Foundation Program
“It is vitally important to a practitioner’s development that they build a strong foundation. The body needs transforming, the breath needs mastering and the Dan Tian needs to be cultivated”
Join One of Our Two-Year Long Foundation Programs
Without a doubt, the most important part of any student’s practice is the quality of their foundation. If the foundation is weak, then everything built upon it will be unstable; this will result in poor practice outcomes. For this reason, we have set up these two-year long foundation programs where our teachers help to guide students through the all-important early stages of practice.
Students taking part in these structured programs meet up for 14 days per year (28 days in total) which are divided up into four events annually, taught by various senior teachers within Lotus Nei Gong. At the end of these two years, students will have been taught to develop the following foundational qualities:
Foundation Outcomes
These are the important foundation outcomes which all Nei Gong practitioners require in order to develop properly within the internal arts.
- Correct structure of body according to Nei Gong (內功) principles
- Development of Yi Jin Jing (易筋經) ‘sinew-changing’ practice
- Establishing of correct breathing principles
- Building the lower Dan Tian (丹田), this is one of the most vital and elusive qualities within the internal arts
- How to mobilise the Qi (氣) through the channel system of the body
- How to utilise Yin (陰) and Yang (陽) Qi (氣) within practice to develop health, strength and internal skill
- Clearing the channels of pathogenic factors which impact our physical and mental health
- The difference between static, moving, standing and seated practices; how to work with these elements of practice most effectively
- Studying principles and correct practice of Qi Gong (氣功)
- Studying principles and correct practice of Dao Yin (導引)
- Learning how to clear, move and build Qi (氣) within the body
- How to establish a personal practice that can last you a lifetime
- How to understand the evolution from physical to energetic to medical to spiritual as practice-emphases
The material taught on our two-year long foundation program matches the syllabus taught within the ‘internal arts academy’ online school but we are also teaching other material that is usually only taught within the Lotus Nei Gong live events. These live events are suitable for those new to the internal arts as well as those with prior experience of arts such as Qi Gong and Nei Gong within other schools.
The Teachers
The programs are primarily taught by senior teachers within the Lotus Nei Gong School. Each of these teachers has had many years of training with Damo as well as, most likely, prior experience before joining this school. They have all worked closely with Damo to develop their own practice as well as to build the two-year foundation programs we are offering.
When we offer these programs, usually taught in the United States and parts of Europe, we will announce and introduce each of the teachers specific to this particular program. Sometimes Damo will teach on the programs as well but he will be in a supporting role.
The teachers will help guide students on the two-year program so as to ensure that they understand both the external criteria of Nei Gong practice as well as the inner qualities of Daoist and Buddhist esoteric practice. This will help all students on the program develop a practice that will last them for the rest of their life.
Course Outline
Here is a brief outline of the two-year long foundation program which takes the form of 14 days per year, totalling 28 days face-to-face tuition. At the end of this program, you will have established a solid foundation in Nei Gong practice as well as clearing out pathogens from the body’s channel system and mobilising the Yin and Yang Qi.
Year 1 –
- 4 days – Introduction to Nei Gong principles and the Dan Tian
- 3 days – Breathwork and the Dan Tian
- 3 days – Body development and Dao Yin
- 4 days – Nourishment of the body with Qi and clearing pathogens
Year 2 –
- 4 days – Understanding the pillars of Daoism
- 3 days – Spinal work and the Dragons
- 3 days – Alchemical foundations
- 4 days – Bringing it all together and taking it further
Students will study various sets of Qi Gong and Dao Yin practice as well as seated work and breathing practice. Despite us teaching these sets, our focus on these programs is on correct and efficient internal development; the sets of exercises are simply being used as tools to aid a student in this process.
The Ethos
Many people whom struggle with their Qi Gong and Nei Gong practice, struggle for the following reasons:
- They don’t have acess to the correct method
- They don’t know how to structure their practice
- They don’t understand how to best utilise the exercises in order to move through the inner-process
Too often, people are just taught sets of slow, moving exercises but not shown how to actually use these exercises to move through the Nei Gong process. This is why having an understanding of how to develop a regular and structured practice is vital to progression through the arts.
These are the reasons why we set up these structured programs. They are not ‘teacher training’ courses where you are guaranteed a certificate of ‘mastery’ after such a short period of time. These are programs to help you personally develop in the Nei Gong process and do this in the healthiest and most efficient manner. Each of our teachers is highly trained and very experienced; they have all that is needed to help ensure that students learn well and so ensure that the future of the ancient lineages is healthily ensured.
From here, this healthy foundation, it is also much easier for us in Lotus Nei Gong to then take students deeper into the Nei Gong process or alchemical methods.
Next Event
The next of our two-year programs begins on the following dates:
European Event: Coming Soon
USA Events: Coming Soon