Cultivate
In this facet of Yiyangmen, you will learn simple and effective qigong and meditative practices. Practicing them gradually cultivates 3 qualities:
- Clarity – gain insight into your true self as you break free of the habits, thought patterns, and emotional patterns that lock our lives into stagnant cycles.
- Vitality – raise your energy to bring your health to a vibrant and optimal state.
- Integrity – Resolve the internal conflicts that arises from your heart and mind. Learn to put forth your true and entire self in all of life’s circumstances.
Free Learning
The program is taught through a series of videos. Many of them are freely available for learners to experience the possibilities for growth that already exists within them.
Support Our Cause
This free program is made possible by the support of our donors. If you find the practices to be helpful, please consider donating through patreon. Contribution is absolutelly not required. Patron supporters on Yiyangmen are invited to participate on our online message forum, where you can interact with other learners and gain additional insight. Donations help support our effort to expand and upgrade our program, including additional classes, tutorials, and building health & wellness centers to support healthy holistic living.
We do ask that you kindly pay it forward. If the exercises have helped you, please share or teach it to someone that you think will benefit from it. One by one, you can help Yiyangmen transform our world as we improve each person’s lives.
Welcome to Your New Journey
Sequence of Training
There’s 2 ways I recommend approaching the curriculum.
- Classic: If you’re feeling well and happy, proceed in order. The program is listed in an order that optimizes efficiency.
- Jump Start: If you’re feeling stressed, tired, or uncomfortable in some way, start with the immaterial harmonization and the energy harmonization and then finally start back at the begining.
The reason why you might jump start at the more advanced level if you’re not feeling your best is because in our current modern life, what we tend to be most lacking is the energetic aspect. In that case, a little practice there can kick start a dormant part of your life and you will notice the biggest immediate benefit. That can give you the motivation and energy to continue to succeed.
Either way you choose to go about it, emphasize the practices that resonate with you. Practice such that you feel joyful or pleasant when doing so. It is in such a state that your mind and body is most able to and most willing to grow.
A practice session is typically just 5-15 minutes. Practice when you feel inspired to do so. There is no need to force yourself. A willing and open mind is the mind that’s most ready to grow and transform. But you will notice that you feel better once you’ve practiced. So perhaps it will be worth the discipline and dedication to practice, even if your heart is pulled in another direction.
The lessons are primarily videos, with supplemental articles to help you understand the principles more deeply. The program follows the stages of development of Southern Shaolin practice. You can read about it by clicking on the button below.
The Foundation Practices – Intent Harmonization
We will begin with four foundation exercises. The main thing that really sets natural athletes apart from non athletes isn’t their physical capability. It’s how naturally their mind interacts with their body. Just like a good driver’s strength is primarily in how well they are at one with the vehicle.
Intent harmonization quickly gives us the harmony of mind and body that a natural athlete has. We will do so through four simple practices.
- Moon Devotion – deeply relax your mind and body by manifesting the calm and receptive intent of the moon
- Archer’s Gaze – to unify our vision and intent, improving our hand eye coordination
- Sun Archer – to optimize how our intent governs our body
- Bow Drawing – to awaken the core and connect the energy meridians
Click on each to watch the instructional video. Then read the articles that explain each to a greater detail. The practice are simple and you will be ready to progress once you have felt the benefit from each one. It typically takes about 1 week each exercise.
Energy Harmonization
Energy harmonization, called internal training in Chinese martial arts, improves the energetic systems that fuels our life. There are two energy systems:
Qi – the personal life force that circulates your body. It is contained within and cycles through your body.
Shen – the universal life force that flows through you and the universe. It passes into and out of you as needed, similar to breath, related to what is called Prana.
Immaterial Harmonization
Immaterial harmonization cultivates our awareness and connection to our immaterial self. We are more than just muscles controlled by electric currents in our body. We are more than organic machines. The immaterial harmonization brings the physical and energetic self into alignment with our deepest nature.
Enjoy your practice! Please subscribe to our youtube channel for more media content. If you enjoy bite sized content. Follow our Instagram account @yiyangmen for quick tips to living a meaningful and joyful life. If you would like to participate in our live classes in person or through zoom, visit our class listing.
