Bag Gua Retreat August 2010: Living I Ching
This retreat will be suitable for beginners as well as those with some experience of any Ba Gua form.
Beginners will learn the fundamentals of Ba Gua practice:
- Straight line walking
- Circle walking
- Spiralling the leg muscles
- Three and four part walking
- Static arm postures
- Practice routines.
Experienced practitioners will be encouraged to return to these practices as well, but the emphasis will be - for those who are familiar with single palm change – to begin to feel the energies of the I Ching in each of the first four palm changes.
The learning curve for the physical external movements will be steep. The palm changes will be
HEAVEN [single palm change]
FIRE [double palm change]
THUNDER [third palm change]
EARTH [fourth palm change]
Knowledge of the external form as a means to investigate the energies of the I Ching makes Ba Gua a very sobering practice. The divide between external, internal and direct perception become clear and naturally the practice becomes increasingly amenable as a means to install letting go and surrender to the higher intelligence of the natural order. It is also a means by which we can measure the level of illusion under which we labour.
The Ba Gua palms we will use are those that were taught by Wang Shujin. The forms are beautiful, graceful, powerful and stabilising and provide another doorway to the hidden depths of circle walking.
What is Ba Gua?
It means ‘eight trigrams’ and is a reference to the eight trigrams that constitute the I Ching.
It is a martial art, considered to be the most efficient.
It is an unrivalled means to develop and maintained physical health and well-being.
It is a spiritual practice where the practitioner seeks just one thing: complete letting go and surrender to the movement and to the principal energy of the trigram or palm change.
It is a meditative walk with profound effects on the well-being of the physical body.
When’s the next retreat taking place?
The 2010 retreat is from Monday 16 until Saturday 21 August. Participants are asked to arrive between 4pm and 6pm on Monday 16 August.
More information about the venue
How to get to the venue
Syllabus:
Details to follow. The syllabus will suit newcomers to Ba Gua as well as experienced practitioners.
