Center of Power

Upon entering the Center of Power portal, you will find yourself immersed in the Taiji universe – a transformative experience rich in ancient wisdom and self-healing power. 

Our journey begins with an exploration of Taiji through the eyes of modern science, a tour of Western medicine studies proving what the ancients knew to be true – Taiji heals. With this evidentiary foundation pacifying your scientific mind, your heart mind is free to emerge and open to the unseen, yet deeply felt, energetics of Taiji.

Taiji is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only does this ancient dance nourish and support you, but it continues to teach you in unexpected ways. You may be surprised to find that the challenges and triumphs in your personal Taiji experience are actually mirrored in your daily life. With these invaluable tools, you are more than equipped to satisfy your drive for deeper personal growth.

We start by exploring The Way of Energies, the subtle and not so subtle underpinnings of physical life as we know it. Here you become acquainted with your very own center of power and learn to sense and feel its swirling vortex of energy. With a brief trip back in time, we take a walk with the ancients, observe their Taiji methods and carry this wisdom forward to enrich our current day practice. With this growing awareness, qi builds and strengthens while you become whole within yourself.

With these seeds of energetic integration now planted, watered and ready to sprout, it is time to experience whole-body movement - starting with the Seven Taiji Prep Workouts. These Qigong-type exercises integrate body, breath and mind, enabling you to sense the stillness in movement and the movement in stillness. Wake up your physical body with stretching routines, stance work and kicking protocols to improve flexibility, strength and deep rooting. Relax and center yourself through standing meditations that promote inner peace, strengthen mind intent and build internal energetic structure – all in preparation for learning your Taiji form.

It is now time to open the door to the Guang Ping Yang Style Taiji Form. Again, we travel back in time to uncover the origins of this ancient “lost track style” and pinpoint the intrinsic elements that lend the set its unique power. In connecting with the Taiji ancestors, we bring forth a profound precision and deep reverence for this wisdom with which we have been gifted. By embodying these teachings, we become a vessel for this ancient tradition to live on in authenticity.

We start the set with “Strike Palm to Ask Buddha”, the first of 64 movements that comprise the Guang Ping Form. Immerse yourself in the detailed written instructions and multiple videos which will guide you through the learning process. Though this new form of movement may at first feel foreign, with time, practice and diligence, it will become second nature.

Being that it is your first brush with Taiji choreography, Section One of the form may feel the most challenging although it is the simplest. As your comfort grows, however, it carries you through the increasingly difficult sections with ease. In Section Two you learn to maintain composure and channel internal power while moving and kicking in multiple directions. In Section Three, you learn how to perform more advanced techniques such as releasing explosive power. Just as you become secure in one movement, another movement comes along providing a catalyst for higher levels of body-mind-spirit development and life-long learning.

A typical practice session includes 10-20 minutes of prep workout and 30-40 minutes of the form depending on your stage of development. Through dedicated practice, you may complete each lesson and be ready to progress onto the next one every 1-3 weeks. However, keep in mind that the time it takes to complete the Seven Taiji Prep Workouts and Guang Ping Form depends on each individual student. 

Practicing on your own between lessons is the key to building a solid foundation and an essential means of deepening your personal experience. This includes performing and memorizing each new set of movements repetitively until they become more integrated and fixed into body memory, and only then moving onward to the next lesson until the entire form has been learned. 

After completing all 30 lessons from “Strike Palm to Ask Buddha” to “Grand Terminus,” you may be wondering “What’s next?” It is often said that now, after finishing the set, is when the true learning begins. There is no end to the depth of this practice. This beautiful truth transforms an apparent end into yet another exuberant beginning.

This next aspect of your Taiji mastery takes you through the portal of kai qiao (pronounced ‘kai chow’) – the opening of an aperture to a new experience. Entering this space raises your vibrational level and draws you into an enlightened state of awareness. It opens your eyes to the deeper ethereal meaning of Taiji and increases your ability to translate newborn awareness into the physical realm of existence.

Taking this great leap forward endows you with increased insight about the matrix of energies flowing throughout your body. It draws your physical and energetic counterparts into a more harmonious state of being. This serves to enhance your physicality, enliven your spirit and nourish your emotional body while performing the dance. 

Developing greater awareness is gained through enriching your life with deeper levels of Chinese medicine wisdom. Learning about the martial underpinnings of Taiji through the Thirteen Postures and Playing Push Hands deepens your energetic practice. Advanced experiential exercises enhance ability to work with qi and learning Guang Ping as a left-handed set balances your brain. Reaching this pinnacle of expertise holds the potential to transform your Tàijí experience, your health and your way of living.