In keeping with Chinese language Zodiac, there are twelve animals to symbolize years within the order of the Rat, the Ox, the Tiger, the Rabbit, the Dragon, the Snake, the Horse, the Goat, the Monkey, the Rooster, and Canine, and the Pig after which repeat from the start. There’s a separate system of 5 Components (the Wooden, the Fireplace, the Earth, the Steel, and the Water), which is parallel to the Zodiac and in addition designates the years. Subsequent 12 months will probably be a Water Rabbit and it was 60 years in the past {that a} Water Rabbit final emerged. You could be curious as to what’s the significance of a Water Rabbit.
Rabbits are thought of light and vigorous in each Jap and Western cultures. Water is versatile and accommodating and an emblem of the Yin vitality in keeping with the Chinese language philosophy. Martial artwork genius and Hollywood Kung Fu film celebrity Bruce Lee as soon as described water in an interview brilliantly highlighting the significance of water. A Water Rabbit is an emblem of being gentle, pleasant, enjoyable, vibrant, adjustable, resilient, and non-aggressive. Contemplating the anxiousness brought on by present wars, political unsettlements, pure disasters ensuing from world warming, COVID, inflation, and violent crimes by weapons, we actually can use extra Yin vitality with the Water Rabbit.
Early this 12 months, Sifu Sharon Smith of New York was very excited telling me that she had a imaginative and prescient and was planning an occasion to have a good time the Yr of the Water Rabbit. In July, I used to be stunned to obtain an invite from her to share the therapeutic artwork of Qigong at “Be Like Water” retreat within the stunning and soothing resort Tolantongo, Mexico on Feb. 20-25, 2023 with infinite swimming pools, waterfalls, and water caves.
When you’ve got been working towards Tai Chi and Qigong, Sharon Smith is probably not international to you. Sifu Smith has been working towards Qigong, Tai Chi, and different therapeutic arts for greater than 40 years and instructing for 39 years. Her academics embody masters Mantak Chia, Li Junfeng, Ming Chan, T.Ok. Shih and others. Sharon is licensed by Grasp Mantak Chia’s Common Therapeutic Tao system as a Senior Teacher and by the Worldwide Sheng Zhen Society to show Grasp Li Junfeng’s Sheng Zhen Gong. In 2011, she attended the Wudang Martial Arts Inside Kung Fu Academy in China. As well as, Sharon has practiced Lyengar yoga for over 35 years and has traveled to China, Thailand, India, the Philippines, Europe, and New Zealand to additional her information and abilities. She has taught the therapeutic artwork at many distinguished institutes each within the U.S. and overseas.
It was 2009 after I first met Sifu Sharon on the first Worldwide Tai Chi Symposium at our alma mater Vanderbilt College. Because of our ardour towards Tai Chi, we discovered a standard language. Via dialogues, I found her devotion to the artwork. In 2017 and 2019, she created and directed The Immortal Sisters Conferences, historic gatherings of girls dedicated to “Returning to Tao” and honoring Yin vitality in our overly Yang world. Sharon was the host in addition to one of many high 5 rated presenters at The Shift Community’s Qigong World Summits from 2021 to 2022. It wasn’t simple to be a bunch of the Qigong World Summits. She needed to search her rolodex or laptop database to seek out certified instructors all over the world to have a various, attention-grabbing, and balanced applications annually. She studied her visitors’ background to ask significant questions through the interview. Due to her information in martial arts, therapeutic arts, and non secular research, she was in a position to have in-depth discussions with the presenters and made the interviews partaking, dynamic and attention-grabbing.
I used to be exhilarated when she shared with me the idea of Be Like Water retreat. She would assemble a bunch of ten excellent feminine qigong instructors to show at a spring resort for five days. Qigong is vitality workout routines. It encompasses plethora of physique and thoughts regimens. The ultimate checklist of retreat presenters is fascinating. Marie Favorito of Boston is Director of the Common Tao Boston and collaborated with Dr. Peter Wayne at Harvard Medical College on Tai Chi research; James Culbertson of Boston can also be a licensed Alexander Method teacher beside a instructor of Tai Chi and Qigong; Rachel Santos of New York Metropolis is an professional of aquatic motion meditation; Yolanda Kelly of Mexico Metropolis is an architect and the Therapeutic Dao teacher; Kathryn Davis of New York Metropolis is a practitioner and instructor of medical Qigong, Reiki, and the Sandlin Method; Brea Fisher of Santa Fe teaches Quan Yin Kung Fu, which mixes the self-discipline of Kung Fu, Tai Chi and Qigong; Chicava Tate of New York teaches sacred sexuality of Taoist Womanly Arts; Daria Fain of New York teaches her personal creation of CORE Movement, which is Chinese language energetics and physique thoughts practices; Julia Kulakova of New York is an teacher of dancing, Qigong and Tai Chi. I really feel blessed and lucky to work with them to manifest the Yin vitality. In addition to ten particular person workshops, Sharon said that attendees could have loads of time to discover the country resort by mountaineering, dipping within the stunning swimming pools, strolling, meditating, and different outside actions or just lounging round with eyes closed or studying a e book. Higher but, all instructors will likely be accessible to attendees in a relaxed and in-person setting exterior of the scheduled workshops.
Tolantongo is a field canyon resort about 3-4 hour drive from Mexico Metropolis. It was a hidden treasure till in 1975 when it was found and promoted by the journal “Mexico Desconocido”. The resort is made up of few resort complexes and heated swimming pools close to the underside of a steep field canyon that has partitions as a lot as 500 meters excessive. Its predominant attraction are two grottos on the canyon’s closed finish out of which flows a small volcanically-heated river on the canyon ground. The massive grotto chamber is about half the dimensions of a tennis court docket with a ceiling of as much as ten meters. Above the grotto, there’s a “heat water tunnel”. Sifu Smith defined that the river divides the canyon into two sides. One facet is extremely developed with man-made swimming pools and really commercialized with motels, retailers, and eating places. She chooses the opposite facet which is much less developed, pure, and calm. However all retreat attendees will get passes to see the developed facet as effectively.
This retreat is designed for a small group of like-minded individuals. Sifu Smith mentioned that have shouldn’t be wanted and each women and men are welcome – sure, males want the Yin vitality as effectively. The open enrollment began a month in the past and nearly all of the slots are stuffed. So, in case you are on this uncommon alternative, it is advisable to register quickly at https://www.immortalsistersconference.com/ earlier than the costs go up in Jan. 2023. When you’ve got any questions, there’s FAQ web page https://www.immortalsistersconference.com/faq, you could discover your solutions there.
Disclaimer: I’m invited to show on the Retreat.