Start your new year off right!

After the great success of the October Monthlong Online Intensive we have decided to do another one in January. 

This Intensive is for new or experienced practitioners wanting to commit to a month-long program of daily practice. The group will practice together on normal class days (5 class slots available per week) and individuals will agree to practice on their own on other days. This is an opportunity to support each other and hold each other accountable, in the spirit of a sangha during a practice period. 

This program will include a class pass for the month. It will also include the private Energy Collective Facebook Group Membership for people in the group to ask questions and discuss practice, as well as at least two Zoom meetings per month for further discussion. 

The biggest welcome surprise of the October Intensive was the rooms on the Facebook page.  In the Private Facebook Group (Now called Energy Collective) at any hour, anyone can Create or join a room.  These rooms are basically Facebook Messenger Video calls.  These rooms started to become very popular in the October Intensive, and we plan to improve on them in the January Intensive by adding more structure to some of them, having more directed rooms, and set times for different focuses. For instance, one room might be a nightly Zhan Zhuang practice room. Another might be a daily coffee chat time room to discuss practice freely with others.  Another room might be only for zazen. Another might be for other creative endeavors.  And some will remain free-style.

For many of us with monastic experience, the Intensive felt like a monthlong training period. So when we had a free moment, we would go into a Room and do practice.  It was a wonderful collective energy which blossomed among beginners and experienced practitioners.

Benefits of the Intensive will likely include:

Better posture

More energy and vitality

Better balance

Decreased back pain and stronger core

Better sleep

Increased strength

More ease of movement

Release of tension in the body

Becoming familiar with tension in the body and how to feel energy

Access to the practitioner's unique internal process

Zen practitioners will walk away from the month with some real tools to to get their Zazen energy going or to rekindle their practice if it has become dormant.  

Those interested in the Zhan Zhuang will have a great base to progress in practice.

This program will include:

-Discussion Topics such as “Moving from the Tanden”, "Using Curiosity in Practice", “The role of Kufu (spontaneous creativity) in practice”, "Receiving" etc.

-A commitment by each practitioner to practice daily, on their own time and/or with the group. Practices can include meditation, Zhan Zhuang, Qigong, non-directed body movement, walking, and perhaps a creative aspect to help integrate these practices.

-At least two group Zoom meetings during the month to discuss practice and ask questions. We will set the times for these Group Zoom meetings to be convenient for People in the UK, Ireland, Europe, etc to attend.

-A Class pass (5 optional classes per week) to all of the Zoom classes for the month of October.

-Access to a private Facebook group  with other members in the Intensive including Corey

Thank you and please visit the link to register. Please share this opportunity with those who might be interested.

Corey