physical stress. This mindful form of exercise allows for exploration of your own tissue, ligaments, tendons, muscles, bones and organs. At what level do you hold tension, is it superficial or deep? Chance is that the tension can be emotionally charged and self limiting. Is this tension limiting your potential for health or creative expression. There is a flow psychology that must truly be cultivated for Qi Gong to be an effective practice. If you can grasp this method of intelligent movement with an open mindfulness, then flow is there to experience. ( of course you do not have to be a perfiomer to appreciate flow and spontaneity in ones) Taoist influenced systems of self body work were famous for establishing integration of the mind and the body.

The peak and optimum experience for internal arts practitioners was to remain fully conscious in athletic performance ( not being simply reflexive, for performers meaning being in full control and yet working with consumate ease)

Enabling the body to release it's habitual patterns of tension is achieved via smooth, spherical and wave like motion. This type of flow dynamic can lead you to be more present and relaxed and to be comfortable in one's own skin.

This one day Introductory workshop will work on preparatory Qi Gong floorwork, mindful movement followed by the first 4 Core movements of the Hun Yuan Qi Gong of Master Ma Bao Guo.

Discover the key to creating flow patterns and how these somatic patterns of movement can develop an expansive awareness beyond ordinary experience. Qi Gong practice can often be a catalyst for experiencing psychological liberation in all areas of performance, helping one to simply be in the moment.

Come along and explore the flow dynamics inherent to a first class Qi Gong.

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Snake Style Tai Chi ( Yang ) Study Group

Saturday 29h June 2013 11- 4pm £65

In this workshop (Study Group ) we will continue working with the structural elements and movement elements of Grandmaster Ip Tai Tak's Snake Style.

The snake refers to a method of cultivating spinal force, twisting, coiling, so that the practitioner can utilise the core of the body and a subtle working of the ligament connections to the myo-fascial web.

learn what hollow the chest and raise the back really means and how to develop your root
Learn the in depth bio mechanics of setting the shoulders
learn why not to shift weight in Tai Chi Chuan
learn why Push hands is a misnomer

and much more:

This workshop is a follow on from Master Robert Boyd's introduction to Snake Style in October 2011 and is however open to Yang style practitioners or any Tai Chi practitioner of any style who would like to experience this approach was once solely the domain practice of the inner circle of Yang family. Upgrade your form and movement via exponentially translated and transmitted clarification of the essential points and their real meaning.

I am a representative of Master Robert Boyd in the UK and have been working with Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan since 1985, I was a student of Master Chu King Hung , Master John Ding and was also an inner door student of the reclusive Grandmaster Tian Yin Jia of Shanghai, The latter was the son of arguably Chinese greatest Tai Chi Master, the legendary Tian Zhou Lin. Zhou Lin was trained by the Yang family to take challenges and was a full time professional Tai Chi master. I studied with Grandmaster Tian, his son, his first disciple and his second disciple.

Meeting Master Robert Boyd and experiencing the Snake Style approach reminded me of Yang Jian Hou's Middle frame practice which I studied privately in China. Jian Hou's middle frame and the Snake Style have bio-mechanical training practices that do not exist in any other system that I have trained in with the exception of Master Ma Bao Guo's Hun Yuan Xing-i Tai-Ji.

My style of teaching had an equal emphasis on Tai Chi as self directed bodywork with functional movement and anatomy and mindful qi development. My background as a kickboxer, classical dancer, Pilates instructor plus my research and in depth study of western Bodywork plus intensive participation human dissection has given me a deeper perspective to teach Classical Tai Chi. I absolutely have no doubts about the validity and integrity of Master Ip and Master Boyd's work.

Come and experience Grandmaster Ip's Snake Style.

Master Boyd below talks about his experience as the second disciple of Ip Tai Tak.

If you would like to join this group the proceeds will help towards promotion and further study and also to bring Master Boyd back to the UK.. please write me if you have any questions.

Who can attend this Study Group?

Anyone of any style of Tai Chi Chuan who is interested in how it it used. This group is not for complete beginners. If you are a complete beginner and would like to get a way into the snake system, then please let me know and I will do my best to arrange an introductory course asap.

Usually we have people who have studied with some other school , who feel that they have for whatever reason hit a ceiling in practice or who felt they were not getting what Tai Chi had to offer.

Host a Workshop.... if you would like me to come and conduct a workshop for you and your students then please contact me directly. This can act as a preparation for further study with Master Robert Boyd.

Master Boyd's book on the Snake Style, please follow the link: The hidden System of the Yang Family

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Spinal Qi Gong Easter Retreat Scotland 2014

Spinal Qi Gong

12-17th April 2014

A Masterclass on Body Awareness and Body Control

Participating on a retreat is a wonderful way to deepen or to learn a Qi Gong from scratch.
If you are looking for a deeply relaxing getaway, then why not join us for a learning holiday. We have the perfect venue http://www.samyeling.org/index/retreats with authentic teachings. We have run first class retreats and learning holidays for the past 11 years. Learn Hun Yuan Qi Gong to mitigate the pressure of contemporary living.

We are happy to announce the repeated Spinal Qi Gong Retreat for our 2014 retreat in Scotland, this is a unique course for our 14th year of retreats at the Purelands Centre at Samye Ling Monastery Scotland

The total focus of this retreat will be in creating deep awareness and sensing of the tone and quality of Myo-fascia of the back and the spine. We achieve this with a mutli level approach using free body movement, plus self and partnered massage and assisted awareness exercises. This then leads into an appreciation of internal body control by directly working with the energy of the spine and central channel. This method can be expressed throughout any style of Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Ba Gua, Yoga, Pilates, Feldenkrais, Alexander, Dance or movement or as a stand alone spinal method. More advanced levels of Qi Gong Pulse Wave and joint release techniques are on offer also on this retreat along with the meditation/ mindfulness necessary to release physical and energetic blockages.

learn functional anatomy of the spine

access the layers of the spine

work from physical to the energetic pathways in a direct and practical way

dissolve energetic blockages

take your body control to a new level

Learn how to use meditative techniques to enhance ones relaxation and stillness to begin identifying and then releasing (long term) chronic patterns of tension.

Intermediate level practitioners can work explicitly with the spinal mechanics that underpin advanced Qi Gong work, beginners can choose to work within their personal capacity and can also work between the spinal elements whilst learning our basic Hun Yuan set. This is an ideal chance to immerse yourself in an authentic Qi Gong teachings in a wonderful settIng at the purelands retreat centre at Samye Ling Scotland . The retreat will be taught by Chris Ray Chappell, Tudi / Disciple of Grandmaster Ma Bao Guo, Chris also has lineages in Tai Chi, Ba Gua, Hsing-I and Qi Gong.

Investment: £595, includes Full board, all meals and tuition

Real Taoism Workshops and Retreats

Ba Gua Zhang as Contemplative Art Form

Book this workshop online

Member workshop booking £65.00

Non-member workshop booking 80.00

Annual Membership costs only £50.00

The Hun Yuan 8 Tai Chi-Hsing-I Weekend

Book this workshop online

Member workshop booking £120.00

Annual Membership costs only £50.00

Qi Gong Workshop - The Art of Dynamic Flow

Book this workshop online

Member workshop booking £65.00

Non-member workshop booking £75.00

Annual Membership costs only £50.00

Snake Style Tai Chi ( Yang ) Study Group

Book this workshop online

Member workshop booking £65.00

Spinal Qi Gong Easter Retreat Scotland 2014