BENJ BERNADETTE DROUTE, Universal Tao Instructor,
Sun, June 30th - Mon, July 1st- Basic
Tue - Wed, July 2nd - 3rd- Healing Love - Iron Shirt I
Thurs - Fri, July 4th - 5th- Fusion I
Thurs - Fri, July 4th - 5th - Fusion I
BEATE NIMSKY: Senior Instructor, Germany. "19 Impulse fur positive Veranderer" published by Integral Verlag Munchen. You can order it from www.beatenimsky.de or Email: coaching@beatenimsky.de.
BUATHON:
Navel-gazing
Byline: There's a lot your belly button can tell you about your body and soul, writes Adele Rosi
A FEEL-GOOD aromatherapy massage is all very well but there is nothing true health and fitness addicts like more than a quasi-medicinal treatment even if it's more boot camp than bliss. Come on down, chi nei tsang, an ancient Taoist therapy, which was used by Thai and Chinese monks to strengthen their bodies before they performed the highest levels of spiritual practices. It aims to rid the body of tension, toxins and all kinds of aches and pains through abdominal massage, meditation and qi gong breathing techniques, and has been known to improve digestive allergies and irritable bowel syndrome among other problems.
"The navel and abdomen are the energetic, metabolic, emotional and physical centres of the body," explains chi nei tsang expert Buathon Thienarrom, who regularly comes to Hong Kong from her native Thailand to practise at the New Age Shop in Central. "Breathing originates here; it is where Taoists believe we hold our secrets and worries. By concentrating on this area, the benefits will radiate outwards and affect the rest of the body."
She says when you're in tip-top condition, your body's chi, or energy, circulates freely and easily throughout your system along pathways called meridians. The minute you suffer illness, injury, stress or emotional problems, your chi gets trapped and creates blockages, manifesting themselves through physical symptoms or a poor emotional state of mind. If these blockages aren't removed, they become stagnant and you find yourself with a persistent problem, such as an allergy, you can't shake off.
"I can tell what is wrong by looking at the shape of the navel," says Buathon. "On a basic level, if it's pointing down, it means there's something up with the kidneys, for example, which equals worry. If it's being pulled to the top right that's the liver, so anger and trust are the issues; to the left it's the spleen which corresponds to anxiety. The more rounded the navel is the better."
Although Buathon tailors her sessions to suit each client, she typically starts a chi nei tsang massage on the tummy. She presses with her thumb on nine different points around the navel corresponding to different organs. If pain or discomfort is felt - and this is quite common especially in chi nei tsang first-timers - she will use her elbow to ease away what are effectively blockages of chi.
While she does this, clients are taken through the rudiments of qi gong breathing, encouraged to inhale deeply through the nose to make the abdomen - rather than the chest - rise and fall, and exhale audibly through the mouth. She also touches on meditation, asking clients to imagine a white light passing through the top of the head and infusing the body with bright energy.
"The massage can be uncomfortable but clients shouldn't be discouraged because this signifies a blockage. Once you find a blockage you can cure it," she says. "Clients often find they release trapped emotions and stress in various ways such as crying so chi nei tsang practitioners need to have counselling skills as well as basic physiology and anatomy knowledge to deal with these common healing reactions in the proper way."
Buathon has far more to her name than the basics, however. With a background in nursing, she has a masters degree in counselling and psychology and is currently working on her PhD thesis about the sociology of health. She has been healing for about 12 years (she was the former medical manager at the Chiva Som spa in Thailand) and practising chi nei tsang for three.
Chi nei tsang isn't only about healing at the hands of the practitioner but encourages self-help too. As well as breathing and meditation exercises, clients learn at each hour-long session how to recognise tension and pain and to release trapped chi through gentle massage.
"The main point of my studies is to acquire knowledge that I can pass on to others," says Thienarrom. "It is far better if we can cure ourselves without relying on doctors and health practitioners. And wouldn't the world be a nicer place if it was filled with healthy, happy people?"
CHONG-MI MUELLER. Senior Instructor, Germany, has written a book titled, "Tao der inneren Starke: Brief an meine 10tausend Kinder" It is currently available in the German edition (Foitzick Verlag, Munchen).
Published in Englisch Title: ”Tao of Inner Strength: Letter to my ten thousand children” order direct from: chong-mi@gmx.de, www.tao-life.com (.de)
CHRISTER EKSTROM. Senior Instructor, Canada, has newly released CD, Lucid Dreaming with guidance, music and frequencies. It's available directly from Silent Ground at siground@island.net Check out the website http://www.silentground.com
DAVID TWICKEN, PhD., USA Instructor Email: flyingstars@earthlink.net has written five books on Asian Arts including: Spiritual Qi Cong, Flying Star Feng Shui, Chinese Astrology, Four Pillars and Oriental Medicine, and East-West Palmistry. Books can be purchased online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Healing Tao USA.
DENNIS LEWIS, USA, Instructor, author of The Tao of Natural Breathing has a variety of practices on his on-line page "Breath Gym" at http://www.authentic-breathing.com/breathing_exercises.htm
DOROTHY RAMIEN, Senior CNT Teacher offers CNT seminars March and August, 2002. For info: cntcan@hotmail.com
GILLES MARIN, Senior Instructor, U.S.A Chi Nei Tsang Institute, San Francisco. "Healing from Within with Chi Nei Tsang; Applied Chi Kung to Internal Organs Treatments".
JAMES CAPPELLANO, Universal Tao Instructor, Executive Director of T.A.O. - Inc. (Transformational Assistance for Offenders) a former prisoner who was reached and transformed (while incarcerated) by the grace and wisdom within Master Chia and his books is informing you that T.A.O. Inc. has been officially approved for nonprofit status.
Dear Universal Tao Instructors and Practitioners,
"Service is an attitude founded on the recognition that the world has supported you, fed you, taught you, whether or not you earned it. Understanding this simple truth can move you to do what you can to repay a boundless debt of gratitude. Service is both a means and an end, for in giving to others, you open yourself to love, abundance, and inner peace.
You cannot serve others without uplifting yourself."
~ Dan Millman in Everyday Enlightenment (Warner Books - 1998)
TAO-Inc. (Transformational Assistance for Offenders) is looking for a few hours of your time each month to assist with processing requests for HealingTao books through the prisoner assistance program. This program assists incarcerated individuals to cultivate inner harmony to address the root causes of crime and violence. TAO-Inc. publishes the Prison Panda Newsletter, and facilitates a Pen Pal Program, in addition to sending inmates donated or purchased-at-cost, Healing Tao books. If you have a fast internet connection, you can help to process the many requests by connecting to our database through the internet.
Please visit our website to learn more about this important work. taojching@attbi.com or http://www.tao-inc.org
Sincerely,
Jimmy @ taojching@attbi.com or call 1-(781) 289-2955
DR. LINDA BERRY, Instructor from California, chiropractor and nutritionist, has published a revised edition of her book "Internal Cleansing" (Prima Health, 2001 ISBN 0-7615-0859-7, US$15.95). It is available from bookstores, and.Amazon.com, or from Prima at 800-632-8676 and http://www.drlindaberry.com
LISBETH CAVEGN, Certified Instructor is offering retreats on Ibiza Island Spain. For detailed information in German vitsit her website www.energy-link.ch or Call (41)(1) 720 22 52
MARCIA WEXLER KERWIT: Senior Instructor, USA. Co-authored the excellent "Menopause Myths and Facts: What every woman should know about hormone replacement therapy" published by Feminist Health Press http://www.progressivehealth.org
MARGA VIANU, French Senior Instructor, has written, "RUNES, Exercices pour la revitalization, la sante, & la longevite". It's published by Guy Tredaniel, Editeur, 65, rue Claude-Bernard, 75005, Paris, France. Tel: 01-43-36-41-05 Fax: 01-41-31-07-45. http://www.tredaniel-courrier.com
MICHAEL WINN, Senior Instructor, now has 8 chi kung videos and 10 audio courses avaiable to all HT/UT instructors at 40% off retail. contact: info@healingdao.com. Website:
MINKE DE VOS AND CHRISTER EKSTROM, Senior Instructors, Canada. Silent Griund Retreat Centre offers 4 weeks - Sept. 30 - Oct. 28. of Tao Retreats on a beautiful island in British Columbia. http://www.SilentGround.com
WATERFRONT RETREAT CENTER FOR SALE, Discovery Islands, BC, Canada Unique, Scenic, serene, "Silent Ground" - established, fully developed and serviced. Ideal for teaching, learning and practicing the Tao.
10 acres with 6 buildings to house 14 people. $565,000 CAD or best offer.
Phon: 250-830-7212 or view: www.silentground.com
RENATO RAVASIO, Senior Instructor in Switzerland. Inner Alchemy/Senior Instructors offering 12 weeks - June, July, August - of Tao Retreats at this stunning Alpine location. www.Waldegg.ch
RON DIANA, Senior Instructor, NJ, USA. New address is Rhdiana@optonline.net For health info and products go to http://taohealingarts.com. For Ron's schedule go to www.taohealing.com For info:(201) 358-0620
ROSEMARIE WEIBEL Switzerland, instructor has written Ernahrung fur Korper, Seele und Geist - Yoga der Ernahrung. Verlag: Internationale Fakultat fur angewandte Bioenergetik, 15, rue Ancien-Lavoir, 1247 Anieres, Schweiz Preis: Frs.35.-excl. Porto und Verpackung.
SARINA STONE: Instructor, USA. Three guided, daily meditation CD's: "The Tao of Beauty", "The Tao of Cleansing", and "The Tao of Manifestation." Directly from Sarina at http://www.quantumweb.com/sarina/
WALTER BECKLEY: Senior Instructor, USA. Two daily meditation CDs: "Ocean Breathing" and "Radiant Hand Body Activation Method". Available from UTC website or directly from Walter at http://www.radiantliving.com. Ask him about "The Solution" specifically designed for cleansing and detoxifying the body as well as balancing or alkalizing the body's ph.
