Bagua Zhang 2: Walking the Great Circle of Integral Chuan Practice

Description

This second class on Bagua reviews the imaginal origins of Bagua and  shows how it fits into the Integral Chuan curricula, emphasizing it’s role in psycho-spiritual transformation. Adding to our Session #1 of Bagua, we go further into the Wang Shujin’s eight changes while walking the Bagua circle.

Examples of what you’ll learn from this video:

• Review of the history of Bagua from an imaginal perspective.

• Dr Michael outlines his lineage from the Wang Shujin tradition of Bagua Linked Palms set, derived from Sigung Kent Howard, Scott Hamm, and Sandy Rosenberg.
• The connection between Grandmaster Wang Shujin and Dr Michael’s home tradition of Yi Chuan Qigong: Wang Shujin  was a student of and Grandmaster Wang Xiangzhai (founder of Yi Chuan) and they exchanged ideas. Why is this important for your practice?
• Practicing each Bagua movement as a Standing Meditation posture.
• Beginning your Bagua practice with Bodymind Healing Qigong. One starting method:Taoist Immortal Paints the Heavenly Rainbow.
• Bagua—an entryway into shapeshifting for personal transformation and spiritual practice.
• Introduction to the animal forms of Bagua  and their importance to shape shifting into developing your missing qualities for integral healing, the lion, bear, deer , hawk,  unicorn.
• The Integral Chuan Perspective: The importance of integrating martial, spiritual, health and psychological elements of Bagua practice. Practicing Bagua in alignment with  your unique purpose and intention. What are you practicing for  today— to transform what in your life?
• Bagua Walking the Circle of the Zodiac to transform, balance, and incarnate your missing archetypal qualities.
• Some basic elements of Wang Shujin’s walking circle changes: Torquing to the center of the circle, mud walking, holding balls over the heart and belly with the figure eight stance,  crouching tiger, inner and outer circle foot changes-turning with T steps, snake wriggles through a hole, unwrapping the arms, foot over the log.
• Introduction to Wang Shujin’s Eight Circle Walking Changes:

1. Single Palm Change

2.. Double Palm Change

3. Hawk Sweeps Upward

4. Yellow Dragon Rolls Over

5. White Snake Spits out its Tongue

6. Might Peng Bird Spreads it Wings

7. White Ape Presents Peaches

8. Whirlwind Palms

• Hidden metaphors and psycho-spiritual elements of circle walking changes, for example:

• 1. 1. Using White Snake Sticks out its tongue as a practice for speaking truth to power
     2. Using Yellow Dragon rolls over to complement treatment of nervous system disorders and cultivating Spleen Chi.

* Reference to Kent Howard’s book, “Bagua Linked Palms.” Reference to companion training Video “Bagua Linked Palms: Wang Shujin,” by Kent Howard

* Disclaimer: I am not representing that I am giving a direct transmission of my esteemed teachers practice, rather I’m am standing on those shoulder to transmit the approach to Bagua  that incorporate my background in various cross-cultural wisdom traditions.

* Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, nor am I claiming medical benefits from the practices. Please consult with your medical doctor before practicing the methods in the Integral Chuan video series as you are considering integrating them as a complement to your bodymind healing practices.