Tai Chi Arts

Course Structure

There are three ways to participate in this meditation retreat.

• Track 1: Presence Practices Intensive (One week July 8-13)
• Track 2: Presence Practices & Inner Dissolving Retreat - Invite Only (Full three weeks)
• Track 3: Presence Practice Instructor Certification - Invite Only for Advanced Students (Full three weeks plus)

Bruce will teach everyone in attendance as a single group during this training. All will be given the same learning tools, techniques and transmissions that for many will take years of dedicated practice to unfold.

You may apply for track 1 at anytime. Invitations for tracks 2 and 3 will be sent out on November 15, 2011.  If you do not receive an invitation for Track 2 or 3 and would like be considered if space is available you may request an application [Available Nov 15].

Track 1: Presence Practices Retreat
– 1 Week Training [30+ hours of instruction]

All are invited to apply to attend the first week of training for their own personal practice.

You will attend Track 1 if you want to develop the foundation skills to excel in any meditation practice, if you are committed to taking up a meditation practice in the future, and/or if you want to improve your existing practice. It is also a preliminary training for those who intend to follow the Taoist Water methodⁱ meditation path in the future.

If you plan to attend Track 1, prepare for this training by completing the following before the course:

• Listen to and complete the first 4 lessons of the online Taoist Meditation Circle program.
• Listen to and complete the Taoist Breathing for Tai Chi and Meditation audio program.

Limited spaces are available for Track 1, as preference will be given to those attending the full 3 weeks of retreat. Register before April 1, 2012 to receive the early discounted rate.

Track 1 will not be available for purchase until Feb 1, 2012, after all the applicants/invitees for Track 2 and 3 have confirmed their attendance at the training. The remaining available meditation spots will then be offered on a first come first serve basis for Track 1.

Track 2: Presence Practices & Inner Dissolving Retreat
– 3 Week Training  [Certificate of Attendance--100 hours of instruction]

Students invited into Track 2 will attend the full three-week retreat. Track 2 will be the primary focus of this retreat and contain the majority of all participants who attend (>95%). There will be a limited number of invitations for Track 2 because of space constraints, there are a fixed number of rooms and because of the advanced nature of the material.

As part of Track 2 you will enjoy a deep and rich practical experience in Lao Tse's meditation tradition. You will receive the Presence Practices and the more advanced teachings related to the Inner Dissolving methods within Taoism. Most authentic meditation traditions require inner initiates to withdraw from the outer world for an extended duration of time - from a few weeks to many years.

Three weeks allows for what needs to come forth to arise naturally without distractions. The retreat center is a perfect space for you to go inward amongst nature and to get away from the stresses of life. Three weeks is just enough time to develop a organic rhythm or habit that you can intregrate into your life after the retreat.

You will have the option to join morning and night meditation moving practice groups (tai chi, bagua and qigong) depending on your interest. There will also be sitting meditation practice sessions assigned outside of class time that can be either done individually in or in groups.

All who are invited are encouraged come to enjoy this important retreat for what it is without worrying about any expectations. You'll leave with a clear set of skills that can be of service to you for the rest of your life. Because there is no testing you will be clear from performance stresses so you can focus on what is most important--realizing the true potential of these Taoist practices and advancing on your spiritual path.

To be accepted into Track 2:

• Reply to invitation, signifying intent to attend by Feb 1, 2012
• Priority will also be given to those who have:
  • A recommendation from a Senior Energy Arts Instructor, and
  • Multiple Energy Arts certifications: Energy Gates Qigong, Heaven and Earth Qigong, Gods Playing in the Clouds Qigong, Longevity Breathing, Bagua Zhang or Wu Style Tai Chi.ⁱ
  • Attended previous Taoist Meditation Trainings

If you are invited to attend Track 2, to prepare for this training we strongly recommend you complete the following before the training:

• Listen and complete the first 12 lessons of the Taoist Meditation Circle program.
• Listen to and complete the Taoist Breathing for Tai Chi and Meditation audio program.
• Practice a minimum or average of 15-30 minutes of meditation per day for three months before the course begins.
• Understand and embody the basic sitting and standing alignments as taught in Longevity Breathing and Energy Gates Qigong.
• Know basic Longevity Breathing methods (stomach, sides, back and kidneys).
• Be able to complete a 20 second breath (10 second inhale and 10 second exhale).

By completing this training and through daily practice you may be considered for more advanced trainings in the future.

Invitations for tracks 2 and 3 will be sent out on November 15, 2011. If you do not receive an invitation for Track 2 or 3 and would like be considered if space is available you may application via the online application form.

Track 3: Presence Practices Instructor Certification
– Level 1  [500 Hour Program]

To attend this retreat in Track 3 you must have extensive experience, multiple certifications in the Energy Arts system, be actively teaching Energy Arts in your community and planning to teach the Taoist meditation practices once successfully completing this instructor training.

Teaching meditation requires the highest level of competence to help people both with the mechanics of sitting or standing meditation and also to facilitate students to make shifts as they work through mental, emotional and psychic experiences. To qualify for this track you must:

• Reply to invitation, signifying intent to attend by Jan 1, 2012
• Have multiple certifications in the Energy Arts system
• Complete the Taoist Meditation Circle Program in its entirety.
• Complete no less than 100 hours of practice before the retreat
• On day one successfully demonstrate:
  • A full body (belly, sides and kidneys) 30 second breath while meditating.
  • For 30 minutes, maintain sitting straight with correct seated alignments and no fidgeting
  • Staying reasonably present, without noticeably fully spacing out or nodding off.
• Have studied with Bruce for minimum of five+ years and receive direct approval from Bruce.
• Actively teach Energy Arts Programs in your community through classes and private lessons
• If certified, intend to teach meditation within a reasonable time.

Why these requirements?

• Teaching meditation carries skills above and beyond those needed for other Energy Arts such as tai chi and qigong.
• To prevent false expectations. Those who pass the pretest have arrived at this course with the minimum needed to have a realistic chance of achieving certification. If not, it is utterly unreasonable to expect to certify at the end. However, if a prodigy emerges whose exceptional merit justifies it, that person’s specific case may be considered.
• Meditating to benefit your personal life requires significantly less skill than is needed to teach it. Hence the certification process. Bruce does not sell instructor certificates—they must be legitimately earned. Many arrive at Bruce’s instructor trainings with inflated views of their skills. The pretesting procedure is to inject some reality into the process.
• Bruce has no senior instructors in meditation to help pull up the juniors and retest them mid-training. 

NOTE: This Instructor Training track is insufficient by itself to entitle someone to teach Taoist Inner Dissolving within Liu’s lineage. It does however provide a first concrete step on this path.