Ian Robertson Duncan

The character for “Dao” can be understood as the “path”, or the “way.”  LaoTzu, in the Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching), appears to have been the first one to use this character in this way.  The Dao is a path to enlightenment.  It can take many different forms and be called by many different names, but is recognizable in its emphasis on following the way of nature. The goal is effortless action, like the changing of the seasons, or the rising and setting of the sun.  Everything is accomplished by recognizing and following the natural course of things.

As a student of the Dao, I consider it my responsibility to observe myself and the world clearly, and make the appropriate adjustments to bring things into alignment or balance - facilitating the natural course of things.  The work is in seeing things more clearly, and in judging correctly how to adjust.  This is, in a sense, unremarkable.  It is what we all do as we grow up and grow old, learning from our experiences how to be and do better.

There are, however, remarkable ways.  There are traditions of practices handed down from LaoTzu, and his teachers before him, that provide highly specific and effective tools for finding the way, the Dao.  Today we refer to those practices as qigong. “Qi” (pronounced (”chee”) is life force, energy, or vitality. “Gong” means work, skill, or cultivation.  To practice qigong is to cultivate life energy.  Learning to feel qi, and then to gather and circulate this energy in your body will lead to health and happiness.  It is a simple, effective, and empirical process (though not easy!).

When qi flows freely, all is well. You will be healthy, happy and lucky.  You will work hard and rest easy, and never go to battle.  When qi is blocked, things break down.  Your body and mind hurts, your spirit is restless and anxious, and nothing seems to go your way.   The sages invented qigong forms in order to help people remove obstructions to the flow of qi, improve their lives, and with some additional effort, perhaps reach enlightenment, becoming one with the flow. There is also a sense in which our individual pain or illness reveals that we, as individuals, are obstructing the cosmological flow. By healing ourselves, clearing our own obstructions, we are doing our part to heal all that is around us.

I am a student of Classical Shamanic Qigong and Taiji under Master Zhongxian Wu. For more information about qigong and the Dao, see Master Wu’s article: Seeking the Roots of Classical Qigong, or his book: The Vital Breath of the Dao: Chinese Shamanic Tiger Qigong.

Daily practice of the forms I have learned from Master Wu has transformed my body, mind, and spirit in clear and tangible ways. Occasionally there are opportunities to study with Master Wu.  I highly recommend it.  He is a rare and gifted teacher.

I am available for private instruction when time allows. The forms I teach are in Master Wu’s lineage - either from the Hidden Immortal Lineage, or from the Mt Emei Lineage.  (You can read more about these lineages in Master Wu’s book, Seeking the Spirit of the Book of Change.) I also offer qi healing sessions for my ongoing students.  This is a path of self-healing and self-responsibility.  The goal of my teaching is to help you establish a daily practice that you can continue on your own.

Thanks for your interest.

Flow with the go.