Classes in Bodymind Healing Qigong & Tai Chi Chuan for Troubled Times

With Dr. Michael Mayer

Physical Classes Held in the Woodlands of Orinda have been placed on hold at this time, but don’t despair…

Online on Zoom during the current COVID pandemic!

Register in advance through email to: drmichael@bodymindhealing.com; 
and then pay by Pal Pal to that address in advance or after the class. You’ll be sent a Zoom invitation the night before the class.

Saturdays 10:00-11:00 a.m. (PST)

$75.00 per month or $20.00 for single classes.
Classes are ongoing and beginners are welcome.

For more information call: Office: 510-849-2878; Cell 925-623-3540

Click here to purchase by month or by individual session…

In this ongoing Qigong/Tai Chi class you’ll be initiated into Bodymind Healing Tai Chi and Qigong practices that Michael synthesized from three decades of training with some of the world’s most respected masters of Tai Chi and Qigong.

During the current COVID pandemic we will have an online Zoom class that will focus on Tai Chi’s Four Dimensions (self-healing, spiritual unfoldment, self-defense and changing one’s life stance psychologically). Each Saturday we’ll focus on one or two Tai Chi movements as well as immune enhancing, resiliency building (wei chi), parasympathetic nervous system enhancing practices from Bodymind Healing Qigong.

Want to learn at your own pace? Click here to learn more about the streaming video series.

What is Bodymind Healing Qigong?

Bodymind Healing Qigong is a physical exercise system, a Self-healing pathway, a spiritual practice, a method of transforming one’s life stance, a way to find our ground in the midst of the emotional crosscurrents of everyday life, and an initiatory tradition. It is grounded in psycho-neuroimmunological and quantum biological research, and may become a practice that will stay with you for a lifetime.

These Eight systems of the Bodymind Healing Qigong (Short Set) include:

Set 1: Standing Meditation Qigong: (Yi Chuan, Zhan Zhuang, and Wuji)

A. Standing like a Tree
B. The Circle that Arises from Stillness
C. Holding Golden Balls in the Waters of Life
D. Finding your own Stance- Opening the Golden Ball of the Heart

Set 2: Dispersing Stagnant Chi

Set 3: Ocean Wave Breathing

Set 4: Tai Chi Ruler:A.) Change Fingers into Straws in the Garden of Eden and (B.) Pouring Honey

Set 5: Stretching Qigong (Selected Dao Yin exercises): Abductor and Psoas Stretch; Moving a Snake through your Joints, Dipping your Hands into the Waters of Life, Opening your Heart to the Heavens: Spiraling Qigong to find the Aesclepian staff, Opening the beam of the light connecting heaven and earth.

Set 6: Ancient Taoist Healing the Internal Organ Exercises

A. Wood: Gall Bladder meridian, Buddha Holds up the Heavens
B. Fire: Heart, Opening the Heart, Sound Ha
C. Earth: Spleen, Crane Walking and Flying, Sound Huh
D. Metal: Lung, Arrow to the Heavens; Lung chi scooping and slurping up, then swinging down with palms behind the back palms up sound shhh
E. Water: Kidney Yin, outstretched palm to the side, Sound Whoo; Kidney Yang, sound Chir Yee; Yi Chuan Dragon
F. Wood: Liver, as in Tai Chi Shoulder Stroke, Sound SSSF. Wood: Liver, as in Tai Chi Shoulder Stroke, Sound SSS

Set 7: Yi Chuan Walking Meditation Qigong


Set 8: Wuji Standing Meditation Qigong

Over time students can choose which elements of the practice are most important to their lives. For example, if you’d like to focus on Tai Chi, you can learn the traditional 108 movement, long form of Yang style Tai Chi Chuan, along with various two person (push hands) practices. You’ll learn how every Tai Chi movement has four levels of purpose: self healing, spiritual unfoldment, self defense, and changing your life stance. This perspective is discussed in Michael’s book (Secrets to Living Younger Longer: The Self-healing path of Qigong, Standing Meditation and Tai Chi) where the theory is put forth that Tai Chi/Qigong stems from a long lost lineage where these four dimensions were an integrated part of the practice. If you’d like to focus on medical Qigong, Michael teaches various dimensions of these practices including the five animal forms of medical Qigong.

*Please also inquire about Bodymind Healing Qigong Certification programs, tailor-made to your unique needs.

Directions (during non COVID Times): .When COVID times end, we all look forward to resuming in person classes in Contra Costa County, California.

Michael Mayer , Ph. D., has been practicing and teaching Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong for many years in addition to being a psychologist in private practice. Michael was certified as a master Tai Chi instructor by the American Tai Chi & Qigong Association, and has presented his integrated system of bodymind healing, at many hospitals and at universities, conferences and, workshops. He was a keynote speaker for the National Qigong Association, and is the author of 20 publications on bodymind healing. Click Below for more information.

Michael’s background in Tai Chi and Qigong includes three decades of training  in the internal martial arts at the Integral Chuan Institute with master Fong Ha where he learned Tai Chi Chuan (also spelled Taiji Quan), Xing Yi Chuan, and Yi Chuan. Some of this training includes Taiji, sword, saber and staff, the 108 movement long form of Tai Chi Chuan right and left sides, eight systems linking form of Tai Chi push hands, and the long form of San Shau. Sifu Ha trained with Tung Ying Chieh (first generation disciple of Yang Chengfu) and Yang Shouchung (a lineage holder of the Yang style). Michael trained in Yi Chuan with Sifu Ha and masters Han Xingyuan (a first generation disciple of Wang Xiangzhai),  Sam Tam (master of Eagle Claw, Yi Chuan, and Taiji Quan), and to a lesser extent with masters Lam Kam Chuen and Han Jing Chen. Michael studied Wuji Standing Meditation with master Cai Sungfang. He has also trained with many other masters of medical Qigong such as Dr. Alex Feng in the Five Animal Forms of Hua Tau. He has been a colleague/friend of Taoist scholar Ken Cohen where many traditions have been mutually exchanged; for example, he was the first person to teach Ken the Yi Chuan Standing and Walking Meditation Qigong. Michael received a certification in Chinese Health Arts from the Acupressure Institute of Berkeley.

Dr. Michael Mayer’s professional background with Qigong includes: Michael has taught many workshops in Tai Chi/Qigong at universities, hospitals, workshops and conferences. For example, he keynoted the National Qigong Association Conference (2004) and was chosen to do a master level workshop at the Eleventh World Qigong Congress in San Francisco (2008). For many years he offered his Qigong workshops at world-renowned Esalen Institute; and he has certification programs which include Bodymind Healing Qigong for Qigong practitioners/teachers, and a Bodymind Health Practitioner’s Certification Program for health professionals. He has written four books and many professional articles on the integration of Qigong with Western mind-body healing practices. Michael received certification as a Tai Chi Master Instructor by The American Tai Chi and Qigong Association.