Sunday, August 10, 2008

The Body's Center, Chinese-style

As you may know, the power-centering exercises I share in The Woman's Belly Book and teach in my workshops are moves I've adapted from a number of healing arts -- including tai chi, qigong (a.k.a. chi kung), and an invigorating Japanese style of yoga developed by Masahira Oki.

These exercises, gathered into The Gutsy Women's Workout, use movement and breath to energize the body's center. In Japanese, this onepoint within the hara -- the belly -- is called the tanden. In Chinese, it's called the tan tien.

Continuing my love affair with the body's center, I've recently begun studying with seasoned qigong teacher Michael Winn. I've been thrilled to experience the ways in which qigong practices, rooted in the ancient Chinese philosophy of the Tao (the Way of nature), affirm and expand what I've learned in my own journey of discovery during the past several years.

Having taken four of Michael's classes since November 2007 (and always ready for more), I can say he teaches with a deep understanding of the body as an energy field rooted in the belly's center, the tan tien.

If you're interested, here's how, when, and where to start -- with Michael's classes in Asheville, NC in the Inner Smile and Qigong Fundamentals 1 & 2. Click on the links below for more info. And prepare yourself in advance by downloading the free e-book, Way of the Inner Smile, from the top left section at www.healingtaousa.com.

Inner Smile
Evening Lecture & Meditation

Qigong Fundamentals 1 & 2

Day 1: Five Animals Qigong, Six Healing Sounds, and more.

Day 2: Micro-cosmic Orbit, the Taoist meditation that unifies all the core energy centers into a flowing whole.