When I remember my first steps in internal martial arts and in the practice of Taoist alchemy, the first thing that comes to my mind is to recognize that we need to refine our physical body, mind, and spirit every day.
Taoist Masters call this refining process Liang Yi.
And it is that through this process and practice we are renewing our energy.
My Master called it "awakening the sleeping dragon that lives within us".
What kind of energy are we truly renewing in a world where negative emotions and daily overthinking slowly consume and kill us?
What kind of energy and food are we giving to "the machine" that we call the "body" with amounts of sugar, processed food, chemicals, and preservatives?
The future is an epidemic of overweight and obesity with tons of medical prescriptions that people accumulate day by day in their homes.
The Taoists also teach us that food is pure energy and our body is the mirror of what we eat.
What kind of energy do we create in our body when we live in a society so hectic and submerged in stress that only the privileged get to sleep 5 hours?
What kind of energy do we create in our body when we don't dedicate a moment to the practice of exercising it, respecting it, nurturing it, and treating it as it should be?
These are just some of the few pearls that the Taoists teach us in their daily practice of cultivating a long and healthy life.
So when you begin the practice of these pearls, you begin to discover a new inner world that is alive within you.
Within Taoist alchemy and immortality, Tai Chi is another of the dragon's pearls that connects us with the supreme energy of heaven and earth.
It is so that when we practice Tai Chi we are in the present. Our mind relaxes and our breath flows in harmony reaching the fragrance of the true Tao.
I would like to invite you to experience the dragon pearls that we will work on together in our next Workshop.
Join us on Saturday, December 17th, 2022 with the "Taichi of the eight Taoist Immortals and Taoist Alchemy".
You will learn to nourish yourself and maintain your health with the true energetic root of Chinese Medicine.
The Taoist Eight Immortals Tai Chi is the original Tai Chi and includes these principles:
1. Five elements of Wu Xing (fire, wood, earth, metal, and water)
2. Eight directions of the Bagua.
This is a one-time opportunity workshop because this esoteric form is not as well known in the United States as other styles of Tai Chi.
Come and experience how our body is like a spider web connected with the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) and emotions.
If you are looking to improve the quality of your life, this workshop is for you!
For more information click here.
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Thank you so much for reading our blog! In our next post, we will talk about Autumn health and how we can best attune emotionally and physically to the season using traditional Chinese medicine and Taoist principles.
Looking forward to seeing you at the Dragon Cave!
Love & Qi!
Master Shifu Orlando Schiaffino