Next session at Brookline Tai Chi, we are re-introducing a course on the Marriage of Heaven and Earth Qigong.

In preparation for the course, I sat down with several Energy Arts instructors who are certified to teach this set, to discuss why these exercises are beneficial, how they related to other forms of qigong, and what it's like for people to learn some of the stranger techniques involved, like "pulsing" the joints.

Here's what they had to say.

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Heaven and Earth Circa 1982

When Energy Arts Senior Instructor Eric Peters first learned this exercise from Bruce Frantzis in 1982, it was simply known as the "wood exercise". Eric explains why and describes the seasonal intensives that they would do to harness the energy of the 5 Elements.

Heaven and Earth in the Energy Arts Curriculum

Next, we discuss the role Heaven and Earth plays in the entire Energy Arts system. What skills do you build from Heaven and Earth? How does it open your body and develop your energy?

Heaven and Earth as the Bridge to More Advanced Practice

We discuss why Heaven and Earth is considered a bridge between the basic practices and more advanced practices, including the way it gives you greater access to "internal" movement, how you develop a particular quality of mind, and the way that opening and closing is fundamental to all 16 neigong.

What Students Experience Learning Heaven and Earth for the First Time

This clip is a little longer, but it's worth watching. Each of the instructors discuss what it has been like for their students to work with some of the pretty strange new ways you use your body in Heaven and Earth.

Microcosmic and Macrocosmic Orbits

In the last clip, we touch on some technical details about the microcosmic and macrocosmic orbits, two energetic pathways that are utilized in many different qigong sets. While they are central to Heaven and Earth, Eric explains the best way to work with them without getting confused or side-tracked.