Healing Dragon
Steven Cardoza, M.Sc., L.Ac.
2024 Fall 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. For online and hybrid classes, recordings will be made available to you for download soon after the end of each class, for your future reference.
Two New Classes Beginning In September!
Both classes are open to new and returning students.
Dragon & Tiger Medical Qigong
A weekly class in Concord, MA
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.
Physically, the movements mobilize joints and stretch muscles and tendons, opening the muscle-tendon meridians to release tension, stress, and relieve pain. Energetically, by learning to feel your qi, the vital energy of life, and then working at the perimeter of the energy body, or qi body, you will develop a sense of moving qi through the core qigong channels and associated acupuncture meridians to promote deep healing and wellness.
Each movement either builds qi or clears channels to discharge stagnant qi, the root cause of pain and disease. The immediate effect is both energizing and calming. Through increasing qi and clearing stagnation, overall health and physical performance are improved, and many diseases may be prevented, mitigated, or reversed. In China, Dragon and Tiger has been used to treat cancer and other serious degenerative diseases.
The ability to absorb and emit qi through the hands is introduced, and will be further developed as you progress in the practice. At more advanced levels, 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.
Once you have a strong foundation and are enjoying the many health and longevity benefits of Dragon and Tiger, interested students may continue to learn the advanced aspects of the practice.
DATE: Tuesday, Sept. 17. This class series will meet each Tuesday for eight weeks.
TIME: 7-8 PM ET
LOCATION: West Concord Union Church
1317 Main St.
W. Concord, MA 01742
NOTE: If you are not local and would like to attend online, please let me know and I'll arrange to livestream this class series.
TUITION: $210 for the eight week series.
Payment is requested by Sept. 10. Space is limited. Early enrollment will reserve your place in this class. If you want to attend but are unable to pay by Sept. 10, please let me know ASAP, and arrange to pay some time before the class date if space permits.
TO ENROLL:
Send tuition for the 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 class. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have before enrolling.
If you're not currently on my mailing list and would like to be, please make sure you include your email address with your payment.
No refunds offered after enrollment.
The Wu Style Taiji (Tai Chi) Short Form A weekly class in Concord, MA
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, boosts the immune system, and improves memory and cognitive capacity among many 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.
DATE: Tuesday, Sept. 17. This class series will meet each Tuesday for eight weeks.
TIME: 8-9 PM
LOCATION: West Concord Union Church
1317 Main St.
W. Concord, MA 01742
NOTE: If you are not local and would like to attend online, please let me know and I'll arrange to livestream this class series.
TUITION: $210 for the eight week series.
Payment is requested by Sept. 10. Space is limited. Early enrollment will reserve your place in this class. If you want to attend but are unable to pay by Sept. 10, please let me know ASAP, and arrange to pay some time before the class date if space permits.
TO ENROLL:
Send tuition for the class either through Paypal or Zelle.
Paypal: daoist1@dslextreme.com
Zelle: daoist2@dslextreme.com
Please include a note with your name and “Wu Taiji” so I’ll know it’s from you, and for this class. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have before enrolling.
If you're not currently on my mailing list and would like to be, please make sure you include your email address with your payment.
No refunds offered after enrollment.
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.
TAIJI CIRCLING HANDS (TAIJI RULER)
A hybrid monthly workshop in person and over Zoom
Open to returning students and those with previous Circling Hands experience.
September classes will begin including diagonal, horizontal, and coronal circles.
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.
DATE: Sunday, Sept. 15. Workshops will be held on the third Sunday of each month.
TIME: 2:00-5:00 PM ET
LOCATION: West Concord Union Church
1317 Main St.
W. Concord, MA 01742
And streaming over Zoom
TUITION: 140 USD for each workshop
Payment is requested no later than Sept. 8. Space is limited. Early enrollment will reserve your place in this class. If you want to attend but are unable to pay by Sept. 8, please let me know ASAP, and arrange to pay some time before the class date if space permits.
Tuition includes a downloadable recording of the class.
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.
The Wu Style Taiji (Tai Chi) Short Form
A hybrid monthly workshop in person and over Zoom
Open to returning students and those with previous Wu Taiji experience.
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.
DATE: The 4th Sunday of each month
TIME: 2-5 PM ET
LOCATION: West Concord Union Church
1317 Main St.
W. Concord, MA 01742
And online over Zoom
TUITION: $140 USD for each monthly three-hour workshop.
Your tuition payment reserves your place in class. Tuition includes a downloadable recording of the class.
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 Sept. 15. Space is limited. Early enrollment will reserve your place in this class. If you want to attend but are unable to pay by Sept. 15, please let me know ASAP, and arrange to pay some time before the class date if space permits.
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.