Tranquil Retreats - News

Tranquil Retreats Summer Update 2020

Welcome to our Summer Update 2020 which includes information on our future plans & offerings as well as short articles written by Shi XingFa on TAI CHI & QI GONG which are directly related to methods taught in Online LIVE classes in the recent few months and relevant to your training.

TAI CHI article - NeiGong & NeiJing the Inner Skill & Power of TAI CHI
LiuZiJue QI GONG article - The Science of Sound QI GONG
BaDuanJin QI GONG article - ShaoLin Temple, the Path of Chan

The future of "In Person" Group classes?
Currently the future of Group classes, beyond the 6 including instructor in outdoor spaces, is uncertain until the Government has re assessed post the July measures implementation. There will obviously need to be a vast variety of new protocols put into practice to ensure that Group classes, especially indoor classes, do not provide a vehicle for cross contamination.

We will continue to run classes Online LIVE for the near future and will resume Group classes - with stringent protocols in place - once the Government and the National Governing body for Group exercise have agreed and implemented a safe way forward.

Will Online LIVE classes continue to run once Group classes are re-established?
Yes, so for all of you who are currently training our Online LIVE classes from around the UK & Europe the good news is that we will continue to offer Online LIVE classes so that geographical location does not obstruct your participation in either TAI CHI or QI GONG classes.

Online LIVE Workshops; 1-1 Training & Therapies
Monthly Online LIVE Workshops will continue as will Online LIVE 1-1 Training & Therapies with plans for the latter two options to also be phased back into "In Person" sessions over the Summer.

New Online training programs
There are plans underway for Online training programs in both TAI CHI & QI GONG for those who wish to learn & train in their own time; at their own pace, and not in an Online LIVE environment.
This will also allow access to training for students who cannot attend in person classes due to geographical location or time constraints.
Training support will be provided for those enrolled in these TAI CHI & QI GONG training programs with full information detailed in the courses.

TAI CHI article

NeiGong & NeiJing the Inner Skill & Power of TAI CHI

Nei - Inner & Wai - Outer are very different expressions of body movement. TAI CHI develops the NeiGong - Inner skill, in order to achieve NeiJing - Inner power, through it's extremely unique methods.

The aspects of still meditation, Qi cultivation and movement are all utilised to grow the NeiGong. At a certain point in one's practice this NeiGong - Inner skill, blossoms into NeiJing - Inner Power. This usually takes many years, hence the traditional way of practicing each movement multitudes of times, to accelerate the process and embed TAI CHI into the sub conscious.

Once NeiGong - Inner Skill, has transformed into NeiJing - Inner Power, the results are truly impressive.

In China TV shows are very popular as is Traditional Culture such as TAI CHI. In the video below you can see 75 year old Chen XiaoWang, 19th Generation Lineage Holder of Chen Family Taijiquan, challenged by Long Wu, a Chinese strongman (who can lift cars & push lorries around) to 3 one minute rounds of wrestling - the objective to wrestle the opponent off the circle.

This is a great example of NeiGong & NeiJing in action...

(go to 13:49 of the video clip to see how strong Long Wu actually is)
(go to 17:45 of the video clip to see the wrestling match: Chen XiaoWang vs Long Wu)


For Full Screen view first Press Play and then click on the Square icon in the bottom right corner of the actual video clip

LiuZiJue QI GONG ARTICLE

The Science of Sound QI GONG

LiuZiJue is a very old form of QiGong which appeared in traditional Chinese medical literature written by Tao Hongjing, a prominent figure of the Maoshan School of Daoism (Southern and Northern Dynasties 420 - 589).

This 6 sound QiGong form was extolled by Tao Hongjing in his treatise "Caring for the Health of the Mind and Prolonging the Life Span".

LiuZiJue QiGong with it's 6 movements for the Qi/Vital energies of the Heart, Spleen, Lungs, Kidney, Liver & Pericardium incorporates both sound energy & breathing skills.

"One has only one way for inhalation, but six for exhalation - chui, hu, xi, he, xu and si.
Chui gets rid of heat, Hu sweeps away wind, Xi eliminates worries, He promotes the circulation of energy, Xu drives away cold and Si reduces stress.
Those with heart disease should practice Chui, and Hu to drive away cold and heat.
Those with lung disease should practice Xu, to relieve swelling.
Those who have spleen trouble should practice Xi to eliminate stress.
As for those who suffer from a liver disease, He will cure it." sup>1

1Chinese Health Qi Gong Association


Sound energy is both well known and extensively used from ultra sound to shamanic rattles & drumming; Tibetan singing bowls to Gong baths, and listening to music whether man made or created by nature - bird song, sound of the ocean's waves, wind through leaves or the flowing water of a stream.

What did the Daoist priests know that Science now reveals?

Jonathan Goldman is a Healing Sounds pioneer with over 40 years spent researching, experiencing and teaching how to use sound for healing and transformation from nearly every aspect of the sound field. In his 3 articles on the power of Sound, benefits such as the reduction of stress, release of melatonin, lowering of heart rate and blood pressure as well as the release of Nitric Oxide are mentioned.

Here are some excerpts from his articles (full links to articles below):

"Dr. Deitrich Klinghardt, a German MD and Ph.D, (and many others) in peer review journals say that the increase in NO (nitric oxide) in the nasal cavity could be potentially effective as an anti-viral agent. " "Simple Humming while exhaling instantly increases the nitric oxide concentration in the nasal passages and sinuses - the very tissues, where Covid-19 lingers for many days before infecting other tissues" (Weitzberg, Eddie, and Jon ON Lundberg.
"Humming greatly increases nasal nitric oxide." American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine 166.2 (2002): 144-145.)

"Dr. John Beaulieu, has shown that when cells in petri dishes experienced the vibratory sounds of a tuning fork, the cells gave off NO (nitric oxide). Self-created sounds such as humming seem to act as a sonic massage to our body, resonating the cells and structure of our body."

"Melatonin also seems to have anti-viral ability. As an example, here is a peer reviewed paper on that research. Some scientists speculate that since Melatonin levels decrease as we get older, that Melatonin may be particularly useful for the "at risk" population. Therefore, we conjecture that the release of Melatonin through humming may be another powerful reason to hum. Among other things, as noted it's a great way to help get to sleep at night. And a good night's sleep is always beneficial!"

"The other way that sound affects us is called "vibro-acoustics." This is when the sound waves resonate with our physical body. It is, if you like, the ability of the sounds to affect us directly on a physical level, vibrating us on a cellular level - which includes our DNA and molecules.
To quote an article from the NY Times Science Section (from Feb. 8, 1988), sound can "make, break or rearrange molecules." That's pretty impressive."


All excerpts taken from below articles by Jonathan Goldman (www.healingsounds.com):
Sound Immunity - Part 1
Sound Immunity - Part 2
Sound Immunity - Part 3

BaDuanJin QI GONG ARTICLE

ShaoLin Temple - the Path of Chan

The legendary ShaoLin Temple was founded by DaMo (Bodhidharma) circa 497, who taught certain methods to his disciples.
This way of practice is embodied in the ShaoLin BaDuanJin and is poetically expressed in the classics,

"DaMo passed down the herb of cultivating the body;
top to the NiWan & bottom to the YongQuan.
(When) Qi reaches the navel, the White Crane flies.
When reversing the image & at the beginning of training where you are still crossing your legs, transporting (Qi), living, sitting, and lying down, you must remember,
Jing should be abundant and Shen should be complete, the Qi will naturally be round (smooth).
Shen & Qi are plenty, the glow will not be extinguished.
Again, it is different from other styles.

If someone is able to recognise this information, (he will be able to) harden himself like gold stone and be tough like metal.
You must be alert at every move and step.
This is the real oral secret from the immortal fairy.
You must remember YiJinJing firmly, train your entire body like raw iron.
Only then will you be able to fly your body to the Golden Palace."2

2Qigong, The Secret of Youth - Da Mo's Muscle/Tendon Changing and Marrow/Brain Washing Classics by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming


The ShaoLin methods allow transformation to occur at all levels and change to an extra ordinary degree is a potential as can be seen, for example, by Shi LiLiang, as he walks on water.


For Full Screen view first Press Play and then click on the Square icon in the bottom right corner of the actual video clip


These expansive levels of Health & Wellness allow one to enjoy a full life throughout the passage of time as shown by this 80 year old ShaoLin Master's demonstration.


For Full Screen view first Press Play and then click on the Square icon in the bottom right corner of the actual video clip


Daily practice with the Mind and Heart Qi in harmony is the Path to the top of this Mountain peak of self realisation.