Meditation E-courses

Welcome to the Tian Yuan phase of Daoist meditation practice. Tian Yuan is the heaven phase of Daoist practice, and represents the essence of the spirit.

Here we are offering in depth introductory courses designed to teach beginner, intermediate, and advanced practitioners of meditation.

The layout of our courses is a bit different from other currently available methods of study. When studying Daoism, it is very important to study classical documents. The classics guide us toward correct practice and help us develop a deep theoretical background to help us achieve the real benefits of the cultivation of Qi energy. The majority of Daoist classics were written in code, and without a teacher, even a direct translation will not help you achieve the real benefits of Daoist meditation practice.

Because of my long term and deeply engaged involvement in Daoist classic reading and annotation, I have decided to make available a curated approach to learning meditation directly from the most important documents in the Daoist Canon. Not only will you learn the original text of the Daoist sutras in Chinese and English, you will also be given extensive commentary and explanation of the methods hidden within these profound documents.

Each week for the duration of the course, you will receive an email with extensive course materials, translations, annotation, and homework, as well as modern pinyin pronunciation of the sutras so that you can learn to read the original text of the document and make even more progress!

We will be adding new courses quarterly, so please stay tuned for up to date and in depth lessons on Daoist meditation culture!

course one

Daoist Meditation Fundamentals

course length: one week
fee: $25

This course is for people who are brand new to Daoist meditation. It explains the background, principles, and basic practice of Daoism. Included in the course are...

explanation of how to practice quieting the mind.
waking up the Qi energy of the body.
returning the Qi to stillness.

...and how to achieve the states of non-action and action without action. This course is good for people who have not read Internal Elixir Cultivaiton, the Nature of Daoist meditation.

course two

Ge Hong's Jade Emperor Embryonic Breathing Classic

course length: two weeks
fee: $50

The Jade Emperor Embryonic Breathing Classic is an early foundational meditation document which teaches how to correctly breathe in order to cultivate the “celestial foetus,” and the “one true Qi,” in your body. This short but powerful document is a great introduction to Daoist practice and was written by the famous Chinese Doctor “Ge Hong,” who was posthumously recognized as a God in the Daoist pantheon.

This document not only introduces breathing practice, it also tells us how to correctly contain our spirits within our bodies, and sets the foundation for a real and deep practice of meditation.

Accompanying the text and translation is a clear and concise explanation of how to practice correctly and what to do at each stage along the way.

This course is best for both beginners and intermediate students who wish to deepen their study, and is mainly focused on how to cultivate the “Lower Dan Tian,” energy field in and around the abdomen.

course three

The Jade Emperor Subtle Inscription of the Heart Sutra and Commentary by Chen Yingning Part 1

course length: six weeks
fee: $100

This foundational document in Daoism teaches us how to understand and cultivate the three treasures of ancestral “Jing, Qi,” and shen,”(essence, energy, and spirit). The text is a powerful sutra which was originally meant to be chanted at temples, and help priests learn how to properly transform themselves into spiritual beings. The accompanying commentary by Chen Yingning, founder of the Immortality Study School of Daoism sheds even more light on how to understand and practice meditation in such a way that you not only develop, but also keep the powerful spiritual energies of the body and cosmos.

Provided in the course are also in depth explanations of the hidden meanings of both the text and commentary, as well as comparisons with other Daoist documents, used to help students make faster progress.

This classic is good for intermediate level students who already have a general idea of the concepts of Jing, Qi, Shen, and non action. It is suggested to read Internal Elixir Cultivation, the Nature of Daoist Meditation before taking this course, or to have other experience in the study of Daoist meditation methods.

course four

The Jade Emperor Subtle Inscription of the Heart Sutra and Commentary by Chen Yingning Part 2

course length: six weeks
fee: $100
prerequisite: completion of level one

This is the second part of the Jade Emperor Subtle Inscription of the Heart Sutra and is aimed at people who have already successfully finished part one. This second part takes us deeper into the practice of the three treasures, as well as introduces deeper levels of practice such as how to contextualize the relationship between meditation and the ancient Dao De Jing Classic, as well as commentary on the relationship between meditation and the Daoist religion.

course five

Wu Chao Yuan and Three Flowers Together Rise

course length: two weeks
fee: $100
prerequisite: please contact me by email to discuss whether this course is right for you.

This short course is for people who want to go deeper into Daoist practice and is based on retention of the five spirits “jing, shen, hun, po, and yi.” This course also teaches how to mix the original spirit and original essence, the meanings of “dragon and tiger,” “water and fire,” and “heaven and earth,” in Daoist practice.

This course is for people who have already studied some aspects of the Daoist classics, but want to understand the meanings of secret codes used in meditation sutras and how they apply to practice.