Qigong 4 - Iron and Silk: Strengthening the Body, Cleansing the Internal Organs
with Kate Summers
Iron has the quality of hardness, but tempered by fire, will become soft and flexible, ready to form limitless shapes. Silk has the quality of softness, but when the fibers are woven together, they form the strongest bonds.
Qigong 4 is the balance and integration of Iron and Silk. Enter the world of Wudangshan qigong to build the Iron of external strength. Continue your exploration of breath regulation to weave the Silk of internal strength.
Your introduction to Iron begins with the Tiger and Dragon forms of the Wudangshan Five Animals. Wudang means martial-art dominant, and its qigong is used to build the strength and flexibility required for martial arts training. The Tiger builds bone strength and the Dragon trains flexibility in the spine. When you practice these forms, the Iron of your muscles, tendons, and bones will become strong yet soft and pliable.
Your experience of Silk is through the qigong of Immortals’ Guide and Red Phoenix, when you use breath to move qi through the muscles, tendons, and bones. Through breath regulation, the Silk of your muscular-skeletal system will become soft yet strong and firm.
The highlight of Qigong 4 is a special evening of practice devoted to Organ Cleansing. Toxins enter our organs daily, introducing impurities into qi that is stored in them. Learn how to strengthen your organs, cleanse them, and make them suitable vessels for holding qi.
This level ends with the final two postures of Standing Qigong, the culmination of stabilizing the benefits of your Iron and Silk training.
Prerequisites
Qigong 1,2 and 3
Program Hours
Please note that this program occurs over two days (Saturday and Sunday). Saturday's schedule is from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, with an additional evening session from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM. Sunday's schedule is 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
Instructor
Kate Summers had the good fortune to encounter both Eva Wong and Shambhala in 2008.
Since then she has been a student of Eva Wong, 19th generation carrier of the Xiantianwujimen Taoist lineage, and is one of her authorized qigong instructors. She also continues as a student of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, and serves on the Shambhala Los Angeles Council. A licensed clinical social worker, she worked for many years in community mental health, and in more recent years as a Buddhist chaplain in the LA County jail. Kate is honored and delighted to present this introduction to Taoist Qigong.