Naturalness is called the Way...
The Way has no name or form;
it is just the Essence...
just the Primal Spirit.
Essence and Life are invisible,
so they are associated with Sky and Light....
Sky and Light are invisible,
so they are associated with the two eyes.
The Celestial Mind is like a house;
the Light is the master of the house.
Therefore, once you turn the Light around,
the Energies throughout the Body all Rise.
Just turn the Light around;
this is the unexcelled Sublime Truth....

~ Ancestor Lu DongBin

Opening the Energy Gates

In Qigong, Neigong and Taoist Yoga Practice 'Opening' is a big theme. We open Meridians, Energy Gates, and Energy Centers. The Energy Gates we may view as having an 'Inner' and 'Outer' aspect. We have the '5 Outer Gates' and the '9 Inner Gates'. The '9 Inner Gates' sometimes termed the '9 Caldrons' are the places where meridians connect in the body, and move from one area to another - for example for energy to pass from the arm into the torso, the meridians must pass through the Energy Gate located in the Shoulder Joint. The 'Inner Energy Gates' are usually located in the major joint spaces - or more specifically in the 'Empty Space' between the bones of a joint, and also found in the spinal cord. The Energy Gates often become blocked, and this can cause stagnant energy, stiffness, pain, emotional imbalance and limits the movement of Energy through the Meridian system....

- Learn more about Qigong and Taoist Inner Alchemy in our upcoming Online Program...

The True Human Unifies with Nature and equalises all things.

The True Human is empty, yet is also everything.

The True Human is unconscious, yet is also everywhere.

The True Human of old slept without Dreaming, and woke without anxiety. 

The True Human ate without concern, and breathed deeply.

The breath of the True Human arose from the depth of the feet - while the Common Human breathes in a shallow manner from the throat.

The True Human of old knew neither to love life, nor to hate death. 

They offered no resistance.

The True Human of old received with delight anything that came into their life, and let go of anything that had been lost or forgotten.

The True Human’s mind was free from all thought.

Their way was one of stillness and silence.

Shining with simplicity.

The True Human was in Harmony with all things –

without any mind of knowledge.

~ Chuang Tzu

Listen with the Heart

During the practice of Taoist Breath Work - ...

Nurturing Energy, forget words and guard it,

Conquer the mind, do non-doing.

The Human body is only Vitality, Energy & Spirit.

Vitality, Energy & Spirit ~ the 'Three Treasures'.

These Three Treasures are what makes up a human being,

and are at the very root of our health, vitality and spiritual expression.

~ Ancestor Lu DongBin

 HEALTH - Harmony of Energy

The main focus in the practice of Taoist Yoga is the development and balance of ‘Qi’ Energy.

Qi Energy can be viewed as the ‘Universal Life Force’, and is the underlying essence of all life, development and creation.

When our Qi Energy is in balance, we experience health, vitality, happiness and internal harmony.

When our Qi Energy is in a state of unbalance, we can experience sickness, emotional unbalance, chronic pain and fatigue.

The first aim of the practice of Taoist Yoga is to gain a smooth flow of Qi Energy, and an internal balance of Qi Energy, which gives one the experience...

Immortal Arts - Stages in Development

The Immortal Arts Method - a modern day approach to Taoist Neigong and the Art of Inner Alchemy - bringing one to greater health, healing, harmony and leading one to the Discovery of True Self.

During the Practice of Taoist Inner Alchemy - we use three aspects of Self -

Our Body, Mind and Breath.

The Mind is something that becomes clear, sharp and more focused the longer we continue the practice - this means that our ability in Focus or the ability to Concentrate our Intention and keeping to the Center of our Dantian improves.

If we look at the process of learning the Art of Taoist Inner Alchemy - we may see that there are forms, postures, shapes and combinations of movements that we practice.

The movements and shapes follow a unique pattern - they are circular -

Circular movement and physical shapes aid in the development and smooth flow of Healing Energy. To create these shapes and movement patterns in our practice - we must use the...

 Immortal Arts - Gateway to the Tao

The 5 Gates of Change are five unique Stages of Self Transformation.

Within the practice of the Immortal Arts Method, the student shall pass through Three Unique Stages of Transformation.

1. Transformation of Body

2. Transformation of Energy

3. Transformation of Spirit

   As the student moves through the  ‘3 Stages of Transformation’, they shall pass through the  ‘5 Gates of Change’  - five unique stages of Self Transformation.
   

4. Gate of Awakening ~ Awakening to a new view of life, living, and a new view of our connection with nature. Awakening the vital healing energy flow that lies within. Awakening and opening the energy channels and energy centers.

5. Gate of Nurture ~ The ability of self nurturing through practice grows. Through this practice, self healing begins to take place. Inner Balance begins to grow.

6. Gate of Transform ~ Body transforms, energy transforms, consciousness transforms. The negative...

Summer Solstice is a time of the Growing Yang Principle....

The Way of Taoist Practice that we teach in the Immortal Arts System contains three general levels we progress through in the learning, which can be simply thought of as first dealing with the body, second learning about the cycles of nature, and lastly how to gain a Union of Self and Nature.

* First we will learn about the inner rhythms, development and cycles of Energy in our own body - through the act of self practice in the Immortal Arts Qigong System.
* Second we will study and learn about the rhythms, patterns and cycles of Energy we may find within nature - this includes the cycle of the four seasons, and the movement of the sun and moon - this is all organised in the Taoist Energetic Calendar, which includes the dates, and times of practice we follow throughout the year, in order to follow these cycles.  The 24 Solar Nodes Calendar is one important tool we use in this learning.
* Lastly, we learn the method and...

In the practice of Qigong, Neigong and Taoist Yoga we are taught various aspects of the Energy Body, such as the 'Energy Gates' and the '8 Spiritual Vessels'. Learning about our Energetic Anatomy is a very important step in our ‘Awakening’. Awakening to our True Nature as divine, ‘Energetic Beings’. We are not limited to just this physical form of our ‘Body’ and the physical world. We also have a vibrant, dynamic, and sacred ‘Energy Body’.

As we begin to learn about our Energy Body, one of the first and very important concepts  has to do with our 'Energy Gates'. In learning about our Energy Gates, first we must understand, we have two types or qualities of Energy Gates – these are the Inner Gates and the Outer Gates.

The Inner Energy Gates are the places where the Energetic Meridians connect in the body, and move from one area to another - for example for energy to pass from the arm into the torso, the meridians...

During the practice of Taoist Breath Work you shall look as if you were doing nothing on the outside, yet all things within the body are changing and transforming on the inside;

leading you to an internal state of Stillness,,Tranquility and Complete Emptiness.

The situation shall come naturally through the proper practice of Tao Breath Training; without your consciousness being involved.

This state is not created by the use of the Mind, nor is this state imagined through Visualization.

Listening to the Breathing can lead you to a deep state of inner tranquility and clarity with all thoughts and mental motion coming to reside upon one single point, a single unified field of Pure Living Awareness - this is the Path to Return  to your Pristine Original Nature.

This Listening is not done with the Ears – 

this is a Listening done with the Heart…

Taoist Longevity Breathing

Return to Childhood Breathing – Awaken the Subtle Breath -

The Taoist Breath...

Too many steps have been taken returning,
to the Root and the Source.
Better to have been blind and deaf from the beginning..!
Dwelling in One's True Abode,
unconcerned with that without --
The river flows tranquilly on and the flowers are red...

From the beginning, truth is clear. Poised in silence, I observe the forms of integration and disintegration. One who is not attached to 'form' need not be 'reformed'. The water is emerald, the mountain is indigo, and I see that which is creating and that which is destroying...

- Kaku-an

* Kaku-an was a 12th Century Zen Master from China. Kaku-an is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese Zen Master's name which is - Kuòān Shīyuǎn (廓庵師遠). He produced a famous series and commentary on the 10 Ox herding pictures - which describe the stages one progresses through on the Path to Enlightenment, Transformation of the Heart, and Awakening to One's True Nature.