Environment Based Movement

Environment Based Movement Class

Nature is wherever you are. 

Develop balance, strength, coordination and flow while learning to move comfortably in your environment, whether at home, on the street, in the park, or out in the wilderness. These basic movement skills and awareness practices form the basis of traditional Chinese movement and martial arts as well as being common to most traditional cultures. 

This program will be 3 meetings, one Saturday morning a month for three months. It includes a specific movement program and exercises to train throughout the month to prepare the students for each subsequent session.

Session dates are: April 27, May 25, June 29.

The cost for the program is $120. The member's rate is $108.

This first program is limited to 5 students. Class location will vary as we will be going to different environments to practice nature awareness and train our movement skills. This class is for all ages and abilities. 

Have fun and enjoy moving freely as part of your environment! 

Contact us for more information or to reserve a spot.

Flourishing Growth: Spring Program

Sunday February 24, 9:30-11:30

$25, Free to CTHA members!

At our Springtime Program we will enjoy flowering tea and discuss the quality of qi and the liver in the spring and their traditional associations, including utilizing the emotions, muscular force, movements and appropriate exercises for the season.

Changing as the seasons change is one of the fundamental methods of restoring and maintaining the health in traditional Chinese medicine. In this program we'll have a relaxed setting to talk about these processes and how they relate to modern life.

Space is limited. Please contact us to reserve a spot.

CTHA Facebook page is up

We have the Center for Traditional Health Arts Facebook page set up now. We'll have class updates, links, and extra posts there (we're still using this page as well).

 You can check it out here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Center-for-Traditional-Health-Arts/420968284649408?ref=hl

Five Tastes - Chinese Herbal Medicine for the Lunar New Year

San Francisco Botanical Garden

February 9th 10am-12 noon

With Sean Fannin and Peg Schafer

Traditional Chinese Medicine may seem exotic and esoteric, but it is deeply rooted in an awareness of nature and our own sensory experiences. In this presentation we will discuss nature and health and how traditional Chinese medicinal herbs are selected and used.This will include tasting different forms of Chinese herbs.

This session will also cover Chinese herb cultivation illustrating locally suitable Chinese medicinal plants with 40 samples.Students will be sowing Chinese herbs in 6 packs to take home and grow in pots or in the garden.

The regular cost of the program is $60. I have a special discount code that you can apply to get the SFBG member rate of $50. The code is "Five Tastes 202013"

To get more information or to order tickets please visit the San Francisco Botanical Garden website here:

http://www.sfbotanicalgardensociety.org/sfbgs_course_template.cfm?s=5330

Newsletter Archive

I am starting an archive for our newsletters -  here are links to the past 6 months:

April 2012 "Inspiration and Energy" 

May 2012 "Movement of Life Part 2: Exercise"

June 2012 "The Regulation of the Heart and Mind"

July 2012 "Cultivating Qi"

August 2012 "Vision and Awareness"

September/ early October "Free & Easy Movement"

We'll have the November newsletter out soon! If you have not signed up yet you can scroll down and do so with the box on the right hand side.

"Fasting of the Heart/Mind" with Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallee

The Fasting of the Heart/Mind in the Zhuangzi • Monday November 12, 2012 

with Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallee in Petaluma

Elisabeth is an internationally renowned scholar and translator of classical Chinese medical and philosophical texts. This is a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in classical Chinese philosophy with one of the most well respected scholars in the field.

“May I ask what the fasting of the mind is?”
Confucius said, “Make your will one! Don’t listen with your ears, listen with your mind. No, don’t listen with your mind, but listen with your spirit. Listening stops with the ears, the mind stops with recognition, but spirit is empty and waits on all things. The Way gathers in emptiness alone. Emptiness is the fasting of the mind.”
-from Zhuangzi Ch.4, Burton Watson trans.

“The Fasting of the Heart/Mind”is the topic of Chapter 4 of the Zhuangzi, which along with the Daodejing, is one of the most well known and loved daoist texts. The afternoon session will focus on an overview of the Fasting of the Heart/Mind brought to life in Elisabeth’s fantastic style. and the evening session will provide a detailed and animated analysis and discussion of the afternoon’s material, including the Chinese text.

The study group is an ongoing program that meets monthly - with twice a year meetings with Elisabeth. Those interested in exploring Chinese medicine through the classical Chinese medical texts are welcome to come to this meeting with Elisabeth and the group.

Schedule for 11/12/2012
• Classical Chinese Medicine Study Group - Suwen Chapter 5
10am -12 noon
• The Fasting of the Heart/Mind within the Zhuangzi
1:30pm-4:30pm and 5pm-7pm

•The tuition for the Study Group Meeting from 10am-12noon is $25 ($22 for CTHA members) 

•The tuition for the “Fasting of the Heart” presentation from 1:30pm-7:00pm is $75 ($63.50 for CTHA members). To attend only the afternoon presentation 1:30pm-4:30pm is $50 ($ 42.50 for CTHA members). To attend only the evening presentation 5pm-7pm is $35 ($29.75 for CTHA members). 

• To attend the entire day including the morning study group, the afternoon session and the evening session, is $90 ($76.50 for CTHA members). This option is highly recommended as a chance to spend the day with one of the most well-respected and inspiring teachers in the field of Chinese medicine and philosophy!

Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Please call (707) 763-8040 or email us to reserve your space.

Chinese Medicinal Plant Walk

Chinese Medicinal Plant Walk at Quarryhill Botanical Garden

with Peg Schafer and Sean Fannin  

Sunday October 28th 10am-12.

Located in Glen Ellen, Quarryhill is one of the pre-eminent Asian botanical gardens globally, featuring one of the largest collections of documented, wild-collected Asian plants in the world. This is a great opportunity to see important Chinese medicinal herbs growing in a beautiful natural setting.

All proceeds from this walk go to benefit  the Garden. Cost for the walk is $15.

Space is limited, please call 707-996-3166 to reserve yours in advance.

Visit Quarryhill Botanical Garden's Site here.