Cancelled

CANCELLATION – This program will be rescheduled in the Fall.

Requirement: Qigong 3

Iron has the quality of hardness, but tempered by fire, will become soft and flexible, ready to form limitless shapes. Silk has the quality of softness, but when the fibers are woven together, they form the strongest bonds.

Qigong 4 is the balance and integration of Iron and Silk. Enter the world of Wudangshan qigong to build the Iron of external strength. Continue your exploration of breath regulation to weave the Silk of internal strength.

Your introduction to Iron begins with the Tiger and Dragon forms of the Wudangshan Five Animals. Wudang means martial-art dominant, and its qigong is used to build the strength and flexibility required for martial arts training. The Tiger builds bone strength and the Dragon trains flexibility in the spine. When you practice these forms, the Iron of your muscles, tendons, and bones will become strong yet soft and pliable.

Your experience of Silk is through the qigong of Immortals’ Guide and Red Phoenix, when you use breath to move qi through the muscles, tendons, and bones. Through breath regulation, the Silk of your muscular-skeletal system will become soft yet strong and firm.

The highlight of Qigong 4 is a special evening of practice devoted to Organ Cleansing. Toxins enter our organs daily, introducing impurities into qi that is stored in them. Learn how to strengthen your organs, cleanse them, and make them suitable vessels for holding qi.

This level ends with the final two postures of Standing Qigong, the culmination of stabilizing the benefits of your Iron and Silk training.

The cultivation of body needs to be balanced by the cultivation of mind. Therefore, shamatha meditation (as taught in the Shambhala Centers) will be integrated with qigong practice throughout the program.

This program is not recommended beyond the first trimester of pregnancy. 

Dale Asrael studies qigong with, and has been authorized to teach by, Daoist lineage-holder Eva Wong. She leads retreats and meditation programs internationally. She has taught as Core Faculty at Naropa University since 1992 in the M.A. Buddhist Studies, Contemplative Education, and Counseling programs, and is an Upadhyaya (Buddhist minister). 

Our Generosity Policy: We have a generosity policy to make our offerings available to all who wish to participate. If the program price is an obstacle, please consider what works for you and “enter an amount.”

Repeat participants are welcome to a 50% discount.

For those who can offer more than the program price, we have a “Patron Price.” Your generosity in offering the patron price helps cover the costs for others who are not able to pay the full price.