Healing Dragon
Steven Cardoza, M.Sc., L.Ac.
2024 Spring Class and Workshop Schedule
All new classes are kept small so that everyone will get individual attention and feedback, and so everyone's questions can be answered during class. Class recordings will be made available to you for download soon after the end of each class, for your future reference.
New Beginning In March!
Dragon & Tiger Medical Qigong
A hybrid class in person and over Zoom
Suitable For Beginners and Returning Students
Awaken your body’s innate healing wisdom with this 1,500-year-old medical qigong practice. Incorporating Daoist and Buddhist principles, its powerful yet gentle seven movements address all the internal organs and main energy pathways to help you build complete health while boosting your immune system, reducing stress, increasing energy, and promoting emotional balance and mental clarity. You will learn to feel your qi, the vital energy of life, and to discharge stagnant qi, which is the root cause of pain and most degenerative diseases. At more advanced levels of practice, Dragon & Tiger is a gateway to deeper spiritual cultivation.
This class is suitable for beginners, and for returning intermediate-level students wanting refinements to deepen their understanding and further embody the principles required in this practice. Remember that “Mastery means mastering the basics.” Everything is build from that foundation, which makes all that may follow possible.
After you have a strong foundation and are enjoying the many healing benefits of Dragon and Tiger, interested students may continue with this course to learn the advanced aspects of the practice.
All classes are recorded, so both in-person and online students will get links to the video for online viewing or download. This will both remind you of and allow you to practice along with everything we cover in each class.
Q & A is a part of every class for live and online students alike. For the first few months I’ll schedule a free monthly half hour zoom group Q & A for online students only, probably on a weekday early evening, in case there are things you could not clearly observe or understand during class time. If that proves especially useful, I’ll continue that indefinitely.
DATE: Beginning Sunday, March 10. This workshop series will meet on the second Sunday of each month.
TIME: 2-5 PM ET
LOCATION: The Arlington Center
369 Mass Ave.
Arlington, MA 02474
And online over Zoom
TUITION: $140 USD for each monthly three-hour workshop.
Payment is requested no later than March 3. That will reserve your place in this class, and be helpful to me in determining enrollment. If you want to attend but are unable to pay by March 3, please let me know ASAP, and arrange to pay some time before the class date.
Tuition includes a recording of the class, and the additional half hour per month Zoom Q & A for online students. You’ll receive the Zoom class link by email on or around March 4.
TO ENROLL:
Send tuition for the first class either through Paypal or Zelle.
Paypal: daoist1@dslextreme.com
Zelle: daoist2@dslextreme.com
Please include a note with your name and “Dragon and Tiger” so I’ll know it’s from you, and for this workshop.
If you're not currently on my mailing list and are attending online, please make sure you include your email address with your payment so I'll be able to send you the Zoom invitation and video link.
All classes are recorded, so both in-person and online students will get links to the workshop video for monthly practice support. No refunds offered after enrollment.
New Beginning In April!
TAIJI CIRCLING HANDS (TAIJI RULER)
A hybrid class in person and over Zoom
Taiji Circling Hands is a single-movement qigong providing many of the same health benefits derived from a full taiji practice, but in a form that is easier to do and takes much less time to learn. Its gentle circular patterns effectively release tension from the spine and nervous system, producing a calm, focused awareness while relieving various joint, spine and whole body aches. Included Daoist Breathing massages the internal organs, promotes smooth continuous movement, and invigorates qi flow.
Because the basic movement is so simple, it’s perfect for layering in deeper aspects of more advanced qigong, neigong and taiji without the added challenge of a complex choreography. Some of these components include:
• body alignments and internal connections
• pulsing (opening and closing) the joints, body cavities, and internal organs
• bending and bowing the spine
• stretching and wrapping body tissues (muscle, tendon, ligament, and fascia)
• activating the Microcosmic Orbit and other internal qi flows
• directing qi through specific organs to cleanse and heal them
• projecting qi into and absorbing qi from the immediate environment
This comprehensive Circling Hands training includes all of the circling trajectories found in taiji:
• vertical
• horizontal
• diagonal
• coronal
While providing a rich qigong experience, it also facilitates the ability of anyone with a current taiji practice to put those circles into their taiji form, regardless of the style of taiji practiced.
Taiji Circling Hands is great for beginners, and may be used as a stand-alone qigong practice, as preparation or support for more advanced qigongs, as an introduction to taiji, or as enhancement to a current taiji practice.
All classes are recorded, so both in-person and online students will get links to the video for online viewing or download. This will both remind you of and allow you to practice along with everything we cover in each class.
Q & A is a part of every class for live and online students alike. For the first few months I’ll schedule a free monthly half hour zoom group Q & A for online students only, probably on a weekday early evening, in case there are things you could not clearly observe or understand during class time. If that proves especially useful, I’ll continue that indefinitely.
DATE: Sunday, April 21. Workshops will be held on the third Sunday of each month.
TIME: 2:30-5:30 PM ET
(NOTE, future workshops are expected to run from 2-5 PM, contingent upon venue availability.)
LOCATION: The Arlington Center
369 Mass Ave.
Arlington MA
And streaming over Zoom
TUITION: 140 USD for each workshop
Payment is requested no later than April 14. That will reserve your place in this class, and be helpful to me in determining enrollment. If you want to attend but are unable to pay by April 14, please let me know ASAP, and arrange to pay some time before the class date.
Tuition includes a recording of the class, and the additional half hour per month Zoom Q & A for online students. You’ll receive the Zoom class link by email on or around April 15.
TO ENROLL: Send tuition either through Paypal or Zelle.
Paypal: daoist1@dslextreme.com
Zelle: daoist2@dslextreme.com
Your tuition reserves your place in this workshop.
Please include a note with your name and “Taiji Circling Hands” so I’ll know it’s from you, and for this workshop.
If you're not currently on my mailing list and are attending online, please make sure you include your email address with your payment so I'll be able to send you the Zoom invitation and video link.
All classes are recorded, so both in-person and online students will get links to the workshop video for monthly practice support. No refunds offered after enrollment.
New Classes Beginning Soon!
The following are classes I’m looking forward to teach soon. Due to scheduling constraints, I may not be able to teach all of them this year. Let me know your class preferences. I’ll put your name on the Wait List for those classes, and the ones with the most interest will be the first to be offered. Except where otherwise noted, all classes will take place over Zoom, on Sundays (one class per month) from 2-5 PM ET. More in-person/zoom hybrid classes will be available soon.
• Opening the Energy Gates Qigong
• Gods Playing in the Clouds Qigong
• Qigong and Health in the 21st Century
Details about these and other classes can be found on the Qigong and Taiji Classes page of this website.
Join my mailing list to be among the first to learn about all new class offerings. Otherwise, please visit this site regularly for updates.
Ongoing Classes and Workshops
The continuing classes are open only to students with some experience in these practices. If you would like to join, please contact me as soon as possible to be included on the class roster. Tuition is expected no later than one week prior to each class.
All continuing classes are kept small so that everyone will get individual attention and feedback, and so everyone's questions can be answered during class. Class recordings will be made available to you for download soon after the end of each class, for your future reference.
The Wu Style Taiji (Tai Chi) Short Form
A hybrid class in person and over Zoom
The Wu Short Form contains none of the difficult, physically challenging movements of the Long Form, while providing almost all its health benefits. It is suitable for people of all ages, level of health and fitness, and for complete beginners and experienced students alike. Once learned, the entire form can be performed in just five minutes.
In the western world, taiji is the best-known and most researched of the Chinese internal arts. While both a martial art and a healing art, we will primarily be focusing on its health building aspects.
Known Benefits
Often described as a moving meditation and likened to “swimming on dry land”, taiji is highly regarded for its ability to foster harmony among body, mind, and spirit, reduce stress, and promote a healthy longevity.
Western research has proved that taiji improves balance, maintains bone density, increases flexibility and cardiovascular and respiratory function, and boosts the immune system, among other health benefits.
Long known to support healthy aging, newer research has verified that it reinvigorates stem cells, one mechanism through which it facilitates healing and increases longevity.
Class Content and Progression
In each class, you’ll be carefully guided through the intricacies of each posture in the form. You’ll learn supplementary exercises (Ji Ben Gong, Basic Foundation Work) to build a strong foundation, more quickly improve health, and clarify the subtleties within each movement, gradually revealing the hidden neigong (internal work) that makes taiji such a powerful practice. Partner exercises will be a part of most classes, to provide kinesthetic feedback that will assist you to more fully and accurately embody each movement and its neigong components.
As you progress, you’ll be introduced to the four main energies (Four Jings) within taiji, and will learn to feel your qi with increasing clarity and confidence as it manifests in your practice.
The First Class
In the first class, you’ll learn the opening movement of the form, called Commencement. Here you’ll be introduced to many of the neigong components contained within the entire taiji form, as well as get a basic understanding of the Four Jings and a simple experience of qi induction in that movement. This will make Commencement a valuable stand-alone qigong, something you can practice for years to come even if you do not learn the taiji form. This will also give complete beginners a deep insight into all the unseen elements that are contained within taiji, and will be a useful reminder for experienced students.
All classes are recorded, so both in-person and online students will get links to the video for online viewing or download. This will both remind you of and allow you to practice along with everything we cover in each class.
Q & A is a part of every class for live and online students alike. For the first few months I’ll schedule a free monthly half hour zoom group Q & A for online students only, probably on a weekday early evening, in case there are things you could not clearly observe or understand during class time. If that proves especially useful, I’ll continue that indefinitely.
DATE: The 4th Sunday of each month
TIME: 2-5 PM ET
LOCATION: The Arlington Center
369 Mass Ave.
Arlington, MA 02474
And online over Zoom
TUITION: $140 USD for each monthly three-hour workshop.
Your tuition payment reserves your place in class. Tuition includes a recording of the class, and the additional half hour per month Zoom Q & A for online students.
TO ENROLL:
Send tuition for the first class either through Paypal or Zelle.
Paypal: daoist1@dslextreme.com
Zelle: daoist2@dslextreme.com
Payment is requested by October 8 for the first workshop. This will be helpful to me in determining enrollment. If you want to attend but are unable to pay by Oct. 8, please let me know ASAP, and you can pay me any time before the class date.
If you're not currently on my mailing list and are attending online, please make sure you include your email address with your payment so I'll be able to send you the Zoom invitation. You'll receive the Zoom class invitation on or around Oct. 15.
Refund Policy:
The full workshop video will be available for download or online viewing for one month, no refunds are offered after enrollment.
Daoist Breathing for Health, Longevity and Meditation
Breathing is fundamental to life, to all qigongs, and to deeper spiritual and meditative practices. Most of us give it no thought as it happens spontaneously, 24 hours a day. Since we can also control this automatic, largely unconscious process, it becomes a unique avenue into increasingly subtle aspects of our being, influencing our internal organs, blood and other fluid circulation, nervous system, emotional well-being, and consciousness itself.
Part 1, Daoist Natural Breathing
In Part 1 of this series, you’ll learn the core Daoist breathing practice, including breathing directly into your belly, sides, and low, mid, and upper back. This will pressurize all your internal organs, effectively massaging and cleansing them from the inside, increasing cellular oxygenation and detoxification. At this stage, you’ll achieve numerous health benefits long known to Daoists and now recognized by contemporary western medical science, including:
• increased energy
• decompression of the spine, reducing back pain
• a strengthened immune system
• improved mood and emotional balance
• a lowered risk of cancer, stroke, heart disease, neurodegenerative and other diseases, all linked to hypoxia (sub-optimal oxygenation).
You’ll also learn a few simple breathing techniques specifically designed to:
• reduce stress and anxiety
• improve fitness and endurance
• promote restful sleep.
This is a reclamation of the way we all breathed when we were born, so once learned, you can breathe this way naturally and continuously, even while you sleep. Some people may choose to stop here and enjoy these substantial health benefits. For people wanting to learn more, this training will continue.
Part 2, Transforming Breath to Qi
In Part 2, we’ll deepen everything in Part 1, and introduce how breath becomes a bridge to qi. Some of the practices taught include:
• Slowing and lengthening the breath
This will increase breathing capacity, and with experience, can be used to sequentially rejuvenate the internal organs, the nervous system, and ultimately the glandular system. This is one of the most important ways breath is used to dramatically increase healthy longevity.
• Daoist Yoga and breathing
Some Daoist yoga postures will be used to release unconscious held tension and more deeply open the internal organs, allowing the breath to penetrate more fully, laying the groundwork for transforming breath to qi, to directly move fluids (blood and interstitial fluid) within and around the organs.
• Breathing through the Five Extremities
This begins the process of transforming breath to qi. At this stage, you’ll learn to use your qi to move body fluids through your hands, feet, and head.
• Breathing into the internal organs and the brain
This is a significant deepening of breathing into the organs learned in Part 1. As breath is transformed into qi and they become more clearly experienced as one thing, it’s used to directly move and otherwise influence fluids throughout the body, including blood, lymph, interstitial fluid, synovial fluid, and cerebrospinal fluid. An important step in optimizing the health and functionality of the internal organs and other body tissues.
A few simple breath-centered meditations will be taught during the Part 2 training.
Daoist Breathing may be used as your primary self-care practice, since it profoundly influences health on every level of our being. It may also be used to greatly amplify the benefits of qigong, taiji, yoga, or any other moving practice you may have.
A video recording of each workshop will be available for download or viewable online for one month. If you’re not able to attend but would still like access to the video, just send your enrollment tuition and the video link will be emailed to you soon after the end of the workshop.
DATE: This workshop series meets on the first Sunday of each month. Part 1 began in April, 2023.
TIME: 2-5 PM, ET
LOCATION: For now, this is an online-only workshop series, over Zoom. All classes will be recorded, and everyone enrolled will have access to the videos to download and keep for future reference.
TUITION: 135 USD for each 3 hour workshop
Payment is accepted through Paypal or Zelle. If you don’t already have my Paypal or Zelle information, please contact me for those details. Your tuition payment is required to reserve your place in class.
TO ENROLL: Send tuition to me through Paypal or Zelle. As this is an ongoing class, please contact me before sending in tuition payment. Thanks!
Paypal: daoist1@dslextreme.com
Zelle: daoist2@dslextreme.com
Please include a note with your name and “Daoist Breathing” so I’ll know it’s from you, and for this workshop. If you're not currently on my mailing list, please make sure you include your email address with your payment so I'll be able to send you the Zoom invitation.
Your tuition reserves your place in the workshop. You’ll receive the Zoom class link by email on or around Feb. 26.
Refund Policy:
Monthly course videos will be available for download or viewing for one month, no refunds are offered after enrollment.