Qigong 氣功

Cultivating intrinsic energy

Qigong (also romanised C’hi Kung) translates simply as energy work. It is the cultivation of intrinsic energy, an impalpable essence forming the fabric of all life as viewed by Chinese philosophers, healers, and mystics. Drawing on this energy from within and around us, we are able to boost and invigorate mind, body and spirit. While its forms and styles are vast, Qigong practice generally falls into four main categories: nèi gōng 內功 (inner work); wài gōng 外公 (outer work); dǎo yǐn nèi gōng 導引內功 (guiding inner work); and dǎo yǐn wài gōng 導引外公 (guiding outer work) – terms that describe different configurations of movement and stillness. Development in Qigong also assists internal martial arts training and Taoist and Buddhist cultivation practice.

Heron teaches a variety of traditional Qigong methods, each designed to foster balance, strength, and the harmonious flow of energy in everyday life.

Taoist Philosophy 道家

Navigating life like flowing water

Central to Taoist philosophy are its two pivotal works: the Tao Te Ching and the Book of Chuangtzu. The teachings of these two seminal texts permeate all Chinese arts and have profoundly shaped Chinese thought. Composed during periods of political turmoil in ancient China, they serve as guides for survival in chaotic and dangerous times, providing strategies to cope with the pressures of human society. While these principles cannot alter the reality of existence, they show us how to transcend life’s struggles without losing touch with its splendour.

Taiji Quan 太極拳

Taoist training of mind, body and spirit based on Chinese martial arts postures

Rooted in Daoist principles, Taiji Quan (T’ai Chi Ch’uan) is a training of mind, body, and spirit conducted within a martial framework. Ancient practitioners began with individual martial applications, which gradually evolved into a long flowing sequence of interlinked postures. This, they discovered, served as a unique method of cultivating energy. The art incorporates elements of Han Chinese culture as diverse as classical Daoism, Chinese medicine, Qigong, shamanism, and martial arts. Greater than the sum of its parts, Taiji Quan serves as a means of self-cultivation, physical protection, health preservation, and freeing the mind from the stresses of modern life.

Bagua Zhang 八卦掌

A late 19th century martial art based on Daoist meditative circle walking

Based on the metaphysics of the Yijing, Bagua Zhang, or Pa Kua Chang (lit. eight trigram palm), is a late 19th century martial art that develops strength, balance, and lightness. Renowned for its use by Qing dynasty era bodyguards, its earliest roots can be found in the Daoist religious practice of circle walking, an activity in which priests would tread circles and maintain quiet focus while reciting sacred religious texts. Bagua practitioners employ complex, flowing martial applications that operate out of circles and spirals.

Xingyi Quan 形意拳

The discipline of unity and uprightness

Xingyi Quan (Hsing I Ch’uan) is the oldest of the internal martial arts, traditionally attributed to the Song dynasty general Yue Fei. Its structure and style emerged from the core training of Chinese lancers —the constrains of which allowed only a limited range of movement. The art refines a purity and precision that concentrates the power of the practitioner. That power is expressed through hand movements based on five element theory and the movements of animals — typically between ten and twelve, depending on the system. Beyond its martial applications, Xingyi Quan trains the mind and energy, serves as a natural method of Qigong, and fosters effectiveness in life more broadly.

Living Meditation 生活禪

In the midst of emptiness there is wonder

Seated meditation reveals the true state of the mind, helping us understand the nature of our own consciousness. There are many forms of meditation, the highest of which has no form. Examples include xuán gōng 玄功 (mystery work) meditation, Taoist water wheel meditation, and quiet sitting.