By Paul Cavel, Posted 8 January 2010
Here we are emerging from another period of overindulgence with all the excess food and drink courtesy of the religious and/or capitalist winter rituals. It is of course an assault on the digestive and cardiovascular systems, but the liver ultimately takes the brunt of the punishment. So the following is a few tips to help you recover and get back to moving toward more life…
By Paul Cavel, Posted 5 January 2010
Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in more filming and sound recordings for the online bagua course my teacher Bruce Frantzis is in the midst of producing in
By Paul Cavel, Posted 1 January 2010
First and foremost, there’s a lot of material that sits between classic qigong and classic meditation. I’m not qualified to teach Taoist meditation. However, I am qualified and capable of teaching the overlapping material intrinsic to both qigong and meditation with my teacher’s consent.
By Paul Cavel, Posted 1 January 2010
My nature retreats are designed to help you deeply connect with the planet and its energy. When I lived outdoors for three years, I found that my chi—and my practice in general—grew tremendously as my body adjusted to the powerful natural energies for which I was totally immersed. So, here I am offering teachings to help you develop your sensitivity and ability to absorb environmental energies.
By Paul Cavel, Posted December 2009
In most forms of qigong, bagua and tai chi, you are turning, bending, stretching and/or moving around your practice space. As you do, your eyes involuntarily focus on objects in your field of vision. They remain fixed there until they jump to the next object.
By Paul Cavel, Posted November 2009
If you’ve been practising the spherical material from June and July’s tips, then you’re probably beginning to at least develop some idea about how you open your body in a spherical way. Fully embodying spherical principles in your forms takes years of dedicated practise, so don’t be in a rush.
By Paul Cavel, Posted October 2009
Taoist energy arts are not limited to standing and moving. In fact there are five modes of practice, which also include lying down, sitting and partner exercises. Moving and sitting practices form a continuum with each reinforcing the other. Alternating between the two has been practised by the diehards for millennia.
By Paul Cavel, Posted September 2009
I don’t have to tell you that during the day, stress and tension have a way of building up. In our extremely visual world—with books, television, signs, cell phones, computers and all kinds of gadgetry—a lot of the tension ends up in our eyes and nervous system. I’ve got a few exercises that will help you recognise when your eyes are becoming overloaded and what to do about it.
By Paul Cavel, Posted August 2009
The alignments discussed this month build on the previous set that I sent out in February. If you didn’t practise them, I suggest that you do for at least a week or two before moving on to this deeper work to get the maximum benefits. You need to have relaxed and released a certain amount of tension and become familiar with adjusting the body in this specific manner before proceeding with this set.
By Paul Cavel, Posted July 2009
All the information offered in this month’s tip is as related to Gods Playing in the Clouds qigong, bagua and tai chi. When you have this spherical work in your body it will come out in all Taoist practices from sitting to interactive, as well as the beginning modules of qigong like Heaven and Earth.