A Heart Repair Meditation for Nei Gong retreat will take place online in the mornings before work between 6th to 12th November. This retreat uses two different meditation techniques to focus the mind, open the body, and free the heart. We then use these beneficial conditions to train the healing, power-building exercise known as Standing Stake. The three main techniques which will be practised daily are:

Taoist Observation Meditation: This is a concentration meditation which focusses on body and breath, and opens the body through use of ‘sung’ or relaxation power. Taoist Observation Meditation calms the mind and establishes the body as foundation for the practices that follow.

Touch and Go Meditation: This technique explores the difference between the conditioned self (yi/intention) and pure awareness (shen/spirit). All of human experience is welcome in this style, which combines concentration and emptiness meditation to soften the grip of emotions on mind and body.

Standing Stake Nei Gong: This is a stationary standing practice which heals on a postural and energetic level. It also generates martial power, and is how the Tai Chi powers are created in the Wudang Pai. Two different techniques will be taught, one for beginners and one for experienced students.

Also Featuring: The techniques will be embedded within a warm-up for physical comfort, journalling for grounding, and breathing techniques which thread the three techniques together. I will also share my story of how these techniques helped me through challenging times. There will be some individual unstructured creative time in the final session to leave space for inspiration – the hallmark of the spirit – to strike.

The Heart Repair Philosophy: Tai Chi has for hundreds of years healed the hearts of practitioners through working on the body. In fact the many ways of developing body and mind to cultivate qi are known under one umbrella term in China, “Heart Repair” (修心). This term assumes that emotions, mind and body are one, which means pain in the heart is pain in the body, which leaves its mark and distorts the flow of qi. Conversely, when softening the body through Tai Chi, Qi Gong and other internal arts to promote free-flowing qi, we simultaneously undo our emotional knots.

Modern Chinese culture does not talk so much of emotions, but this practice has gone on for centuries regardless. Modern Western Culture does talk of emotions, and in recent years a vernacular has arisen which describes this process in a different way; it’s called the somatic approach to trauma.

Results: For me, training these heart repair techniques has been like turning a light on in a dark room. They have taught me how to open my internal landscape and move power through my body for both healing and martial purposes. They have taught me the significance of being a human between Heaven and Earth, and the impact that both a cloudy and clear connection between these two poles has on my wellbeing. And they have helped me to process shock and alleviate the impact of stress. The support these techniques provided during challenging times is something I am profoundly grateful for, and so every couple of years I share my story and recent discoveries I have made using these techniques.

Details: The retreat is suitable for both complete beginners and experienced students, and for all health levels. It will take place online via Zoom, and costs £110, you can book here. I wish for this event to be accessible to all, so if you would like to come and cannot afford this amount, please get in touch. Here is the timetable for the week:

Sunday 6th November: 10.30am-1pm Full introduction to all techniques and my story.

Monday 7th to Friday 11th November: 7.15-8.30am The three core techniques.

Saturday 12th November: 10.30am-1pm Concluding session and talk with Q & A. This includes some individual unstructured creative time after the main session which students can attend if they choose.

There will be a free taster session on Sunday 23rd October between 11am-12.30pm, please email me at lucia@wudang-pai.co.uk if you wish to attend this.

You can also read testimonials from the last Heart Repair Meditation retreat here. If you have any questions feel free to get in touch, and until we meet again – be gentle with your heart.