Tao Health Clinic

09/28/2023

Special Meditation Class this Sunday - https://mailchi.mp/f2b4c23c5ce2/meditation-class-9336077

09/02/2023

New Meditation Meeting Time -

A weekly meditation class and practice. This class explores the practice of shamatha-vipassana, mindful-awareness, the profundity of the view of mindful-awareness in Buddhist thought, and what it means to live a mindful life . The class will begin with instruction, followed by mindful-awareness prac...

07/06/2023

Devon is at the clinic this afternoon and has some openings. Text him at 512-799-4186 if you want to come in.

05/18/2023

Devon will be teaching a meditation class at Unity Church of the Hills this Sunday at 3 PM.

In this practical, rubber-meets-the-road, class we will explore mindfulness-awareness practices and the healing power of connection and compassion. The class will cover a variety of simple and effective meditation techniques to improve mindfulness and awareness, engender compassion and connection, and heal spiritually, emotionally, and physically. We will have prolonged periods of practice followed by discussion and clarification so that each participant will leave the workshop feeling confident in their ability to follow through on the practices and application of the skills acquired.

Trance-End - Meditation Techniques for Healing and Day-to-Day Joy Mindfulness practices and the healing power of connection and compassion. Taught by Devon Hornby, licensed massage therapist and a highly-regarded healing arts Practitioner, which he has been practicing for over 25 years. He has studi...

01/22/2023

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Happy Lunar New Year! - https://mailchi.mp/659bfdf85dc6/lunar-new-year

12/30/2022

Happy New Year! -

12/22/2022

Happy Holidays! -

11/28/2022

The Gift of Health. Give the gift of health this holiday season with gift certificates from Tao Health Clinic. We offer acupuncture, manual therapy, and shiatsu.
Now through the end of the year get 10% off any gift certificate purchase of $100 or more.

https://squareup.com/gift/KX74EE7WVHY2Q/order

10/13/2022

What's Holding You Back - https://mailchi.mp/a2d3d563375f/whats-holding-you-back

04/02/2022

Spring Cleaning - Spring is in the air. The Bluebonnets are blooming, the breeze is blowing, and it is a beautiful time to be in central Texas.

https://mailchi.mp/0241943b06dc/spring-cleaning

03/31/2022

09/21/2021

Important Information About Manual Therapy Appointments - https://mailchi.mp/a453c68eb315/important-information-about-manual-therapy-appointments

It is important to dress appropriately for manual therapy and shiatsu. When deciding what to wear please consider respect, comfort, modesty, and ease of treatment. The Asian traditions we represent at the clinic are grounded in the virtues of humility, modesty, and deep respect for personal sanctity...

06/23/2021

Important Updates and News: Please Read - https://mailchi.mp/2b1d286c66cd/important-updates-and-news-please-read

Some of our clients have reported having difficulty with online booking, and we want to let you know we are doing everything we can to improve your experience. To that end, we have now included SMS text messaging as part of your appointment notifications. When you book an appointment,  you should r...

03/20/2021

Limited time offer.

Find Local Deals on Nextdoor, the neighborhood hub.

12/18/2020

Happy Holidays! - https://mailchi.mp/f203ecd6d095/thanksgiving-flash-sale-1346480

12/15/2020

Two of our most popular products, and with good reason. Cod Liver Oil is rich in vital Omega 3 fatty acids which keep inflammation in check. Collagen is an essential building block of the connective tissues which literally hold us together.

12/10/2020

Today we are making the tincture Cool Yin, based on the classic formula Da Bu Yin Wan. This formula helps people keep their cool. Good for night sweats, hot heads, and menopausal symptoms.

12/08/2020

On a roll with tinctures recently. This one is going to be Sung Tang. A valuable formula when you are feeling overwhelmed and need to relax and regenerate.

11/27/2020

An Attitude of Gratitude! - https://mailchi.mp/89b88d082b75/thanksgiving-flash-sale-1342872

10/03/2020

Wang Fengyi, a renowned 19th century Confucian healer and philosopher, taught that one of the fundamental aspects of health and healing was “no blame.” He encouraged people to never blame others for their misfortune. He taught that we should always seek to understand the role that we played in our circumstances and accept our central role. This mindset frees us of the resentment and irritation that rests at the heart of most disease and empowers us to see how we can improve our lives through making better choices in the future.

09/15/2020

Website and News - https://mailchi.mp/e6920ebc0152/website-and-news

07/27/2020

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/04/reiki-cant-possibly-work-so-why-does-it/606808/

The energy therapy is now available in many hospitals. What its ascendance says about shifts in how American patients and doctors think about health care.

07/06/2020

Yiquan – Posture 8
Rotate the shoulders so that the arms drop down, hands just below naval height. Turn palms in slightly. There is quite a bit of torsion in this posture. Feel the pull of the fascial planes from across the back down the arms to the fingers. Push down slightly through the fingertips to accentuate the fascial tension. Relax the shoulders. Keep the chest open. Breathe, relax, breathe.
In some schools of yiquan it is said that this posture discharges the evil qi (sick energy) from the body after having released blockages from the meridians/channels. There is definitely a strong connection to the earth in this posture not just with the feet which is true of every posture but with the whole body. Notice the profound sense of “rootedness” that one experiences after having gone through the full sequence of postures.

@ Tao Health Clinic

06/24/2020

Yiquan - Posture 7
Pull elbows down and back, rotate hands to face down. Move with awareness connected to the fascia surrounding the fingers, hands, arms, and upper back. Feel how this functional unit of fascia connects to the rest of the body. Feel the breath moving the fascia. Connect the whole body through the pelvis.
Breath. Connect. Check the spine for uprightness and ease. Allow the chest to be open. Ears over shoulders.
In each yiquan posture, we are striving to cultivate zheng qi, upright energy. This is reflected in good posture, a positive attitude, and emotional fortitude. Our body and mind are strong but not rigid, flexible but centered, unshakeable but mobile. From this space we are able to move with integrity and awareness, not being prone to reactivity. Important traits to be cultivating at this point in history. @ Tao Health Clinic

06/24/2020

Yiquan - Posture 7
Pull elbows down and back, rotate hands to face down. Move with awareness connected to the fascia surrounding the fingers, hands, arms, and upper back. Feel how this functional unit of fascia connects to the rest of the body. Feel the breath moving the fascia. Connect the whole body through the pelvis.
Breath. Connect. Check the spine for uprightness and ease. Allow the chest to be open. Ears over shoulders.
In each yiquan posture, we are striving to cultivate zheng qi, upright energy. This is reflected in good posture, a positive attitude, and emotional fortitude. Our body and mind are strong but not rigid, flexible but centered, unshakeable but mobile. From this space we are able to move with integrity and awareness, not being prone to reactivity. Important traits to be cultivating at this point in history.

@ Tao Health Clinic

05/29/2020

Yiquan posture 6.
Unfold the arms at the elbows allowing the arms to straighten. The palms should be facing each other in front of the neck. The arms should still have a slight bend and be rounded out slightly as well. Keep the shoulder blades retracted and hands engaged. Work with a sense of the skeleton pushing out and forwards as the fascia and skin pull back against this. Feel that tension increase with the in-breath and relax slightly with the out-breath.
Be sure to balance the forward weight of the arms with a slight shift backward in the low back and hips. Seek balance and a state of energized relaxation. Once again, work with the six directions energy of forward, backward, up, down, in and out. Relax the chest. Explore the connection between hands and feet. make sure the shoulders are dropped but engaged.

@ Tao Health Clinic

05/13/2020

Yiquan posture 5. Hinging at the shoulders, allow the arms to rise up so that the fingertips are about level with your eyebrows. Be sure to keep the back engaged so that the shoulders do not collapse and there is a strong connection from the fingertips all the way across and down the back.
Once again, work with the opposing forces of six directions. In particular feel the connections generated when one pushes down against an imaginary rising force.
This is an excellent posture to maintain while working with Mo Ca Bu, friction stepping. Mo Ca Bu will be covered in detail in the advanced yiquan course (available soon).
Experiment with rising and sinking from the dantien. Notice the feeling of connection from feet to hands and how force manifests in the arms.

Relax. Relax. relax

@ Tao Health Clinic

05/05/2020

Yiquan posture 4.
From posture 3 allow your hands to turn downwards so that your palms are facing your lower dantien, just below the navel. This posture should feel like an embrace.
Feel your feet pressing into the ground and how that force moves up through your entire body. Allow your knees to move out over your feet if they haven't already done that on their own.
Practice the six directions training.
Explore the effect that lowering and raising your torso has on the structure of your posture.
Feel the space in and around your body.
As you inhale, gently pull up on your perineum (a kegel). Feel the fascial connections this process activates. Eventually one should be able to feel the fascial pull from the in-breath pull all the way to the fingers and toes.
Breathe in, sink down, raise the perineum, contract. Breathe out, rise up, release the perineum, expand.

@ Tao Health Clinic

05/01/2020

Contentment, according to the teachings of Wang Fengyi, is the basis of health. When we are content there is no agitation of the energy flow in our body and health is maintained. When we harbor irritation and discontent we are inviting disease into our lives. We may think that we will be content when our needs are satisfied but this is a lie. Contentment is a choice, a state of mind we can cultivate. It is not acquired from external attainments, it is grown within ourselves. Like all virtues, it is a strength that we must train if we are to reap its benefits.

04/30/2020

Yiquan posture 3. Allow the arms to drop down so that your hands rest in front of, or just slightly below, the navel. Keep the back (lats) engaged. Your hands are slightly turned up.
Feel the spiral of the fascia through your arms, across the shoulders, down your back, and into your legs. Relax. Breath. Enjoy.
Added detail, it is best if one's tongue rests gently on the roof of the mouth. Keep your breath deep, long, relaxed.
Try and begin to feel the fascia that connects throughout your body. Use it as a source of strength to support your posture.
Experiment with moving from posture 2 to 3 and back again. Next, allow the arms to separate, move one arm to position 2, and keep the other at 3, alternate.
Explore the space in and around your body.
Seek joy.

@ Tao Health Clinic

04/22/2020

Yi Quan posture #1. Begin by resting in wuji posture. Once you have relaxed and gained a sense of lightness in your limbs, let your arms 'float' up to this position. Hold your arms as if you were embarrassing a beach ball in front of your chest. Feel as if you are gently hugging the beach ball. Allow your whole body to relax into this position keeping the majority of your awareness at the dantien (deep to and below the navel). Allow you your breath to be smooth and deep.
Only hold this position as long as you can stay relaxed. Push your limits a bit. See how long you can relax within some of the discomforts that arise, also allow that discomfort to teach you where you are holding tensions that you can release. Big hint, the tension is often on the opposite side of the body from where you feel discomfort. As an example, pain in the upper back is often relieved by relaxing your chest. @ Tao Health Clinic

04/21/2020

Sifu Fong said, "Just as a rosebud contains within it the innate form of the perfect flower, so do we all contain within ourselves the innate forms of our own perfection...
Under the proper conditions of sun, water, and nutrients, the bud unfolds to reveal the rose. Likewise, the simple practice of Yi Quan, literally "intention practice", helps us break through a lifetime of old habits and programmed patterns of posture and movement, allowing what is essential in us - physically, mentally, and spiritually - to naturally unfold." These simple and profound postures are a gateway to profound transformation. The practice begins and ends in wuji (formlessness), standing comfortably and breathing naturally. Allow your knees to unlock, your pelvis to sink, your chest to open, your back to straighten, and rest your attention in the dantien (just below and deep to the navel).

04/21/2020

One of my teacher's teachers was Sifu Han Xingyuan, 韓星垣. Sifu Han was born in Nanjing on September 14, 1915. He and his brother, Han Xingqiao, were the most accomplished of Wang Xiangzhai's students (Wang Xiangjai was the founder of Yi Quan, see previous post). They were both senior teachers at Grandmaster Wang's school in Beijing in the 1930's. An accomplished martial artist and penultimate gentleman, Han Xingyuan, was both respected and loved by all who had a chance to meet him. Sifu Han opened his own school in Shanghai in the 1940's but soon fled to Hong Kong where he continued to teach. In the late 1960's and through the 70's Sifu Han traveled the world teaching Yi Quan. He spent much time in San Francisco, CA, training and teaching with his dear friend, student, and peer, Sifu Fong Ha.

04/20/2020

My teacher, Sifu Fong Ha (1937 - 2019), was a kind, gracious, and very powerful man. Having trained under some of the greatest internal martial arts teachers of his time, he went on to teach a simple and profound approach to martial training and personal cultivation that I believe is unequaled in the history of Classical Chinese martial arts. I am honored that I can share these teachings with others and promote a lifestyle of peace, inner strength, and integrity that is a gift to the whole world. @ Tao Health Clinic

04/19/2020

Wang xiangjai founded the profound martial art and cultivation method of Yiquan. A series of simple standing postures that produce profound strength, inner peace, and radiant health.

04/17/2020

RESET!
Turning the situation to your advantage
The word crisis in the Chinese language is made up of two ideograms, 'dangerous' and 'opportunity'. Our current situation is just that, on many levels.

If you find yourself wondering how you can take advantage of the current shelter-in-place ordinance, we have a suggestion. Devon is currently offering a very limited opportunity to train (virtually) one-on-one to reset your life.
Sign up for this program and receive 3 hours of face-to-face (on Zoom) instruction, consultation, and coaching on exercise, nutrition, supplementation, meditation and anything else you need to reach your health and lifestyle goals.
This program includes unlimited email access to his broad spectrum of knowledge and skills. The cost of the program is only $500 and is limited to ten people.
Contact Devon if you are interested.

04/08/2020

Check us out on Instagram for updates, free lessons, and more.
www.instagram.com/taohealthclinic.com/

04/04/2020

The smooth flow of energy through the body is the prerequisite of health. Stress, fatigue, frustration, and emotional turmoil are just of the few things that disturb this flow. A calm and relaxed mind and body are key elements to health. Find out how to maintain calm even in the storms of life in our upcoming series in meditation and qigong. Stay tuned.

03/14/2020

Our 10th 💥 Anniversary and More - https://mailchi.mp/a84c9a0f3bdd/our-10th-anniversary-and-more

02/06/2020

This is a revolutionary look at cancer cause and treatment it based on the premise that cancer is not a genetic disease but metabolic. It postulates that the genetic mutations seen in cancer cells come from a downstream effect of disruption of energy metabolism.