by Solala Towler
Returning is the motion of Dao.
Gentleness is the function of Dao.
All things under heaven
are born from existence.
Yet existence is born of non-existence.
Dao De Jing (Chapter 40
There’s no place like home.
Dorothy (Wizard of Oz)
I hear pretty often from folks who, having read one of my books or the magazine that I published for 25 years, The Empty Vessel, who have told me that they really identify with the path of Daoism, even though they may never have heard of it before. But they have always been non-joiners, have always been deeply moved by being in nature, have always felt the presence of a benign though not personalized presence underlying everything. “I must be a Daoist!” they say.
I too, upon discovering the early books of Daoist master Hua-Ching Ni, felt like I was coming home. Here was someone who could speak about what the ancient Chinese masters had discovered and taught in such a simple and easy-to-follow fashion and in a way that I could apply to my life right away.
Then, going on to the Daode Jing and the Zhuangzi, I felt such a kinship and a sense of “coming home.” It has sustained me and still gives me so much pleasure and inspiration over thirty years later. I am still as excited and enthusiastic about these Daoist teachings and practices as when I first discovered them!
To “return to source” or “return to Dao” is a return to our ancestral as well as spiritual home. As Dao is our source as well as our destination, the dance of Dao carries us forth into a future that contains whispers of our past yet is ever evolving in something new in each precious moment.
Home, says the poet Robert Frost, is where they have to take you in. Home, on the other hand, is where you belong, where you come from, where you are pointing to all your life—from one life to another, from one birth to another, from one death to another. Our true home is Dao itself.
Then again, we can travel the world over without leaving our home.
As Laozi says:
Without going out your door,
you can know everything under heaven.
Without looking out the window,
you can see the Dao of heaven.
The farther one travels.
the less one knows.
The sage knows without traveling,
sees without looking
and accomplishes all without striving.
Chapter 47
The external world is a vast place. The internal world is even vaster. By cultivating our inner gardens we are able to experience worlds within worlds
It is when our practice becomes such a part of or lives like eating or breathing that it becomes true cultivation. Then we will truly be following Laozi’s advice of letting go of all extraneous “false knowledge” and really dwell in what is real and eternal.
Hua-Ching Ni says:
Cultivation…means not building any more bondage for our soul. Each day in the world, we learn more in a practical way of the world’s knowledge. In doing so, however, we usually bring more bondage to ourselves. The healthy spiritual model of the ancient, achieved ones was this: they had an unformed child heart and so were happy each minute. [1]
How can we find our way home through the deep darkness of the outer world? How can we escape the heavy bondage of the world so that we can maintain our “unformed child heart?” How can we, like Dorothy, find the will and the wiles to follow our own yellow brick road of karmic connections and spiritual trials and tribulations to arrive at the emerald city of spiritual delights?
In the wonderful story of the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy, who feels far from home, embarks on a journey to find a person of great power and skill who is said to be able to work any kind of magic in the world. He is like a Daoist Immortal who has powers to reshape the natural world and fly upon the back of a dragon.
She aligns herself with a shy warrior who thinks he has no courage, a man made of straw who thinks he has no brains, and another made of tin who thinks he has no heart.
At the end of their journey, after much suffering and strenuous travel, they meet the great Wizard, who turns out not to be a great wizard after all but instead just a very intelligent and perceptive man. He can see that Dorothy’s compatriots are suffering from a lack of self-awareness. He shows them that they actually each carry what they thought they lacked, deep in of them.
He offers a medal to the shy warrior, who upon receiving it, immediately engages with his courage, which he has in fact been exhibiting into all along their adventures. He offers a diploma to the straw man who immediately taps into his great fund of intelligence. He then offers a ticking watch to the tin man who holds it to his chest, feeling his heart beating so deeply and strongly there.
The wizard then tells Dorothy that she has had the tools to take her home all along her journey, the magic shoes of the Wicked Witch of the West. All she must do is tap them together while reciting the mantra, “There’s no place like home, and there’s no place like home.”
Dorothy does this and returns home to the place she thought she was tired of and finds that all her friends are there as well, in different incarnations. (This is all from the film Wizard of Oz. The books are quite different.)
This is such a great allegory of someone who feels she does not belong where she is and instead wishes she were somewhere else, somewhere fun, and magical, somewhere “over the rainbow.” Yet once her long journey ends, she finds herself back to where she started, though perhaps with a little more self-awareness, a little more knowledge of the great world outside of herself and well as the equally grand one inside.
It is in unifying our awareness, concentrating our wild monkey mind, allowing the sights and sounds of the outer world to recede from our attention, that we will be able to tap into this inner world of home and heart. It is in allowing, not forcing, that the real magic happens. It is when we release our self-created chains that we will then be able to fly free and true like a wizard or immortal on the back of a celestial dragon “over the rainbow” and to our true home.
There’s no place like it.
[1] Ni, Hua-Ching. Spring Thunder: Awaken the Hibernating Power of Life, Sevenstar Communications, 1986.
A three-hour seminar about aligning ourselves with Winter energy
with master teacher Solala Towler
• Daoist cultivation for winter!
• Special qigong for the kidney/adrenals!
• A deep dive meditation for restoration of qi and shen!
• Teachings about the year of the yang green wood dragon!
• Stories about healing and spiritual cultivation!
• A Daoist Tea Ceremony for aligning ourselves with the earth and the heavens.
• and more!
Date: 3/17 Cost: $65 Time 1-4 PT time
To register go here:
The seminar will be on Zoom and will be recorded and everyone who registers will get a link to the video. So if you cannot make the live session, you can view the video.
(Tho I encourage you to come to the live session if possible. The qi is much stronger when we are all together, even in cyberdao!)
Fall Taiwan Tour with Solala Towler!
Nov 5 – 18
$6250 includes airfare to Taiwan and back, all hotels (double occupancy), meals, classes, shows, and travel expenses in Taiwan! Private room $7250.
Each day will begin with a group breakfast at our hotel, then qigong with Solala and will finish with group dinner and Daoist energy meditation.
All along the way there will be time for reflection, sharing, exploring, eating incredible food, learning and practicing qigong and making new friends!
We will be working with Dana (Xu Shu Xin), a delightful and experienced guide. She will travel with us for the whole trip and be our guide, translator and confident on our journey!
To register online go here:
double occupancy
https://abodetao.com/store/#!/Taiwan-Tour/p/573678334/category=0
Single occupancy
https://abodetao.com/store/#!/Taiwan-Tour/p/573678334/category=0
Paying by check or credit card go to solala@abodetao.com or call Solala at 541.345.8854
If you wish to arrange your own flight with miles you have, let me know and I will deduct the cost for your flight from the trip.
Wish to arrange a payment plan to be able to afford the trip? Let me know!
Our itinerary so far:
DAY ONE- TRAVEL TO TAIPEI
DAY TWO
Going slowly as we acclimate to the new time zone.
Doing a little qigong after breakfast…
(Wuji Qigong, an ancient Daoist qigong form from Wudang Mountain)
Rest until lunch…
After lunch visit the famous Wisteria Teahouse
Afternoon off or going out on your own.
Dinner with group.
Evening circle/meditation
DAY THREE
Breakfast at hotel
Qigong with Solala
visit the Longshan Temple, a temple dedicated to Buddhism and Daoism… We will do some divination by using wooden blocks that you drop onto the floor to answer your questions!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz-9rQ1KR7w
A few blocks away is a whole street full of Chinese Herbs stores and stalls.
Lunch.
Eat some mango shaved ice or visit an ice cream parlor that has many strange and wonderful flavors! (Kidney Bean, Mung Bean, Guava, Oolong Tea, Dark Plum, Kiwi Fruit, Peanut, Mango (my favorite)!
Have a private tea ceremony with Master Tsai!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ORpxd3R2ok
From our friends at the Globalteahut.org:
Many of you who have been to our Center know about the great influence Master Tsai Yizhe has had on all that we do. He is our teacher, brother and a great tea sage. He shares tea and wisdom with a spirit of hospitality that most tea lovers have encountered, freely given the way tea trees open their crown and offer leaves to passersby. His work to protect the environment of Taiwan has earned him our ever-lasting esteem. His works continue to inspire us. Through his preservation efforts, Master Tsai established the Tea Mountain Preservation Society (茶山 保育協會), which works together with farmers around Taiwan and mainland China to create mutually beneficial connections between tea lovers like us and farmers. In exchange for stewarding the land sustainably in ecologically sound ways, the association agrees to buy the entire production from the farm every year. This connects tea lovers to the source of their tea and removes the financial strain from the farmer, allowing them to focus on stewarding the land and crafting fine tea. It is a win-win situation and one we have been supporting since we had the honor to meet Master Tsai.
Dinner
Attend an amazing show at the TaipeiEYE Peking Opera
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2PzXu96g0g
DAY FOUR
Breakfast at hotel
Qigong with Solala
Ride the longest cable car ride in the world up to Mao Gong, a mountainous area outside of Taipei!
(www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xyOkLkR0nU)
Eat Jasmine tea infused ice cream!
Visit a teahouse where the floor is a pond (with fish), walk over a small bridge, and step across a stone path to reach the tearoom, overlooking the mountains!
Have lunch in a restaurant where tea is an ingredient of every dish! (See video above)
Visit one more magical teahouse overlooking the forest and have high quality with yummy tea snacks! (See video above)
One the way down from the mountain visit a lush Daoist temple dedicated to Lu Dong Bin!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICfwkPDL-qQ
Dinner
Group circle and meditation
DAY FIVE
Breakfast
Qigong with Solala
Travel by train to Miaoli where we will visit the Global Tea Hut center and have a powerful tea ceremony with tea master Wu De!
https://globalteahut.org/pages/about
Also, meet with a powerful mountain-dwelling Daoist master!
We will spend the night at Miaoli
Dinner at night market!
DAY SIX
Visit a tea farm and pick your own tea and process it very simply so you can take it home with you, with lunch prepared by the farmer’s wife!
Head down to Sun Moon lake!
(we will spend two nights at this scenic area)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=346_V0wsFV8\
Our guide, Wu De, from the Global Tea Hut, will take us to some very special temples there.
In evening attend dance performance by indigenous natives.
DAY SEVEN
Breakfast at hotel
Morning qigong with Solala
lunch at lakeside
exploring this beautiful area on your own or with group
dinner at outdoor market
DAY EIGHT
Breakfast then qigong on the lakeside.
Head back to Taipei
After lunch visit a huge outdoor flower and artist market with tons of teaware and art at reasonable prices, including jewelry makers and lots of painting, carvings and more from local artists!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpHo9T-2iyk
Enjoy the best hot chocolate I have ever had (yes, in Taipei no less)!
Dinner together
Evening circle and meditation
DAY NINE
Breakfast
Qigong practice
Rest of the day off for individual exploration and rest.
Dinner together
Evening circle and meditation
DAY TEN
Breakfast at hotel
Morning qigong with Solala
A short train ride to Yingge, where we will be lead on a “forest bathing” hike thru the forest to a magical temple on the top. We will also have a tea ceremony in nature with local tea master El Kalinado.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWTwyW07QDY
If time permits, we can visit the old street with tons of cool pottery shops.
Train back to Taipei for dinner.
Evening circle and meditation
DAY ELEVEN
Breakfast at hotel
Morning qigong with Solala
Visit the world famous art museum
https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/national-palace-museum-taiwan
lunch at the museum.
A stroll down Dihua street before dinner. A very interesting area filled with shops, Chinese herbal pharmacies, a tiny temple and lots of cool street food.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qbmxmZ9Z4w
Dinner together
Evening circle and meditation
DAY TWELVE
Breakfast at hotel
Morning qigong with Solala
Visit the Yonglian Temple, a temple dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy and Compassion, Guan Yin!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLB7DGsRWCY
Visit an amazing incense shop that specializes in agarwood (sometimes called aloeswood) incense, described by my Daoist teacher Hua Ching Ni as the highest vibration incense! (Optional)
Learn how to offer incense in the Daoist way, with humility and a special invocation from Hua Ching Ni!
Return to Wisteria Teahouse for lunch.
Visit Zhinan Daoist Temple
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICfwkPDL-qQ
DAY THIRTEEN
Breakfast at hotel
Morning qigong with Solala
This will be our last day in Taiwan so we have a little more relaxed schedule this day. There will be time to explore/rest/pack for the trip home or join Solala at another magical teahouse, Qingtian Teahouse.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_a60bZS1oz0).
Lunch on your own (I recommend the amazing baozi (dumplings)!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5QEGllGlSI
my favorite is the one that starts at 1:30 minutes!
A very special last dinner in Taipei
Evening circle and meditation
DAY FOURTEEN
Fly back to Mei Guo (The Beautiful Country in Chinese)
Questions/concerns…write to me solala@abodetao.com or give me a call at 541.345.8854.
Don’t see something here that you would be interested in doing? Let me know!
Great Spiraling Dragon Qigong with Solala Towler!
In this two-hour workshop you will learn this simple yet powerful (and short) qigong form from the sacred Daoist Mountain, Wudang Shan.
We will spend time practicing this elemental qigong form, which has us embracing the great Yin of the Moon and the great Yang of the Sun. We will also connect to the Power Animal of each direction and to the healing power of the living, breathing Earth!
We will also be doing a deep dive into some Daoist Energy Meditations.
The class will be taught via zoom; it will be recorded and all students will have access to it. So even if you cannot attend in person, you can still watch the video!
Saturday July 29
2-4 Pacific Time
$46
Fall Taiwan Tour with Solala Towler!
Nov 5 – 18
$6250 includes airfare to Taiwan and back, all hotels (double occupancy), meals, classes, shows, and travel expenses in Taiwan! Private room $7250.
Each day will begin with a group breakfast at our hotel, then qigong with Solala and will finish with group dinner and Daoist energy meditation.
All along the way there will be time for reflection, sharing, exploring, eating incredible food, learning and practicing qigong and making new friends!
We will be working with Dana (Xu Shu Xin), a delightful and experienced guide. She will travel with us for the whole trip and be our guide, translator and confident on our journey!
To register online go here:
double occupancy
https://abodetao.com/store/#!/Taiwan-Tour/p/573678334/category=0
Single occupancy
https://abodetao.com/store/#!/Taiwan-Tour/p/573678334/category=0
Paying by check or credit card go to solala@abodetao.com or call Solala at 541.345.8854
If you wish to arrange your own flight with miles you have, let me know and I will deduct the cost for your flight from the trip.
Wish to arrange a payment plan to be able to afford the trip? Let me know!
Our itinerary so far:
DAY ONE- TRAVEL TO TAIPEI
DAY TWO
Going slowly as we acclimate to the new time zone.
Doing a little qigong after breakfast…
(Wuji Qigong, an ancient Daoist qigong form from Wudang Mountain)
Rest until lunch…
After lunch visit the famous Wisteria Teahouse
Afternoon off or going out on your own.
Dinner with group.
Evening circle/meditation
DAY THREE
Breakfast at hotel
Qigong with Solala
visit the Longshan Temple, a temple dedicated to Buddhism and Daoism… We will do some divination by using wooden blocks that you drop onto the floor to answer your questions!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz-9rQ1KR7w
A few blocks away is a whole street full of Chinese Herbs stores and stalls.
Lunch.
Eat some mango shaved ice or visit an ice cream parlor that has many strange and wonderful flavors! (Kidney Bean, Mung Bean, Guava, Oolong Tea, Dark Plum, Kiwi Fruit, Peanut, Mango (my favorite)!
Have a private tea ceremony with Master Tsai!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ORpxd3R2ok
From our friends at the Globalteahut.org:
Many of you who have been to our Center know about the great influence Master Tsai Yizhe has had on all that we do. He is our teacher, brother and a great tea sage. He shares tea and wisdom with a spirit of hospitality that most tea lovers have encountered, freely given the way tea trees open their crown and offer leaves to passersby. His work to protect the environment of Taiwan has earned him our ever-lasting esteem. His works continue to inspire us. Through his preservation efforts, Master Tsai established the Tea Mountain Preservation Society (茶山 保育協會), which works together with farmers around Taiwan and mainland China to create mutually beneficial connections between tea lovers like us and farmers. In exchange for stewarding the land sustainably in ecologically sound ways, the association agrees to buy the entire production from the farm every year. This connects tea lovers to the source of their tea and removes the financial strain from the farmer, allowing them to focus on stewarding the land and crafting fine tea. It is a win-win situation and one we have been supporting since we had the honor to meet Master Tsai.
Dinner
Attend an amazing show at the TaipeiEYE Peking Opera
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2PzXu96g0g
DAY FOUR
Breakfast at hotel
Qigong with Solala
Ride the longest cable car ride in the world up to Mao Gong, a mountainous area outside of Taipei!
(www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xyOkLkR0nU)
Eat Jasmine tea infused ice cream!
Visit a teahouse where the floor is a pond (with fish), walk over a small bridge, and step across a stone path to reach the tearoom, overlooking the mountains!
Have lunch in a restaurant where tea is an ingredient of every dish! (See video above)
Visit one more magical teahouse overlooking the forest and have high quality with yummy tea snacks! (See video above)
One the way down from the mountain visit a lush Daoist temple dedicated to Lu Dong Bin!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICfwkPDL-qQ
Dinner
Group circle and meditation
DAY FIVE
Breakfast
Qigong with Solala
Travel by train to Miaoli where we will visit the Global Tea Hut center and have a powerful tea ceremony with tea master Wu De!
https://globalteahut.org/pages/about
Also, meet with a powerful mountain-dwelling Daoist master!
We will spend the night at Miaoli
Dinner at night market!
DAY SIX
Visit a tea farm and pick your own tea and process it very simply so you can take it home with you, with lunch prepared by the farmer’s wife!
Head down to Sun Moon lake!
(we will spend two nights at this scenic area)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=346_V0wsFV8\
Our guide, Wu De, from the Global Tea Hut, will take us to some very special temples there.
In evening attend dance performance by indigenous natives.
DAY SEVEN
Breakfast at hotel
Morning qigong with Solala
lunch at lakeside
exploring this beautiful area on your own or with group
dinner at outdoor market
DAY EIGHT
Breakfast then qigong on the lakeside.
Head back to Taipei
After lunch visit a huge outdoor flower and artist market with tons of teaware and art at reasonable prices, including jewelry makers and lots of painting, carvings and more from local artists!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpHo9T-2iyk
Enjoy the best hot chocolate I have ever had (yes, in Taipei no less)!
Dinner together
Evening circle and meditation
DAY NINE
Breakfast
Qigong practice
Rest of the day off for individual exploration and rest.
Dinner together
Evening circle and meditation
DAY TEN
Breakfast at hotel
Morning qigong with Solala
A short train ride to Yingge, where we will be lead on a “forest bathing” hike thru the forest to a magical temple on the top. We will also have a tea ceremony in nature with local tea master El Kalinado.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWTwyW07QDY
If time permits, we can visit the old street with tons of cool pottery shops.
Train back to Taipei for dinner.
Evening circle and meditation
DAY ELEVEN
Breakfast at hotel
Morning qigong with Solala
Visit the world famous art museum
https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/national-palace-museum-taiwan
lunch at the museum.
A stroll down Dihua street before dinner. A very interesting area filled with shops, Chinese herbal pharmacies, a tiny temple and lots of cool street food.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qbmxmZ9Z4w
Dinner together
Evening circle and meditation
DAY TWELVE
Breakfast at hotel
Morning qigong with Solala
Visit the Yonglian Temple, a temple dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy and Compassion, Guan Yin!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLB7DGsRWCY
Visit an amazing incense shop that specializes in agarwood (sometimes called aloeswood) incense, described by my Daoist teacher Hua Ching Ni as the highest vibration incense! (Optional)
Learn how to offer incense in the Daoist way, with humility and a special invocation from Hua Ching Ni!
Return to Wisteria Teahouse for lunch.
Visit Zhinan Daoist Temple
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICfwkPDL-qQ
DAY THIRTEEN
Breakfast at hotel
Morning qigong with Solala
This will be our last day in Taiwan so we have a little more relaxed schedule this day. There will be time to explore/rest/pack for the trip home or join Solala at another magical teahouse, Qingtian Teahouse.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_a60bZS1oz0).
Lunch on your own (I recommend the amazing baozi (dumplings)!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5QEGllGlSI
my favorite is the one that starts at 1:30 minutes!
A very special last dinner in Taipei
Evening circle and meditation
DAY FOURTEEN
Fly back to Mei Guo (The Beautiful Country in Chinese)
Questions/concerns…write to me solala@abodetao.com or give me a call at 541.345.8854.
Don’t see something here that you would be interested in doing? Let me know!
Returning To The Source: Daoist Energy Meditation
In this seven-part course the students will be introduced and guided by some of the traditional meditation practices from the Daoist tradition, practices that have been used for hundreds of years to balance, harmonize and energize our qi system. These practices use visualization, breathwork, simple movements, and qi cultivation to enhance our emotional, spiritual, phsyschological and physical energy.
Lesson One: An Introduction To Taoist Energy Practices
Lesson Two: Sitting Meditation
Lesson Three: Standing Meditation
Lesson Four: Golden Light Meditation
Lesson Five: Watercourse Way Meditation
Lesson Six: Daoist Moving Meditation
Lesson Seven: Great Mother Meditation
$36
Free and Easy Wandering Course
How To Be Happy, Healthy, Holy and Wise
A five-week course with Solala Towler
Starts Friday March 11
90 minutes per session
Course cost: $108
Course Plus cost: $158
To register go here:
Free Bonus
Each participant will receive a free copy of Solala’s cd, Sacred Soundings
A lush and hypnotic journey deep into the sacred mountains, with Native flute,
Chinese xiao and dizi flutes, throat singing, harmonic overtone singing,
tamboura and Tibetan singing bowls.
Course Plus
$50
A 45-minute one-on-one I Ching consultation. The I Ching is a four thousand year old book of divination and spiritual guidance. The types of questions/issues we can work with are:
What do I need to know/hear right now for my spiritual evolution?
Please give me guidance about my life path.
I am thinking of moving to a new location.
I am thinking of a new career.
I am seeking guidance on pursuing/not pursuing a new relationship.
I am seeking guidance on a business decision.
What do I need to know about my present situation so that I may move forward in a balanced and healthy way.
Also, feel free to come up with your own questions/concerns!
Each session will be live on zoom.
They will each be recorded
so if you miss a session or want to review the video,
it will be made available to you.
Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu), an ancient teacher of the great tradition of Daoism (Taoism), once described the perfect way of life as, “free and easy wandering (xiaoyaoyou).” By that he meant living a life of ease and freedom, of being relaxed and open to each unfolding moment as it arises, of living a life of childlike wonder and with a spirit of adventure.
The contemporary Daoist master, Hua Ching Ni, says he can describe the perfect life of a Daoist in three words: “Take it easy.”
Why is it that Daoist teachers, both ancient and modern, are so great at living a life of ease and leisure, while at the same time attaining high levels of insight and spiritual illumination? How can they practice wu wei or non-doing, yet accomplish so much? How can they live in a world that is so complicated and stressful, yet enjoy the simple pleasures of a cup of tea and the ability to let go of all their problems and relax into nature, considered the greatest teacher of all?
These principles and practices that were created so many thousands of years ago work just as well in today’s world as they did in ancient China. Daoism is such a rich stew of magical stories, spiritual insight, valuable health practices, an understanding of the energetics of emotions, a deep relationship with nature and the natural way of things, and how to interact with a world as confusing and often even dangerous as ours.
We will explore all of these aspects of Daoism and more in this course. This will be a deep dive into the Daoist principles and practices in how to live a life of balance, harmony and wonder. Just know for now that there is a way of being in the world that will allow you to not only follow your deepest dreams but also attain your highest goals in a relaxed and delightful manner. You will begin a journey to wholeness, happiness and ease of mind and body, and will not only be a light unto yourself, but also share that light with others, in order that they too may find the same joy and fulfillment as you.
Each session with include: Lecture • Storytelling • Practices (Qigong and Daoist Energy Meditation)
- Sharing • Homework
This course will cover Daoist Principles For A Good Life, such as:
Wuwei (Not Forcing)
Manzou (Going Slowly)
Watercourse Way (Going With The Flow)
Flexibility (Inner and Outer)
The Wisdom of Foolishness
The Value of Worthlessness
Joyousness (a must)
Pu Or The Uncarved Block (Being Simple And Natural)
Ziran (Being Spontaneous)
How To Balance Your Own Yin/Yang Energies
Stillness In The Midst Of Activity
Sacred Union (Spiritual Relationship)
Sacred Sexuality
We will also be covering the Qigong and Daoist Energetic Practices of:
Grounding/Rooting To The Earth And The Sky
Centering Your Being In The Eternal Dao
Strengthening and Filling Your Lower Dantian
Connecting Your Heart Energy With The Heart Of The Universe
Gathering Qi From The Four Directions
Understanding and Utilizing The Wuxing (Five Transformational Phases)
Releasing Old Patterns/Energies That Are No Longer Useful To You
Filling The Jade Pond
Connecting To The Primal Mother
Alchemical Dantian Breathing
Small Heavenly Orbit
Resting In The Hall Of Light
Solala Towler was editor/publisher of The Empty Vessel: The Journal of Daoist Philosophy and Practice for 25 years. He has had 14 books published, including Inner Chapters of Chuang Tzu and and Tales From the Tao (Watkins); and The Tao of Intimacy and Ecstasy: The Promise of Spiritual Union and Practicing the Tao Te Ching: 81 Steps on the Way (Sounds True). His work has been translated into Dutch, French, Italian and Spanish. He is a founding board member of the National Qigong Association as well as past President. He has taught qigong and Daoist meditation for over 30 years and leads tours to visit Daoist temples in the sacred mountains of China.
Solala also leads Daoist Tea Ceremonies and is author of the books Cha Dao: The Way of Tea: Tea As a Way of Life and Tea Mind Tea Heart.
As a musician, Solala has recorded five cds of meditation/relaxation music using large Tibetan bowls, flutes, harmonic overtone singing and group chant.
WHAT HIS STUDENTS SAY ABOUT TRAINING WITH SOLALA
Just being in the same room with Solala Towler changed my way of seeing the world. He embodies the Daoist attitude of slow down and be yourself – and then he teaches a simple, slow-movement Qigong that is a ticket to an altered state. It hones memory, creativity, inspiration and intuition. I would love for all my friends to be there with me!
I felt the workshop did more than meet my expectations – it took me places I’ve never been and more importantly, it opened an access or light on my path that I knew existed but until now had not had the courage to pursue. Thank you for the gift.
As a beginner I had almost no “expectations”. Even Friday evening, I knew this would be a very positive experience. Many thoughts dove-tailed nicely with present perspectives and others opened up new paths. Solala proved to be wonderful teacher, making learning for a newcomer such as myself enjoyable, pleasant, and beneficial!
Excellent seminar. Perfect way to spend a non-hectic weekend. Nice touch explaining in layman’s terms oriental traditional medicine etc and how it affects qigong. Loved the readings and the meditations.
The wuji form has been and continues to be a very profound teacher for me. I’ve been practicing the form before bed almost daily since I took your class—not out of a sense of discipline but out of love. The form does something for me that is very powerful.
After being initially terrified, I found that not only could I “do it” but I could relax enough to benefit, and enjoy the experience. I learned a lot – thank you for being such a patient teacher!
This weekend with Solala at Columbia Yoga was quite a treat! It was a wonderful experience that included storytelling, flute playing, meditation and of course QiGong. Solala’s easy-going nature allowed many elements to flow together to create a weekend of learning, doing, stillness, and sharing.
Just wanted to say thank you for bringing Solala here. It was an amazing weekend. I felt like I experienced an altered state several times. My qi field feels expanded and clear today. Actually, it’s a little challenging slipping back into the “after the ecstasy, the laundry.” 🙂
Thank you for a weekend I will remember for many years to come.
I am so enjoying your clear, gentle explanations and explorations of the Tao te Ching. In the past, it had always seemed like a mountain with no handholds for climbing. I didn’t know how to engage with it. Now perhaps in my advancing age, I have the patience to look closer to find the places by which to make a slow ascent. And your text and especially, the exercises, make it a really lovely process of discovery.
OTHER REFERENCES
Solala is a key player in transmitting Taoist wisdom to the West. He pulls off the feat of making Tao philosophy of yin-yang balance, yielding, non-forcing wu wei, and staying centered in the body with qigong totally practical as a guide to relationships. His mastery of relevant ancient texts and poems is impeccable. I’ve known him 20 years, and he walks his Tao talk, a fabulous mix of philosophy, energy practice, and profound wisdom.
Michael Winn, coauthor with Mantak Chia of, Taoist Secrets of Love; founder HealingTaoUSA.com
It is not easy to find a friend to share a cup of tea and discuss the Dao and spirituality of life in these modern times. I have known Solala since 2001, when I first moved to the US from China, and was happy to meet someone who is as passionate about learning and sharing his work with others as he is about living a life guided by Daoist principles. With his gentleness, joyful spirit and rich knowledge of the Daoist way of living, I look forward to countless cups of tea together in the years to come.
Master Zhongxian Wu, lifelong Daoist practitioner and author of 11 books on Chinese wisdom traditions.
Solala has immersed himself in Taoist learning and scholarship for many years with admirable devotion and attainment. His on-going output of books and music are to be thanked for those who are seeking Taoist inspirations. He is amongst those Westerners who have become more and more Asian in his right way of living and being. I am proud to call him a kindred spirit in the Tao.
Chungliang Al Huang, founder-president-director, Living Tao Foundation/Lan Ting Institute
