Heart Chan

Body Practice

There is deep wisdom within our physical self, if we can practice to quiet the distraction and feel and listen to the lessons it seeks to share. At our centers and groups, we share ancient, refined body practices that traditionally complement the Chan seated meditation. After all, most of our life is spent in motion, not seated practice, and body is the vehicle of that motion.

Our teachers are proficient in sharing the Ba Duan Jin Qigong movements for self maintenance of health and wellness. These eight gentle movements invigorate the organs and help enhancing the alignment and functions of the muscular/skeletal systems to reinforce, sustain, and integrate the clarity of the seated meditation practice and make our body’s wisdom accessible in our daily lives.

In addition, we offer teaching and practice in several forms of traditional Tai Chi. Focusing the mind solely on the movements of the form helps bringing about a state of mental calm and clarity in motion. Besides general health benefits and stress mitigation, many find Tai Chi training brings their seated Chan practice “to life” in a practical, tangible sense.

“Posture and movement in daily life can easily affect the posture and quality of seated meditation.” – Chan Master Wu Jue Miao Tian

Qigong and Taichi practice can allow us to feel and correct subtle hindrances in our posture and movement that can make significant improvements in our daily life as well as our meditation practice. They go seamlessly hand in hand.

Transitional Practices

It can be a big stretch to take the calm and peaceful, centered state of seated Chan meditation or the formal movements of Taichi/Qigong and directly translate this into our daily lives of work, kids, computers, commutes, relationships, etc…

Recognizing this in our own lives, relationships and careers, we have incorporated several classes and workshops designed for creating the bridge from the formal practice to practical application.

“Chan meditation develops a focused mind that enables more effective study, better relationships with family and coworkers, induces creativity, inspires more effective management of ourselves, our resources and skills…” Wu Jue Miao Tian , Shifu