I am blessed once again to be opening Chinese New Year 9:00 Febuary 10th at Maui Mall
The Dragon is coming…. Leave a comment
2024 New Beginnings Enter the Dragon Leave a comment
Will be doing,
Chinese New Year celebration at Maui Mall February 10th….
Current class schedule two classes each week.
Wednesdays 8:10 to 9:30
Keawakapu Beach at the bottom of Kilohana dr.
Saturdays 9:00 to 10:30
Wailuku Heights Park
I’m back I got a new app I’ll be able to post easier from my phone now.
Yes! We are doing classes 3 comments
Keawakapu beach in Kihei, 8am Wednesday and Friday.
Keopuolani park in kahului 9 am Tuesdays.
Reinstating Taiji Classes…(2) 4 comments
Aloha, I am Reinstating Taiji Classes at Keawakapu Beach in Kihei/Wailea on Wednesdays and Fridays at 8-9 AM. I park at the Mana Kai and walk south about 50 yards to where the Kilohana Drive entrance is to the beach. Parking is also available there. I hope to see you there soon!
Americans Suffer Civil Rights Abuse Leave a comment
Illegal cancelation of Taiji Classes.
Our constitutionally guaranteed rights have been stolen from us.
Our Local government is fining people $5000 for going out, doing taiji, even at the beach, no groups of any kind. This is completely illegal and is a travesty to our nation. Local politicians have stolen these rights from us. For the first time in history this has happened. Our way of life is under assault.
Therefore we cannot do Taiji, even though the best place to be is doing qigong and Taiji. For example: 80% of Wuhan flu transmissions happened to quarantined people. The safest place for people to be is outside in sunlight and fresh air, this is scientific fact. Destroying the rights of citizens and not allowing people to go to work is the worst civil rights abuse since slavery in the history of America.
Taiji Class/Whale Watch Wednesdays and Fridays 2 comments
This class has been ongoing for about 17 years. Last year I added a Friday class as well. On Wednesday it is an hour and a half and we work on all three sections of the Long Form. On Friday it is a one hour class and we usually focus more on the first and occasionally the second sections and is better for beginners.
It can be distracting with so may whales less that 200 yards off shore of the Maui Surfside’s north lawn! Many folks attend both days.
Lahaina Classes enter their twenty first year! 1 comment
This class started outdoors in early 2000 on the steps of the old Lahaina civic center. A couple of years later, they built us the West Maui Senior Center on Lahaina Luna Street. Now, each Monday I do three classes here. This is my 9 AM class, they know the first two sections of the Long Form. At 10AM I do a beginner Long Form class and at 11:30 there is a Qigong/neigong class.
2 New Classes at Hale Mahaolu Elua Leave a comment
These two new classes are for seniors only, at the County of Maui Senior retirement village in Kahului. Wednesdays at 1:30, Taiji long form and Qigong beginner class, followed by Yang style Taiji Sword at 2:30. Hope to see you there!
Happy New Year 2020 Leave a comment
I now enter my 21st year teaching Taiji. I have had many wonderful experiences and met many amazing people in this time. The best part of it all has been You, my students. Words cannot express my admiration for You. Learning Taiji is one of the most difficult endeavors anyone can undertake, I have always been amazed at the strength of the human spirit. My students have moved me in their commitment to training. One recently told me that she has trained with me for over 14 years, she told me that she started on her 80th birthday! Cathy Hobson, nintey four years young, has come every week and she still does. Another student, Miki Gushi has been with me for 20 years and she too never misses classes and I was with her again today.
This is why I teach; These are just two of my many heros.
Sword, Moon and Mars 3 comments
Practice, Practice, Practice…
This sword posture is called “Seven Stars” in reference to the Big Dipper. The Seven Stars point the way to Tao…
Practice, Practice, Practice…
Cory Williams ©2018
White Crane Goes Flying Leave a comment
The Mountain extends to Heaven,
Where the Wind flows like Water…
The Thunder sparks the Fire,
That fills the Valley and renews the Earth.
You may see my teacher, Master Dong, do this simple set of moves while at workshops, over and over again when he is alone. I have often wondered what is his meditation, what he is up to? Obviously he is meditating, the form is expressed so beautifully when you can softly walk through these simple meditative routines. I have been copying him and a had a break-through today in training.
The Book of Changes, “I Ching” follows the changes of Heaven and Earth through symbolism. Yin/Yang is expressed in folding, rolling patterns that, like the DNA molecule, make a double helix woven tapestry expressing the changes of life. The eight changes represent different energies.
Heaven and Earth, Water and Fire, Mountain and Valley, Wind and Thunder, are the changes of Tao.
If you have never read the I Ching, it is a classic Taoist source book I recommend reading. Watching Sifu, this is what I see him doing, expressing the eight “bagua” of the I Ching like a monk counting rosary beads, it is a spiritual meditation. Every Taiji posture expresses one or more of these energies;
- Mountain, Keeping Still… Shoulder strike
- Heaven, the Creative… Warding off
- Wind, the Gentle… White Crane Spreads Wings
- Water, the Abysmal… Lifting Hands
- Thunder, the Arousing… Pull Down
- Fire, the Clinging… Push (down)
- Lake, Valley the Joyous… Rollback
- Earth, the Receptive… Gathering qi and repeat
You can do this simple routine over and over on both sides continuously.
At the top of the page, is just a little poem written to help me focus on Taiji moves, Shoulder strike (Mountain) is “Kao” energy merging into “Peng” (ward-off) energy= Heaven, White crane spreads wings, move like Wind. Wind is “Lie” (splitting) energy, Lifting hands flows like Water and pull down, is “Tasi” energy, Thunder, Fire fits here as “An” energy directed downwards as the pull down ends, into “Valley” or Lake (emptiness) and “Lu” (rollback) which returns to Earth energy…
Never stop practicing, though many things can get in your Way. Being part of the Way, to be a Wayfarer, is that we never stop practicing; we cannot stop, life is a river of change.
Cory Williams ©2018
Nei Gong Class 1 comment
Taoist Meditation Lesson #9, Nei Gong Lesson #1, The path of Inner Alchemy 1 comment
Announcing NEW Nei Gong Class at Kaunoa Senior Center
Thursdays at 12:30 PM
Nei Gong
Taoist internal qigong. All levels of students can enjoy these simple therapeutic Dao Yin sitting exercises, and learn the secrets of the sages, embryonic breathing, microcosmic orbit, internal alchemy, Taoist Zouwang “sitting and forgetting” meditation. Find an inner peace and openness, freedom from emotions and evaluations, access internal energies, transform your body and your mind.
The Taoist creation story reads like this, first came the One, from the One came the two, and the three, thus were created the “ten thousand things.” To unite with Tao, is the path of return, return to the primordial… From the ten thousand things, find the three, and then the two, then return to the one. Only the One can return to the source of all things.
A long time ago in a land far away, great sages lived long and happy lives. Seeking immortality, many Chinese people have lived to be well over one hundred years of age. One man, Li Ching Yuen, is documented to have lived to the ripe old age of 256 years. There are undoubtedly many such individuals that lived that long before the government started keeping any records. Blessed with herbs, spices, silk, art, and abundant natural resources, the Chinese people had most of their needs met by nature. While Europeans were busy building ships and exploring the world in search of such things, the Chinese devoted their time to the quest for longer lives to enjoy their blessings.
The quest for longevity and even immortality was sort of a national past-time in China. Leading the way in this adventure were the Taoists, although they were not called that in the beginning. Taoism is not so much a product of Chinese thought as Chinese thought is a product of Taoist philosophy. The ancient Taoists were experts in all the sciences, medicine, astronomy, mathematics, and philosophy. They knew that all the really important answers could be found in nature. Living to at least one hundred years of age was considered normal, using herbs, certain diets, Daoyin exercises, meditations, and philosophy, they developed longevity techniques that have not been improved upon by any modern science.
Modern science sometimes seems to be used against us, by deceit and unethical people, for example the United States government still recommends an unhealthy diet that was forced upon us by politicians. There is no money in giving people free information that can extend their lives. Instead, pharmaceutical companies can sell you a pill, and the government tries to force doctors to deceive patients as they often are unwitting accomplices plied by outdated “scientific evidence”.
Modern humans, it seems, need to look elsewhere for their health; heal thyself. The best place to start would be to go back in time to before the days of chemicals and agriculture, a time when we lived long healthy lives. Living close to nature is the Taoist ideal. If you could live in such a way, you would wake at dawn, sleep at night, eat a natural diet of real food, and spend time meditating, and doing moderate exercise.
Taoist health and medical practices and inventions, such as Qigong, Herbal medicine, Tui Na massage, and Acupuncture, are the four branches of traditional Chinese medicine. Longevity is so much more than “health and medicine” however, yet unfortunately that is the mind-set in western societies. I dare say, you cannot live to be over 100 years old with just health and medicine. It takes something more, another level of health, mental, emotional and spiritual.
Most of the suffering I see is caused by emotional excess and this leads to mental instability, and when the mind and emotions are in turmoil, your spirit suffers. When these things happen, and it may or may not make you “sick,” but you will live a shorter, less happy life. Being angry, always evaluating every situation to the point of emotionality, holding resentment for supposed past wrongs, and over-thinking, all leads to hidden stress that can shorten your life on Earth.
If there was a philosophy, where you would stop judging others and yourself, allowing you to enjoy the beauty around you, and if you could avoid the thinking/feeling/reacting feed-back loop that leads to slow self destruction, if you could learn to forget, you could share your gifts with all the world.
If there was a way of viewing yourself as a divine creation of Heaven and Earth, and to visualize nature’s grand design, you could see how your hormones, emotions and mind can combine to jerk you into altered states or take your spirit to heaven while your’re still in your body!
If you could eat a healthy natural diet full of healthy fats and low carb vegetables, avoiding grains, and getting the right amount of protein and 8 hours of restful sleep, your mind would be clear of the glucose induced brain fog, and your liver would be free of toxins, and your moods stable.
If you could do simple enjoyable exercises that tone your internal organs as well as the “superficial body,” you would be making neural transmitters and life sustaining hormones. If you could find and open all the areas that hold stuck energy, and open the blockages on your spine, you could open the path to the spirit as well as lower your blood pressure without raising your heart rate.
What if you could let go of your own mind, perhaps you could comprehend all things…
Welcome to Inner Alchemy, the ancient tradition of Nei Gong. Start by laying a foundation of Dao yin exercises, focused breathing and building your body’s internal medicines such as hormones. Then you could see how you are connected on the inside, energetically, from the bottom where your earth nature dwells and hormonal chemistry supports your basic essence. Learn to connect the energy centers from bottom to the top. At the heart center, where we have our heart-mind, emotions and such, there are mechanisms that can control our hormones and neural transmitters. Learn to feel the energy that connects the lower regions with the brain, your spirit center.
There can be no direct explanation of where we end up. That is the great mystery of all mysteries. Developing coping strategies for life will help us lead a longer happier life; these same skills give us the patience that allow us to appreciate all of life and prepares us for the unknown.
Nei Gong is a way of life to guide you back to the source of creation, and yet it is very simple. It is a progressive transformation that is totally natural, and if followed with vigor and passion you may attain Tao itself.
The great Taoist sage Lao Tzu said, “My way is simple, but no one can follow it”.
Imagine returning to a place free of thought, free of bodily pain and emotions. Floating in the womb of the great mother, an embryo, adrift in time upon and endless sea, One with all of creation; a place of infinite possibilities and peace.
Copyright Cory Williams 2017
Get a grip on reality, read “Nature is Reason”
Thank You Sifu 2 comments
Our workshop was fantastic! Thanks to Gerri Nishida for making it all possible.
Taiji Gong Leave a comment
In the beginning:
The peacock spread his tail and pushed away the fairy crane, hands moving like clouds he strikes the tiger and parts the wild horses mane. Then the fair maiden saw the golden rooster bend his bow and shoot the tiger and carry the tiger back to the mountain.
Just a little Chinese poem to remember Dong Zeng Chen’s “Taiji Gong”
Peacock spreads his tail (Ward off)
Push
Fairy crane (White crane spreads it wings)
Move hands like clouds
Strike the tiger
Parting the wild horses mane
Fair maiden works at the shuttles
Bend bow and shoot tiger
Carry tiger, return to mountain
This poem helps to remember the Taiji forms repeated in the Taiji Gong Qigong. These nine movments capture the spirit of Taiji; this can be enjoyed sitting or standing. Warm-up,,,,start with zhan zhaung training, wuji. Then repeat each move left and right three, five or seven times each.
Sifu’s father also had a “Taiji gong” we’ve been doing for many years. See “Tiger Mountain”
Copyright Cory Williams 2016
Time to register For Master Dong 1 comment
Taiji on Maui’s Taoist Taiji Kung Fu Day Camp 2014 4 comments
Take your body where your spirit wants to go!
Come and join us at the edge of the forest, upon a sacred mountain, for an amazing week of meditation, qigong, Taijiquan, and Kung Fu.
Taiji on Maui is offering a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in the Taiji way of life with someone that loves you. Join us and reconnect to your true self, learn and practice Taoist methods to better yourself and your life. Relax at a deep level, rejuvenate your spirit. Take time for reflection, gain clarity on your life path, find meaning beyond material concerns, connect with nature, heal, contemplate, grow.
We will be at Giggle Hill (map) in Haiku from 7:30 AM until 5:30 PM for eight days, this is a beautiful park with lots of trees and wonderful grass. We take a relaxed pace with frequent breaks and enjoy ourselves. There is ample shade, tables and water available and there are great restaurants 5 minutes away in Haiku or Makawao.
Come for any or all of the camp. Anyone and everyone is welcome!
From Saturday March 29 through Saturday April 5, we will be going through my current curriculum. Many of you know some or all of these forms and especially if you do not (you need to start somewhere and beginners are welcome here!), we invite you to join us for eight days of practice and training. We know this is late notice, but change has a way of “changing” things… who knew. For whatever reason, at this time, Taiji on Maui decided to open up the inner workings of this lifestyle for all.
Born out of the many workshops and camps I have attended, sponsored, loved, and always yearn for still; I have created a lifestyle that is like a perpetual Taiji camp. The lesson I have learned here is, there is nothing like total immersion and focused practice for maximum results. Additionally, for eight days every year, I dedicate myself to practicing in this totally immersed way. The difference now is, instead of attending a camp, or doing my usual sequestered practice, I am inviting anyone that wishes to learn to join me.
And so, if you have a few days between these dates, and want to know what it’s like to live like a like Taoist monk…
Come and join us for:
Sixty four hours of practice and training,
Eight days,
Eight hours each day
Eight different standing qigong forms
Six different Taiji & Kung Fu forms
Two meditations each day
One awesome week
Zero requirement to pay.
Taiji & Kung Fu forms:
- Dong (Yang) Style Long Form Taiji
- Wudang Style Long Form Taiji
- Hao Style Long Form Taiji
- Dong Family Set (fast) Short Form Taiji
- Yang Style Taiji Sword
- Wudang Tai Yi Wuxing Quan (Five Element Fist) Kung Fu
- Push Hands drills and practice
Qigong Forms:
- Dong Family Basic Qigong
- Dong Family Advanced Qigong
- Zi Ran Men “Five Elements” Qigong
- Sheng Zhen “Kwan Yin” Standing Qigong
- Wudang Hun Yuan (primordial) Qigong
- Wudang Daoist Gate Qigong from Master Zhou
- Yiquan & Zhan Zhuang
- Yi Jin Jing & Ba Duan Jin, (Muscle and Tendon Changing Classic & The Eight Pieces of Brocade) From Master Fong Ha
Sitting Qigong:
- From Dong Zeng Chen and Tung Hu Ling
- Sheng Zhen “Kwan Yin”
- Wudang San Feng
Schedule:
All sessions will be at Giggle Hill (Fourth Marine Div. Park) in Haiku on Maui. I know it rains sometimes, but that will not stop me. There are shelters and there is always practice to do. The following schedule is a rough outline of the curriculum, for example, all the qigong forms will be rotated as appropriate. There is aways randomness in Tao! Where there is a specific focus to a session, I have listed such below but there will be a continuos opportunity to explore anything we wish to at any time … So it is all very Taoist.
Meditations are the first and last thing each day; the time may vary or include other activities. Practice and training sessions start at 8:30 AM and 1:30 PM with a two hour break. Each session starts with related qigong, then we progress to Taiji and Kung Fu. There will be exploration and explanation of applications and plenty of time for “push hands” practice. Saturday night, April 5th we are having a pot luck dinner at the park. We hope to see you there!
The times for all sessions are:
- 7:30 to 8:30 Meditation
- 8:30 to 11:30 Practice and Training
- 11:30 to 1:30 Break for lunch
- 1:30 to 4:30 Practice and Training
- 4:30 to 5:30 Meditation
Starting March 29
- Saturday: Wudang Long Form Taiji \\\ Wudang Tai Yi Kung Fu
- Sunday: Hao Style \\\ Dong (Yang) Style Long Form
- Monday: Yang Style Sword \\\ Dong Family (fast) Set
- Tuesday: Dong Long Form \\\ Dong Family Set
- Wednesday: Wudang Long Form \\\ Wudang Tai Yi
- Thursday: Sword \\\ Hao Style
- Friday: Qigong only \\\ Dong Long Form
- Saturday: All forms \\\ All forms \\\ Ending Dinner
Yang Style Sword at Chinese New Year 2014 1 comment
Aloha, and Happy New Year.
Thank you all for coming to the huge celebration at the Maui Mall! It was the best ever, and I was honored to be the first person on stage (for the fourth time) again this year. I demonstrated four forms, starting with Zi Fa Gong (spontaneous qigong), then the Wudang Kung Fu Taiyi Wuxing Quan (Five element fist), Wudang 108 Long Form Taijiquan, and finally, Yang Style Sword. It was a blessing to have some friends take great photos and we thought we would share them with the universe…
We are also announcing a new Yang Style Sword class on Thursday mornings in Haiku.
Click on the photos to see larger images, Thank you to Phil Sabado, Pam Kesler, and Wanda Russell for the photos.
Yang Style Sword
1. Prepare
2. Opening
3. Circle the Moon with Three Rings
4. Big Dipper
5. Swallow Skims the Water
6. Block and Sweep, Right
7. Block and Sweep, Left
8. Little Dipper
9. Swallow Returns to its Nest
10. Agile Cat Seizes the Mouse
11. Phoenix Lifts its Head
12. Wasp Enters the Cave
13. Phoenix Opens its Right Wing
14. Little Dipper
15. Phoenix Opens its Left Wing
16. Casting the Fishing Rod
17. Poking the Grass to Seek the Snake, One
18. Poking the Grass to Seek the Snake, Two
19. Poking the Grass to Seek the Snake, Three
20. Embracing the Moon
21. Birds Lodging in the Forest
22. Black Dragon Swings its Tail
23. Dragon comes out of the Water
24. Lotus Swirls Around in the Wind
25. Lion Shakes its Head, Left
26. Lion Shakes its Head, Right
27. Tiger Covers its Head
28. Mustang Jumps the Ravine
29. Reining in the Stallion
30. Compass
31. Dusting in the Wind, One
32. Dusting in the Wind, Two
33. Dusting in the Wind, Three
34. Pushing the Canoe with the Current
35. Shooting Star Chases the Moon
36. Heavenly Steed Flies Over the Waterfall
37. Lifting up the Curtain
38. Left Cart Wheel
39. Right Cart Wheel
40. Swallow Carries Pieces of Earth in its Beak
41. Roc Extends its Wings
42. Fishing for the Moon at the Sea Bottom
43. Naza Explores the Sea Bottom
44. Rhinoceros Looks at the Moon
45. Shooting the Wild Goose
46. Green Dragon Shows its Claws
47. Phoenix Opens Both its Wings
48. Step Over and Block Up, Left
49. Step Over and Block Up, Right
50. Shooting the Wild Goose
51. White Ape Presents the Fruit
52. Falling Flowers, One
53. Falling Flowers, Two
54. Falling Flowers, Three
55. Falling Flowers, Four
56. Falling Flowers, Five
57. Fair Lady Works at Shuttles
58. White Tiger Swings its Tail
59. Tiger Covers its Head
60. Fish Jumps Over the Dragon Gate
61. Black Dragon Twists Around the Pole, Left
62. Black Dragon Twists Around the Pole, Right
63. Fairy Points the Way
64. An Incense for Heaven
65. Plum Flowers Being Swept by the Wind
66. Presenting the Tablet
67. Return the Sword to its Original Position
Qigong on Maui in the news! 2 comments
Expert Qigong instructor Cory Williams teaches the concepts of energy arts on the lawn at Kaunoa Senior Center.
Maui Mindset
The Valley Isle has some of the happiest seniors in Hawai‘i. Is it simply a Maui state of mind? Or is there more to it?
by Aimee Harris from Generations Magazine
The fact that each year people from all over the world move to Maui to retire must say something … or perhaps it says a lot.
During a recent trip to the Valley Isle, Generations Magazine found two qualities that make Maui County a magnet for the more mature crowd: Residents are very civic minded, and the county’s elected officials care for its seniors — both in word and in deed.
“What makes Maui attractive is our philosophy of taking care of each other,” says Ruth Griffith, administrator of Kaunoa Senior Services, a division of the County of Maui’s Department of Housing and Human Concerns. “Maui County is made up of small communities. We look out for one another. Even our seniors who receive support services want to give back to the community, whether its by helping our children, volunteering for local nonprofits or assisting the sick and frail. Maui seniors play a vital role in maintaining our thriving communities.”
In government, elected officials support senior health and fund senior programs even during hard times, such as the most recent recession. “Maui County is amazing in terms of its commitment to seniors,” says Griffith.
Due to the Baby Boomer generation, the number of people turning 60 in Maui County will nearly double by 2020, according to the Maui County Office On Aging. In addition, there is an unreported number of seniors who move to Maui County to retire each year.
In response to Maui’s next big wave of seniors, the county is placing more focus and funds on health, well-being and prevention. “It’s our job to find ways to keep seniors healthy, engaged and giving back to the community because they are a gold mine of information, time and wisdom,” says Griffith.
Of the many services and organizations in Maui County, Kaunoa Senior Center in Pa‘ia and the West Maui Senior Center in Lahaina serve as central hubs of activity for senior programs and activities. The centers provide opportunities for seniors to learn and grow through five ongoing, countywide programs:
● Leisure/Wellness Programs
● Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)
● Congregate Nutrition Program
● Assisted Transportation Program
● Meals On Wheels
● Adventures, Ambitions & Altruism
The article is about Kaunoa in general, and the only thing about qigong here is the photo. Thank you to everyone for helping to get this image as the center two page spread lead photo. Increasing awareness about the Taoist arts is very helpful and we are very grateful to Generations Magazine for using our class as an example of “the happiest seniors in Hawai‘i.”
Read the entire article here: Generations
New Tai Chi Class in Kula! 4 comments
All New! Every Sunday afternoon at Kula Park. This class is learning the Dong (Yang) Style Long Form and meets for one and a half hours. As always, every class starts with wuji and qigong, but this class lasts a little longer and is very relaxed. Since we are starting out new, beginners are very welcome, yet with the extra time, experienced players will also enjoy this class.
The park is just past the Kula fire station; see the map here.