Tao Garden Retreat
February 3rd through February 9th 2008

Master Li Hechun is a young master of the Longmen (Dragon Gate) branch of the Ch'uan-chen (Complete Perfection) School of Taoism in China. With this branch, the emphasis is more on inner cultivation and the practice of neidan, inner alchemy - all in the interest of cultivating the spirit and benefiting the world. Master Li has been roaming the Taoist world of sacred mountains to learn with great masters and hermits. His early training was at a temple in the Zhongnan mountain, frequented by Taoists for centuries. Seven years of age, Master Li started his education to become a Taoist master which includes Taoist philosophy, cosmology, history, arts, ritual and practices. Presently Master Li lives in the Chingyang Gong Taoist Temple in the city of Chengdu, China. He puts all his heart into propagating the values of Taoist culture and the benefits of Taoist philosophy, practice and lifestyle to everyone. Master Li´s many publications of books and articles serve to revitalize the public interest in Taoist culture and its importance to a balanced development of modern China.

Chi Cultivation and Taoist Tai Chi

The main focus of this retreat will be on the practice of a Tai-chi shortform in 24 movements. With this form, the Taoists emphasize the inner movement of chi. As the Tao is associated with an easy-flowing stream, the Taoist way of Tai-chi encourages you to feel the flow and flow with the feeling. In Taoism, unmediated feeling is knowing. Tai-chi allows you to cultivate the immediacy of feeling, wuchin, and so to harmonize the body-mind with the flow of the life-force.
In the morning sessions, Master Li will be teaching chi cultivation which serves as proper warm-ups for the Tai-chi. When back home, the individual practice can be greatly supported by reviews of the DVD by Master Li which can be purchased also in advance of the retreat at www. universal-tao.com: Cultivation Tai Chi. 24 Movements.

Taoist Arts Performances

In the evenings you can enjoy ancient Taoist Music for Meditation, played by Master Li on his "gu-qing", a stringed instrument. Also, you will be able to learn more about Taoist arts from his performance of Taoist calligraphy - the flow of chi in writing - which celebrates the art of simplicity in the manner of a disciplined spontaneity. These are central features of Taoist cultivation and the way of making life an art.

Tao-Te Ching

In the evening sessions, Master Li willalso resite from Lao-tzu´s Tao-te Ching, and share some of his understanding of this scripture which includes Taoist cosmology, meditation, and philosophy. To the Ch'uan-chen Taoists, this is the most important sacred scripture. The Tao-te Ching dates back about 2500 years, and it is probably the most read classic of wisdomlitterature in the world.
The metaphor of water is frequently referred to throughout the scripture. "Water" is also regarded as the source of Tai-chi; practice Tai-chi, and learn to become like flowing, everchanging water drawing its force from the momentum of its motion. The Tao-te Ching emphasizes the many virtues of Water as a model for the humans; its calm, soft and yielding character is also the source of its greatest strenghts. In meeting with unsurmountble obstacles on its pathway, water will first gather and then ride roughshod over the most unyielding in the world. Even the hardest rock can be smoothened by the gentleness of water.

Daily schedule:
08.00 Chi cultivation 09.00 Breakfast 10.30 Tai-chi 01.00 Lunch 04.30 Tai-chi 06.00 Dinner		Evenings 08.00- 09.00: Taoist Arts for Meditation. Performances by Master Li; Calligraphy and Music. Talks on the Tao-te Ching. On occasions: DVDs on Taoist sacred mountains and temples, martial arts and rituals.
Optional: The Tao Garden chi kung morning sessions at 07.00. Tao-yin (Taoist yoga) evening sessions start at 19.30.