Taoist Bodywork Series
The Taoist Bodywork Continuing Education Series
at Asheville School of Massage & Yoga
This 3-part course provides Bodyworkers with certification in Taoist Bodywork Levels I, II, and III through NCBTMB. Each level consists of 50 hours divided over 3 weekends. There are no pre-requisites and levels can be taken out of sequence. All classes will be held at Asheville School of Massage and Yoga. Classes will be taught by Peter Shea, L.Ac. and Joanne Shea, LMBT.
These courses provide professionals with the tools, skills, and understanding of Taoist Bodywork to implement immediately into their practices and lay a foundation for the lifelong learning that is Taoism, Qigong, and Chinese Medicine. Taoism holds a record of the ancient Life Sciences and Art of Living from before the written word. Based on the teachings of lineages and ancient texts, Taoism provides a window into universal, timeless wisdom and healing arts. These arts are intended to provide each unique person with guidelines for deepening their unique awareness and connection to Heaven, Earth, and the Tao.
These ancient practices have been constantly adapted to meet the needs of the times and today is no different. These practices and this medicine is as relevant today as it was 3,000 years ago. These practices echo back to a time when yin and yang were balanced, when humans lived in harmony with nature, and leaders were wise. They hold out the promise that a time of harmony will come again, brought about by each person finding peace within themselves. They also provide the necessary skills to stay grounded, centered, strong, healthy, focused, and compassionate during challenging times.
The Taoist Bodywork Program teaches practical healthcare skills for empowering practitioners and patients with the tools to understand and take care of their own health, and with modalities to address their immediate needs and condition. This course focuses primarily on Asian Bodywork Techniques, Taoist/Chinese Medicine Philosophy, and Qigong exercises for learning the bodywork techniques and directly experiencing the qi and energetic anatomy and physiology of Chinese Medicine. These practices work well immediately for beginners and, through self-cultivation and experience, these skillsets become vehicles for transmitting qi and awareness in order to remove blockages to health and vitality.
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Level I:
50 CE Hours – $900
APRIL 15-17 - MAY 14-15 - JUNE 11-12
Qigong Forms
-Rehabilitative Qigong for Specific Conditions-
Simple exercises (often the most profound!) that are body-part specific and make great warm-ups and teaching tools for clients’s conditions.
-8 Sections of Brocade-
A qigong that we can use on a spectrum from calisthenic to healing to spiritual, depending on speed and intentionality. Great training for developing qi stamina for bodywork!
-Pole Star Stances/Buddha Palms-
A static form designed to get qi in the hands for healing. If a practitioner cannot feel qi, often they won’t believe in qi. The best cure for this is feeling qi and the easiest place to feel qi is in the hands. Once a person can feel qi, they are on their way to feeling it in their entire body and can decide for themselves what this means to them.
-5 Elements Qigong-
We learn to connect with the 5 elements in order to understand, heal, and work with the organ and meridian systems of the body for healing.
Bodywork
-Tui Na-
We learn the hand techniques that are Tui Na. These massage movements allow us to send waveforms through our hands that reverberate through the client’s body, sending information in and giving back information about the client’s structure and blockages. These movements are fun and rhythmic and provide a nice massage immediately and as we get more comfortable with these techniques, we begin to be able to direct our force and intentionality where we want it to go. We will learn to do a full-body Tui Na treatment in Level I.
-Acupressure-
We will be learning to stimulate specific acupoints, meridians, and bodyparts with both strong and subtle acupressure. As our hands learn the waveforms of Tui Na, they begin to transmit these waveforms during acupressure, even when applying basic finger, thumb, palm, or elbow pressure.
-Cranial-Sacral Acupressure-
Through learning to listen to the cranial-sacral rhythm we begin to attune to subtler and subtler levels of the energy body and discover that it is the same rhythm as the qi pulse! We can connect with acupoints and Taoist energetic through a cranial-sacral rhythm-based touch and provide a vehicle for qi emission and healing intentions to activate the meridian systems.
-Chi Nei Tsang-
Taoist abdominal/hara work designed by the ancients to detoxify organs in order to hold higher charges for their spiritual practices. Hands-on abdominal work combined with qigong and breath awareness is one of the most powerful and direct ways of working with the Taoist energy bodies. The navel is the seat of our embodiment and the 1st of our 3 original wounds/traumas. It is the gateway to pre-natal energies and our birth trauma. This work can be very subtle energy work, but with cooperation with your client, you may be surprised to find you can allow your elbow to rest on the front of the lumbar spine without resistance or discomfort.
-Moxibustion-
The burning of moxa, or mugwort, over acupoints, meridians, and body areas with a rolled stick of moxa. This is one of the oldest forms of medicine, older than acupuncture. It is a form of heat therapy that is very nourishing and can tonify the body, remove damp and cold from the body, increase circulation of qi and blood, and provides a soothing smell and pleasant smoke for healing. Originally, all healing was a clearing away of unbeneficial spirits and moxibustion powerfully evokes this ancestral archetype.
-Cupping and Gua Sha-
We will learn 2 techniques used in Chinese Medicine to move blood in the body and to clear trapped pathogens from the body through the skin. In cupping, we learn to apply glass cups to the body to move blood stasis, and in gua sha, we learn to scrape the body with various tools in order to release the exterior.
Taoist Chinese Medical Theory and Philosophy
In Level 1 we provide the framework for Taoist Bodywork. The Taoist Energy Anatomy and Physiology are maps that show us how our mind/body/spirit, our emotions, psychology and karma, the choices we make and the curriculum we were born with all interact to create our sense of health or sickness. These are powerful models of spirituality, health, and depth psychology that help us see how best to guide our health and assist in the healing of others.
-The Three Treasures-
Jing, Qi, and Shen. Here we learn about energy metabolism and the unfolding of our lives. If our lives were a candle, jing would be the wax and wick, qi would be the fire and shen would be the light the candle gives off. This model is one of the best guides for how to manage our internal resources.
-The Microcosmic Orbit, 12 Chakra Vortices, and the 3 Tan Tiens-
We will learn the dynamics and the pathways of our central channels and the overlay of chakras and acupoints along the channels. We will learn the 3 major energy centers of Taoist cultivation and their relationship to the 3 treasures and the etheric field.
-The 5 Elements and the Zang-Fu Organs-
We will be learning the many properties, the emotions, the virtues, and the pathologies of the organ systems and their interactions. Chinese Medicine calls this Zang-Fu theory and it is a lens into the shamanic wisdom of the spirits of the organs.
-The Meridian Matrix-
We learn the pathways of the 12 primary meridians and the 8 extra channels. We will cover the pathways, their energetics, and the main points we will be using. The pathways are the hero’s journey of self-discovery and have evocative names such as Primordial Child, Spirit Root, and Heavenly Pivot, pointing to the potential of their energetic if we can access them. Levels II and III will continue this exploration in more detail.
-5 Channel Theory and the Layers of the Body-
We will learn the big picture of Taoist A & P and learn which types of issues are most exemplary of which meridian systems and hone our ability to apply intentionality and directionality to the appropriate level of the body. In Level I we learn which systems bodywork excels at working with. With self-cultivation we can work with all systems, but some of the systems are easier than others to access with our hands. However, qigong is often the most effective way to engage any of the channels.
-Western A & P-
We shall discuss relevant Western anatomy and physiology and musculo-skeletal anatomy and kinesiology as it applies to our understanding of the body’s interconnectedness. As modern Westerners and Bodyworkers, there is no shortage of powerful information that brings Taoist Medicine to life. The work of Reich, Jung, Barbara Brennan, Upledger and so many others come to mind. As we learn Chinese Medicine we begin to filter and translate information back and forth between Eastern, Western, Ancient and Modern systems. That is an ongoing practice that I find extremely rewarding!
Please visit the School’s page to Register
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Level II:
Taoist Bodywork for Orthopedics
50 CE Hours
Level 2 will build on the information and bodywork techniques of Level 1 to more specifically address
the musculo-skeletal system, structural balance, and specific conditions. We will focus on the Tendino-muscular or Sinew Channels, the relationships between the Bones, the Marrow, and the Brain in Taoist Medicine, Dit/Dat or Martial Arts medicine, the 3 Stages of Trauma, and take a more in-depth look at musculo-skeletal/myofascial structures and how they relate to the embodied soul. We will learn Qigong forms that allow us to explore our skeleton more directly and continue learning Bodywork techniques to address specific conditions and for structural balancing.
Theory
-1. Tendino-muscular or Sinew Channels-
We will learn the pathways of the sinew channels, the specific
muscle groups associated with them, and the main points, areas, and techniques to use to work with
them. We will also explore the somatic psychology associated with different “body armoring” patterns.
-2. Dit/Dat Medicine-
This translates as “Hit/Fall” medicine associated with the Martial Arts traditions. It
is no surprise that martial artists developed a wide range of injury medicine and medicine for training.
These techniques work very well for all 3 stages of trauma, from acute to chronic, and are readily
applicable to sports medicine and orthopedics. We will learn the 3 Stages of Trauma and what are the
best internal and external herbs, formulas, bodywork and exercises to treat them. Exploring physical
trauma also provides insight into the processes of emotional trauma.
-3. Jing- Bones, Essence, and Marrow-
From Three Treasures theory of Jing, Qi, and Shen, we will
learn the Curious Organs of Taoist Medicine and how they relate to the dissemination of genetic
information and spiritual lessons through our physical structure and body-armoring. We will look at the
8 Extraordinary Meridians and how they relate to core holding patterns and imprinting that often need
to be addressed to treat orthopedic conditions efficiently.
-4. Taoist A & P-
We will take a more in-depth look at the physical A& P of the body, focusing on the key areas of
the body for maintaining structure in the field of gravity. We will learn about the Psoas(the Soil of the
Soul in Taoist Medicine), the Diaphragm(the Spirit Muscle), the SCM’s(home to the Windows of the Sky
points),the Skull(our crystal caverns), the sacrum(the sacred bone), the scapula(the wings of our heart),
the ribs(our gills) and the relationship of our sphincter system to the embodied soul, or Po, in Taoist
Medicine. We will also look at myofascial structures and patterns, their relationship to the viscera and
how all these can work to keep our structure “stuck,” or allow us to flow.
QiGong Forms
-1. Tian Gan Exercises-
Also known as “heavenly stem” exercises, these movements are from the Martial
Arts traditions and help us free up the rotational axis of the spine and skeleton, allowing us to tune into
our client’s and our own skeleton.
-2. 18 Buddha Palm’s Qigong-
These exercises are an athletic Qigong blend of Shaolin Kung Fu and Yoga
movements. These movements are excellent at freeing and strengthening the body and for working
with the 8 Extra Meridians for feeling the movement of jing qi in the body.
-3. The Daily Dozen-
we will continue to use the Daily Dozen, warm-ups, and other simple qigongs.
These become more profound as we return to them after doing other qigong forms and as teaching
tools for our client’s orthopedic conditions.
Bodywork
In Level 2, we will expand upon the modalities from Level 1, adding new techniques and honing our
focus on treating specific conditions, and body regions. We will continue to refine our ability to work
with force, flow, directionality, and intentionality. As we work more at the bone level we will continue
learning to apply relaxed force to the body. As we gain the ability to move fluidly and apply relaxed
force, we find that the client’s body does not resist our pressure and that our force comes from our
structural alignment with the Earth and gravity.
We will continue to learn Tui Na, learn more acupoints to use, use Taoist Abdominal Massage(Chi Nei
Tsang) for structural purposes, use Cranial-Sacral touch to help the body integrate and to free up the
cranial bones to adapt to/facilitate structural changes, and apply gua sha, cupping and pole moxa. We
will begin to feel how Tui Na relates to osteopathy, and build upon our joint range-of motion and release
techniques.
We will also begin to work with external liniments, soaks, plasters and poultices from the Dit/Dat
traditions and the use of tonic herbs for training purposes.
Some of the conditions we will address are: sciatica, shoulder pain, elbow tendinitis, carpal tunnel,
lumbago, knee pain, plantar fasciitis, neck pain and headache.
Please visit the School’s page to Register
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Level 3:
Alchemy- Taoist Bodywork for Transformation
50 CE Hours
In Level 3, we will directly explore the spiritual aspects of Taoism, known as alchemy, and how we
can apply these to bodywork. We will build upon the modalities of Level 1 and add new
techniques in order to address spiritual growth, karmic work, and personal transformation. This
information has its roots in deep antiquity and shamanic medicine of the Wu. These traditions
have been kept alive by many lineages and we are blessed to be able to have access to these
bodies of wisdom at this time of mass spiritual transformation. Taoist teachings are very
compatible with the many other wisdom traditions kept alive on the planet and the synergy of
these traditions is exciting as we approach the emergence of something new for humanity, and
the “line-age” becomes the “spiral-age.”
Theory
-1. The Three Treasures- Jing, Qi, and Shen.
We will look at how life is the process of Shen(Spirit)
exploring Jing(Essence). As our spirit learns to be embodied, we can consciously participate in
the evolutionary processes of life.
-2. The 5 Spirits-
We will learn the spiritual attributes of each of the organ systems, building on Zang-
Fu theory. We will learn about the Hun(ethereal soul), the Po(corporeal soul), Shen(the light of
consciousness in our heart), Ling(the spiritual power when the heart and kidneys are in balance),
as well as the Yi(Intention) and the Zhi(Will). We will explore the relationships of the organs to
virtues such as integrity, compassion, and wisdom. These powerful spiritual concepts fit right
into our bodily understanding of the 5 elements.
-3. The Heart-Kidney Axis-
This is the marriage of Heaven and Earth, of Fire and Water, that takes place
within each person. When these are aligned we move towards our destiny in the state of Wu
Wei, and when these are out of communication, we work through issues of personal, cultural,
and ancestral latency, to awaken the “latent-seeds” of the Three Tan Tiens.
-4. The Curious Organs and the 8 Extraordinary Vessels-
We will look at the meridians and organs
associated with human evolution, spiritual curriculum, and karma. These relate to our original
imprinting, how we move through time and space, and how we stand up to ourselves and to the
world. We will learn about the Belt channel’s relationship to spin, rotation, and the energetic
and fascial wrapping of our body.
-5. Trauma and Imprinting-
We look at the core imprinting mechanisms and how to work with
them. We will look a the original wound of our umbilicus(Lower Tan Tien), the armoring of
the Pericardium(Middle Tan Tien), a necessary shock that allows children to differentiate
themselves as an individual, and the associated memories and record keeping of the brain
marrow(the Upper Tan Tien). We look at how we reduce the flow of life force energy in order to
function socially and how to work with this body armoring.
-6. Energy Fields or Wai Qi Fields-
we will learn the 3 main external energy fields and their relationship
with the 3 Tan Tiens. These fields comprise a semi-permeable membrane through which we
interact with the world, like a cell in a larger energy network. Through working with the energy
fields we can become aware of the processes that connect us and separate us and how this
relates to distortion or clarity.
-7. The 12 Chakra Gates and the 7 Lessons of Life-
We will look at the Chakra points along the Micro-
cosmic Orbit and their relationship to the 7 lessons of life, hardwired into our body, or Po,
based on our spiritual curriculum. We will look at the relationship of opening or closing to
certain levels of information based on our lessons and how this shows up in the body and its
relationship to the round muscle segments of the body.
Bodywork
We will continue learning to apply Tui Na to open up the areas of the body associated with the
8 Extraordinary Vessels and the Ancestral Sinews. We will continue using Cranial-Sacral
Acupressure to work with individual points to evoke their spiritual natures, often related to
their names such as Spirit Graveyard, Spirit Root, Outer Gate, Ghost Road, Gate of Destiny, etc.
We can work with these points to facilitate and activate the heart’s ability to open, the brain’s
return to innocence and the return of the spirit to the body. We will learn to apply Taoist
Abdominal Massage to release core trauma and for connecting directly to the organ spirits. We
will learn to use external qi healing, and medical qigong to work with auric fields, the chakra
vortices and soul retrieval. We will learn to use stone medicine to work with the jing qi of the
body(a tradition that goes back to antiquity and is widely mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao,
the first herbal compendium). We will also work with Tonic Herbalism for the Three Treasures,
a practice all Taoists have used to facilitate their growth. And we will learn the application of
Essential Oils(the essence of the plant) to work with the jing qi, the essence of the body.
Qigong
We will do Primordial Qigong, a beautiful, flowing invocation to Heaven, Earth and the 8 directions, that has been called Tai Chi for Enlightenment.
We will do the Microcosmic Orbit meditations to tune into our central channel’s energy centers, in order to activate them in ourselves and work with them in our clients.
We will do Healing Sound Meditations to work with the properties of the organ spirits. These
meditations can be used to guide our clients during sessions, especially during abdominal work.
Please visit the School’s page to Register
