Taoist Meditation works with the energy or force of our emotions, thoughts, internal images and sensations to release anything which has become stuck, so rediscovering a more balanced, relaxed and open internal state. The seminar will introduce both the theory and practise of basic taoist meditation and will include taoist breathing and qigong techniques useful for meditation practise.

For further information and booking, please see the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine website.

Similarly, just as nature sheds its excess and anything no longer necessary in winter, so too Taoist practices focus on letting go accumulated tensions, toxicity, and old unnecessary habits, unearthing a more natural, relaxed and open sense of being, alive to new possibilities come spring time.

This seminar is a key seasonal seminar, as it helps prepare for the long, damp English winter months. The weekend will focus on developing the yang core energies of the spine, brain, kidneys, lungs and “wei chi” or protective energy of the body, as well as boost creativity, clarity and enthusisasm, developing what Chinese medicine refers to as the “metal element” of your energy. This is valuable in its own right now, but is especially useful as an investment for a good winter season, helping prevent winter illnesses and depression, as well as enhancing the positive side of winter, the ability to rest freely, store energy deep inside and let go of things that are no longer necessary to you.
Day 1 - Saturday 8th November

A day based on breathing practices, standing practices and all manner of techniques to do with the spine. We will also integrate these into qigong movements, depending on the backgroud of the students.

There will be 2 GROUPS: those with a basic knowledge of taoist breathing, standing and movement practices; and a more advanced group.
Day 2 - Sunday 9th November

This day will continue further develop practices begun on the saturday, and focus also on developing the work with the “wei chi” in Dragon and Tiger Medical Qigong, as well as “pushing and pullling” practices which greatly boost the effectiveness of this great qigong set. We will aslo work on improving the Dragon and Tiger set in general.

Again, there will be 2 GROUPS: those who attended the saturday and more advanced students somewhat familiar with “wei chi” practices; and beginners and who have just begun to learn Dragon and Tiger Qigong.

For prices, details and booking, please click here. PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP IF YOU WISH TO ATTEND.

Sunday 20^th April
Dragon and Tiger Qigong Seminar
With Gio Maschio

Both seminars are for beginners & intermediates

About Dragon & Tiger Qigong:

Dragon and Tiger Qigong is a medical qigong set and is now a core component of the Beginners Foundation Classes.

At normal levels, it is the probably easiest yet very effective Internal Arts set around. It releases tension from the body and opens its energy quickly and effectively, giving great results without too much effort. It is much easier and more effective than T'ai Chi or the deeper qigong (neigong) sets unless you put a lot more effort in these. It's also a marvellous way to easily smooth and release the emotions.

So all in all, it's very recommended! The seminars are being held both due to demand and due to B.K. Frantzis Dragon & Tiger Retreat in Brighton towards the end of March (for details see www.energyarts.com).

The beauty of this practice lies in its simplicity, the flexibility and flow it develops inside you, and the speed with which it opens and releases your neck, shoulders, arms, hips, legs and spine whilst smoothing and strengthening your energy.

This stems from its not accessing as deeply inside the body and its energy as Internal Strength Practices (neigong). You access a more superficial level of smooth integrated movement and energy much more quickly and easily. This is not to say that it is not powerful or effective. You are taught to work with what acupuncturists regard as the most powerful meridian system in the body (the 8 extra meridians), to the extent that this is an effective method for combating cancer. Strong stuff!

This practice is a good case of a relatively low investment yielding a very high return. If you are looking for one practice to boost your energy and health without too many complications then this set is the one for you.

It is widely used in China as an aid to cancer treatment. Students report it to be very helpful with chronic conditions such as arthritis, repetitive strain injury, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue, as well as greatly increasing your balance, flexibility, and flow.

This practice is particularly beneficial if:

• You work long hours with computers;
• You want to take it relatively easy rather than try to over-achieve as usual;
• You've been relatively inactive for a fairly long period of time &/or your energy is low, even chronically low;
• You have done a lot of very demanding sporting activity requiring you to heavily build &/or tense your muscles;
• You are naturally a little stiff;
• You have phantom limb pain;
• You suffer from chronic conditions such as arthritis or repetitive strain injury;
• You are undergoing treatment for cancer;
• You are a yoga practitioner, as this movement set complements yoga very well;

Seminar Details:

You may attend for the morning or the whole day.

• Those of you who have some knowledge of the moves will greatly improve the function of the qigong set the more you do.
• Those of you who are totally new to this set should be able to perform 4 of the 7 moves well and functionally in a day or get a good idea of the set in a morning.
• Those in the Beginners foundation classes will have completed at least 4 of the 7 moves by the time the first seminar comes around, so will be in very good shape for making a big jump in the level of your practice.
• Those who attended BK Frantzis Instructor Training or introductory weekend in Brighton will have a good opportunity to go over the material you learned, work on details, and improve the function of the set as a whole (Gio is a “Level 3” instructor trainee, i.e. not qualifies=at this level yet but learning it…

Venue:

Sunday 20th April, 10am-1pm, 2-4.30pm at Wolfson College

Prices:

If this is your first seminar, the cost is £25 for a whole day, £15 for morning only. Otherwise the usual prices apply, see Seminars.

Please let me know if you wish to attend ASAP! oxfordinternalarts@googlemail.com

Take it easy,

Gio

Both seminars are for beginners & intermediates

About Dragon & Tiger Qigong:

Dragon and Tiger Qigong is a medical qigong set, and is now a core component of the Beginners Foundation Classes.

At its higher levels, it is a tried and tested and effective aid to cancer treatment, if not a treatment in itself.

At normal levels, it is the probably easiest yet very effective Internal Arts set around. It releases tension from the body and opens its energy quickly and effectively, giving great results without too much effort. It is much easier and more effective than t’ai chi or the deeper qigong (neigong) sets unless you put a lot more effort in these. It's also a marvellous way to easily smooth and release the emotions.

So all in all, it's very recommended! The seminars are being held both due to demand and due to B.K. Frantzis Dragon & Tiger Retreat in Brighton towards the end of March (for details see www.energyarts.com).

Seminar Details:

You may attend either or both days, for the morning or the whole day. Those of you who have some knowledge of the moves will greatly improve the function of the qigong set the more you do. Those of you who are totally new to this set should be able to perform 4 of the 7 moves well and functionally in a day, get an good idea of the set in a morning, and learn 5 or 6 of the moves within two days. Those in the Beginners foundation classes will have completed at least 4 of the 7 moves by the time the first seminar comes around, so will be in very good shape for making a big jump in the level of your practice. Further details below.

Prices:

If this is your first seminar, the cost is £25 for a whole day, £15 for morning only. Otherwise the usual prices apply.

Please let me know if you wish to attend ASAP! gio@oxfordinternalarts.com
Take it easy,
Gio

The seminar below have been designed as part of a Winter Qigong Seminar Series to enable students to get a really good handle on winter qigong practices to build core energy and release old and stuck physical and emotional energy from the body. Any of the seminars may be done singly or as a series, for which discounts are available (see the “Seminars” page on the website).

This seminar is recommended only for those who have a solid foundation in standing qigong, Taoist Breathing, and in releasing energy blockages, preferably dissolving them.

Here we will explore how to dissolve the energy gates of the body, further develop Cloud Hands Qigong and relevant standing postures. Dissolving the energy gates greatly boosts the strength of previous practices to release stuck old energy, and requires you to have a good foundation in the preliminary practices. It enables you to open the body in ways that are unpredictable and inaccessible to purely physical techniques, and makes the feeling of energy or qi unmistakeble.

We will also correct some Dragon and Tiger Qigong movements for those who are interested.

Please confirm your bookings ASAP!

Location: “The Buttery”, Wolfson College, 10am–1pm and 2.30pm–4.30pm.

• Map of location
• How to get there

Parking is available for the full day at the college.

Food: You can eat lunch well and inexpensively at the college, go out
to the nearby restaurants, or bring your own.

The seminar below have been designed as part of a Winter Qigong Seminar Series to enable students to get a really good handle on winter qigong practices to build core energy and release old and stuck physical and emotional energy from the body. Any of the seminars may be done singly or as a series, for which discounts are available (see the “Seminars” page on the website).

This seminar will be divided into two groups.

BEGINNERS will learn techniques to smooth their energy, build energy in the lower dan dien, kidneys and core of the body, and release old, stuck physical and emotional energy out of the body. This will include sitting and standing qigong techniques and Taoist Breathing techniques appropriate to the winter season, enabling the letting go of the old and preparing for the new in spring by storing energy deep inside your system. We will also introduce Dragon & Tiger Qigong, a medical qigong system to clear stagnant energy from the body, and will take those who have been introduced to these movements already further.

Prerequisites: There are no pre-requisites for the above course. Those who attended our last winter seminar but are not yet ready for the intermediate course will take their practices to a much deeper level and be iuntroduced to material we did not cover in the last seminar.

INTERMEDIATES will do all the above, plus explore several standing postures appropriate to the season, dissolving techniques to release old and stuck energy, and develop the practice of Cloud Hands Qigong, including material I have not previously taught relevant to all chi practices including tai chi, ba gua and hsing I, and which form a complete basis for practising qigong in winter.

Pre-requisites: A good knowledge of standing qigong, Taoist Breathing and Cloud Hands Qigong.

Please confirm your bookings ASAP!

Location: “The Buttery”, Wolfson College, 10am–1pm and 2.30pm–4.30pm.

• Map of location
• How to get there

Parking is available for the full day at the college.

Food: You can eat lunch well and inexpensively at the college, go out
to the nearby restaurants, or bring your own.

This seminar is open to beginners!

The seminar will emphasise techniques to dissolve and release energetic blockages and circular breathing techniques to let go of all that is inessential and store energy as deep as possible in your system in preparation for a productive spring time. These techniques greatly release stress and strenghten the kidneys, legs and lower dandien.

The seminar will continue to develop the methods of “Dragon & Tiger Qigong”, from the beginning for beginners, and continuing for intermediates.

Please confirm your bookings ASAP!

We will go over the material we covered in our previous Autumn Seminar, emphasising work with the spine, brain and lungs, activating the body’s core before winter fully sets in, developing clarity and creativity and mitigating the preconditionsof the winter blues. We will introduce futher elements and develop previous elements further for those who attanded the previous seminar.

Much of the seminar will focus on developing the body’s protective energy using the energetic techniques of “Dragon & Tiger Qigong”. This is also in preparation for BK Frantzis’ Retreat on “Dragon and Tiger Qigong” in Brighton in March next year. See www.energyarts.com for details.

Please confirm your bookings ASAP!

Location & Parking

The Jericho Community Center, 33A Canal Street, Oxford. The building is at the junction of Canal Street and Cardigan Street.

Parking is available in some parking bays locally.

For a map, visit Google Maps or the Jericho Community Centre website. You can print out as necessary.

Location: “The Buttery”, Wolfson College, 10am–1pm and 2.30pm–4.30pm. Map

This seminar presents how to use the natural energies of the autumn season to strengthen your system to avoid winter ailments (colds, flu, depression) so you can truly rest and recharge in winter, and to develop the clarity necessary to let go of the old in winter, both of which are essential for vital and healthy new growth in spring.

The seminar will work especially with spine, brain and lungs and is suitable for both beginners and intermediates. The material forms part of the internal content of t’ai chi relevant especially to autumn, and is classic taoist neigong (qigong).

Please confirm your bookings ASAP!

Oxford Internal Arts has been going three years now. Many any of you are familiar with a number of internal techniques and have reached a point where real progress will come best from strengthening these abilities and integrating them into your practice and daily life, rather than focusing mostly on learning more techniques.

A few days spent doing this will give you the chance to really feel and work the techniques you’ve been introduced to and make them your own, where you KNOW you can feel them, do them, and make use of them for your benefit and that of others. Extra techniques will be shown as necessary as our practice deepens and energy opens during the retreat, and also according to the individual.

This will both develop your internal abilities and give you a chance to unify them, to open your body significantly and work with your ENERGY and boost it.

This in turn gives us the opportunity to approach the main focus of the retreat:

TO CREATE A DEEP INTERNAL SHIFT IN YOUR PRACTICE IN LINE WITH WHAT YOU NEED AND WANT

The major areas we will explore here are:

• Stress Relief & Management
• Health Issues, Pain & Longevity
• Energy Development
• Emotional Balancing
• Clarity
• Personal issues you want to address

The Retreat, spread over four days, will enable people to go into the above much more deeply than in classes or even a one day seminar.

VENUE:
The Retreat will take place in the Haldane Room at Wolfson College, Oxford, a space that was recently used by a high Tibetan Lama, with wooden floors, good natural light, and almost private outside space available just in case it doesn’t rain!

Here’s a link to a MAP to the venue.

TIME & DATE:
Friday the 24th August til Monday 27th August inclusive. We’ll begin at 10am each day, and end at 6pm, with a two and a half hour to three hour lunch break.

PREREQUISITES:
The retreat will be open only to those who have attended at least a beginners qigong course at Oxinar, or several seminars with us, or with genuine equivalent experience (please have no qualms and do ask me if you are in any doubt).

MEALS:
The college provides meals each day apart from the Bank Holiday Monday, so you can eat there, bring your own, or go home or into town. It's about a 20 minute walk into town.

COST:
The retreat will cost £180, or £120 for students or concessions, without meals.

ACCOMODATION:
If you are out of town, we can find you local accomodation for about £35 a night.

BOOKING:
Please send a cheque for £50 made out to Gio Maschio to 51 Wellington Street, Oxford, OX2 6BB, AND email me to let me know you have booked.

PLEASE NOTE:
PLEASE BOOK ASAP SO THAT I CAN PLAN THE RETREAT AS WELL AS I CAN FOR EVERYONE!

QUERIES:
If you have any, do email me, most can be resolved!

We would be looking at consolidating from the following techniques:

• Full Whole Body Breathing for stress release
• Dropping your chi strongly to release tension and stress
• Freeing the neck, shoulders and pelvis
• Outer Dissolving to clear energy blockages
• Creating flows in the yang, yin and collateral meridians to clear and prevent headaches, promote sleep, increase mental alertness, and make the body relaxed and comfortable
• Turning, twisting and spiralling movements and energy flows to further open the body, especially the psoas mucles, smooth the nerves and increase mobility and qi movement in the body
• Opening and closing ALL the joints and cavities to wake up the core energies of the right and left channels, which has profound effects on both the body, emotions and mind
• Working with the ligaments, especially of the spine and arms
• Developing your ability to feel and balance your emotions
• Taoist Meditation
• Integrating all these techniques without strain
• How to use all these techniques for your benefit and that of others
• Qigong Tui Na massage techniques will be used and demonstrated as appropriate

Remember, the main idea behind doing qigong in retreat - i.e. for a more extended period of time - is that it allows us to become much more proficient with the internal techniques we have learned so that they go much deeper into our system and give us the chance to tailor them to our requirements. This opens and relaxes the body and its energy at a much deeper level and enables us to really discover what the techniques of the internal arts can do for us and others. Many of you are very much ready for this!

INTERMEDIATE students will learn some new material as the body and energy opens. More ADVANCED students will learn a few more, depending on how much your body and energy opens up!

From your responses it looks like we will have a good crew of people, but not so many it’s a crowd!

See you, and wishing you a great summer,

Gio

*This seminar will include methods from Twisting and Spiraling Qigong (Cloud hands and the 3 Swings) and from Gods Playing in the Clouds Qigong – Taoism’s premiere longevity qigong.

In the Internal Arts, Summer is the time when you encourage the strong and vigorous opening of springtime into a regular flow. Opening continues, but it smoothes, fills and stabilizes, like a summers day. This completes the body and its energy’s yearly opening process so that this bodily and energetic openness is better maintained throughout autumn and winter. Equally, it enables a practitioner to release anxiety from their systems and avoid it swinging into its opposite – exhaustion – later in the year.

The smooth circling, twisting and spiraling movements of Twisting and Spiraling Qigong and Gods Playing in the Clouds Qigong are especially suited to enable the practitioner to remove the ‘buzz’ and yet complete the opening of their body, energy and emotions.

Booking details

Oxford Internal Arts has been going three years now.

Many any of you are familiar with a number of internal techniques and have reached a point where real progress will come best from strengthening these abilities and integrating them into your practice and daily life, rather than learning more techniques.

A few days spent doing this will give you the chance to really feel and work the techniques you've been introduced to and make them your own, where you KNOW you can feel them, do them, and make use of them for your benefit and that of others.

This will both develop your internal abilities and give you a chance to unify them, and will enable you to to open your body significantly, work with your ENERGY and boost it.

So, this summer we are running our first RETREAT, which will enable people to do the above even more effectively than in classes or even a one day seminar. The retreat will be open only to those who have attended at least a beginners qigong course at Oxinar, or with genuine equivalent experience (please have no qualms and do ask me if you are in any doubt).

VENUE:
The Retreat will take place in the Haldane Room at Wolfson College, Oxford, a space that was recently used by a high Tibetan Lama, with wooden floors, good natural light, and almost private outside space available just in case it doesn't rain!

Here's a link to a MAP to the venue.

TIME & DATE:
Friday the 24th August til Monday 27th August inclusive. We'll begin at 10am each day, and end at 6pm, with a two and a half hour to three hour lunch break.

MEALS:
The college provides meals each day apart from the Bank Holiday Monday, so you can eat there, bring your own, or go home or into town. It's about a 20 minute walk into town.

COST:
The retreat will cost £180, or £120 for students or concessions, without meals.

ACCOMODATION:
If you are out of town, we can find you local accomodation for about £35 a night.

BOOKING:
Please send a cheque for £50 made out to Gio Maschio to 51 Wellington Street, Oxford, OX2 6BB, AND email me to let me know you have booked.

PLEASE NOTE:
Please book ASAP so that I can plan the retreat as well as I can for everyone!

QUERIES:
If you have any, do email me, most can be resolved!

We would be looking at consolidating from the following techniques:

• Full Whole Body Breathing for stress release
• Freeing the neck, shoulders and pelvis
• Outer Dissolving to clear energy blockages
• Creating flows in the yang, yin and collateral meridians to clear and prevent headaches, promote sleep, increase mental alertness, and make the body relaxed and comfortable
• Turning, twisting and spiralling movements and energy flows to further open the body, especially the psoas mucles, smooth the nerves and increase mobility and qi movement in the body
• Opening and closing ALL the joints and cavities to wake up the core energies of the right and left channels, which has profound effects on both the body, emotions and mind
• Working with the ligaments, especailly of the spine
• Taoist Meditation
• Integrating all these techniques without strain
• How to use all these techniques for your benefit and that of others

Remember, the main idea behind doing qigong in retreat - i.e. for a more extended period of time - is that it allows us to become much more proficient with the internal techniques we have learned so that they go much deeper into our system and really become our own. This opens and relaxes the body and its energy at a much deeper level and enables us to really discover what the techniques of the internal arts can do for us, open the body and really begin to feel and work with your energy.
Many of you are very much ready for this!

INTERMEDIATE students will learn some new material as the body and energy opens. More ADVANCED students will learn a few more, depending on how much your body and energy opens up!

From your responses it looks like we will have a good crew of people, but not so many it’s a crowd!

See you, and hope you're dry-ish (wishing you a great summer seems pushing it unless you're abroad!…)

Oxford Internal Arts has been going three years now.

Many any of you are familiar with a number of internal techniques and have reached a point where real progress will come best from strengthening these abilities and integrating them into your practice and daily life, rather than learning more techniques.

A few days spent doing this will give you the chance to really feel and work the techniques you've been introduced to and make them your own, where you KNOW you can feel them, do them, and make use of them for your benefit and that of others.

So, this summer we are running our first RETREAT, which will enable people to do the above even more effectively than in classes or even a one day seminar. The retreat will be open only to those who have attended at least a beginners qigong course at Oxinar, or with genuine equivalent experience (please have no qualms and do ask me if you are in any doubt). It will be held in a pleasant venue in or near Oxford (in the future we may become a little more adventurous!).

We would be looking at consolidating:

* Full Whole Body Breathing for stress release
* Freeing the neck, shoulders and pelvis
* Outer Diddolving to clear energy blockages
* Creating flows in the yang, yin and collateral meridians to clear and prevent headaches, promote sleep, increase mental alertness, and make the body relaxed and comfortable
* Turning, twisting and spiralling movements and energy flows to further open the body, esecially the psoas mucles, smooth the nerves and increase mobility and qi movement in the body
* Opening and closing ALL the joints and cavities to wake up the core energies of the right and left channels, which has profound effects on both the body, emotions and mind
* Working with the ligaments, especailly of the spine
* Taoist Meditation
* Integrating all these techniques without strain
* How to use all these techniques for your benefit and that of others

*Please Note: Where there is a Part 1 and Part 2, you are welcome to attend EITHER OR BOTH seminars. If you attend both, the material will build over the course of the two seminars. All the seminars below are taught by Gio Maschio unless otherwise stated, and full details will be posted on www.oxinar.com.

July 7th – Get More Chi in your Qigong or T’ai Chi: Part 1 – with Luke Wilcox

July 21st – Get More Chi in your Qigong or T’ai Chi: Part 2 with Luke Wilcox

August 11th – Summer Internal Arts Part 1: Circling & Spiralling to Open the Body & Balance the Emotions & Fire Element
This seminar will include cloud hands and the swings

August 24th - 27th – Oxford Internal Arts Retreat

September 29th – Integrating All Your Internal Abilities into One Practice, Strengthening the Earth Element

October 13th – Spinal Qigong – For the Brain & Spine

* All the seminars are equally applicable to Qigong and T’ai Chi students, and are geared towards beginners and intermediates.
* You may attend the whole seminar, or the morning only.
* Please let me know ASAP if you wish to attend

LOCATION:
The Seminars will be held at the Jericho Community Centre, 10am-4.30pm (unless otherwise stated). You may attend the morning only if desired.

BOOKING:
To ensure your place on the seminar, please send a DEPOSIT OF £25 to reach me at least a week before the seminar. Send a cheque to 51 Wellington Street, Oxford, OX2 6BB. You will be emailed a receipt if required (please attach your details).

Otherwise, please EMAIL ME ASAP to let me know you are going to attend. This will enable me organise the seminar the best I can for everyone!

PRICES:
£50 full day, £35 morning only.
STUDENTS: £35 full day, £25 morning only.

Block Discounts 2007:
For a block of 6 seminars: £250
For a block of 5 seminars: £210
For a block of 4 seminars: £170
For a block of 3 seminars: £130

Block discounts are valid up to 12 months from date of purchase date. This is extended by one month if any seminars are cancelled.

People who have applied for block-payment discounts (see below), please confirm whether you will be attending as normal!
Notes:
* Please bring a mat and/or blanket and a cushion. Loose, comfortable clothing is ideal.
* Check http://www.oxinar.com shortly before the seminar for all details and confirmation of seminars
* Please LET ME KNOW ASAP if you wish to attend.

* All Classes in the Summer Term run on Tuesday Evenings.
* Summer Term classes begin Tuesday 10th July 2007.
* You may join the Foundation Classes in Qigong until the 4th week of classes, at which point you are welcome to take a private lesson to catch you up to the group so that you can join. In my experience, the material taught in these classes forms the ideal foundation in the Internal Arts for most people. They get you into the heart of the Internal Arts more quickly than Tai Chi, or can very usefully be learned in combination with T’ai Chi.
* You can join the T’ai Chi Classes at any time. Intermediates and keen Beginners are recommended also to attend Qigong Classes if possible. Qigong enables students to focus on the internal processes contained within Tai Chi much more precisely and directly. It is these internal processes which give T’ai Chi it's much reputed ability to heal the body, generate strength and energy, and release stress, and which allow practitioners to significantly raise the level of their T’ai Chi.

TUESDAY COURSE - Beginner & Intermediate
Beginners TAOIST BREATHING & QIGONG Tuesdays, 6:15pm - 7:15pm
Beginners & Intermediate T’AI CHI Tuesdays, 7:15pm - 8:15pm
Intermediate TAOIST BREATHING & QIGONG Tuesdays, 8:15pm - 9:15pm