Humanity follows Earth
Earth follows Heaven
Heaven follows The Way
The Way follows Nature
-Lao Zi, Dao De Jing, chp.25
5 Elemental Progression System
Waypoint Sanctuary 5 Elemental Phases Comprehensive Training System
This is for those who want to have a comprehensive systematic approach to their training with me, learning meditation, qigong, and Daoist internal kung fu through a progression of exercises organized into stages defined by the 5 elemental phases. The curriculum generally builds from slow and soft to fast and explosive and back to slow and soft.
If you want to start with learning Tai Chi, start with the Tai Chi Foundations Drop-In Classes, and/or the 8 week intro course.
If you just want to learn some simple qi gong for general health, wellness, and stress relief, start with the Qi Gong Foundations Drop-In Classes.
If you just want to learn sitting meditation, attend our weekly Meditation Foundations Drop-In Class.
If you want to learn all these things in a systematic approach, come to this class!
This class also begins with simple qi gong for general health, wellness, and stress relief but follows a more structured outline that is building to the next phase as the student progressively learns the material.
This system is a synthesis of Greg’s experiences studying Daoism, meditation, qigong, Wudang Martial Arts, mainly of the San Feng Pai, and more, into a sequence of study and practice reflecting the traditional development of a Daoist priest within the Yu Qing Huang Lao Pai.
It is an open-ended system, meaning that practices from any number of styles, systems and lineages could be integrated into this system at a stage that is elementally or energetically appropriate.
It provides a roadmap of development through the elements so as to invoke and evoke the qualities of the elements into and from the practitioner as stages of development through the practices they’re learning. As such, the goal is attempting to cultivate a sense of completion of the elements within the practitioner.
Students progress through a range of studies and practices that bring them from metal, to water, to wood, to earth, to fire, and back to water and metal as gold, as they work through the curriculum. This system of learning has been something that Greg has been considering for years, and is excited to be offering through the setting of Waypoint Sanctuary.
Evolution to the next stage of progression occurs when students feel comfortable and confident in internalizing the material of that stage, including memorization of the forms within the curriculum on their own, demonstrating it without following a teacher or other students.
Inspiration
In the Jade Purity Yellow Emperor LaoZi Order of the Upper Purity school of Daoism ( Yu Qing Huang Lao Shang Qing Pai), to which I belong to the 89th generation under my Sifu Jeffrey Yuen of the 88th generation- neophyte/ initiate priests were given white clothes/robes upon their initiation into the order, representing the metal element, the letting go/death of their old life/self, and the beginning of a new life as a neophyte Daoist priest.
After some time, if they stick around, they are further delving into the mysteries of Daoism, reflecting the water phase, they would get a dark blue patch to sew onto their white robes, to reflect that they had become an acolyte, fully accepted into the order and now beginning to learn the deeper mysteries of the tradition and the Dao.
Continuing to follow the generating cycle of the 5 elemental phases, the next stage was the green robe, reflecting the wood element, and the sense of growth that they are going through, and the understanding of the generative processes they are learning, practicing, and growing through as a Daoist Priest. As such, the green robe reflects some degree of understanding or mastery over the generative processes of nature, and signals they are able to preside over ceremonies related to new beginnings and generative processes ( rites of spring renewals, births, new business openings, weddings, graduations, etc.) relatively happy, light hearted occasions that are in that way easier for a new priest to preside over.
The next stage of development followed the control cycle of the 5 elemental phases, going from wood/green to earth/yellow robes, reflecting the priest had come to some understanding or mastery of dealing with the conflicts and limiting factors of life and nature, as represented by the energetic interaction of wood controlling earth. Developing the understanding of the earth elemental phase meant they understood the transformations of the earth, and that almost everything is in a process of continual transformation. This allowed them to be able to preside over rites of endings or transitions, such as autumnal/harvest ceremonies, business closings, and funerals. Situations that require the nuance of understanding how to bring things to closure harmoniously.
The next stage, reflected in the red robe, represents going in the reverse generating cycle, from earth to fire, and the realization that everything comes from, and returns to the spirit, and returning back to the origin is the process of reversal. Achieving the revelations and realizations of the fire element and the red robe meant you had understanding or mastery over all the dynamics of spirit/life/nature, and could preside over any type of ceremony.
Finally those with exceptional levels of revelation, achievement, and/or skill had the purple robe, a color of alchemy, the mixing of fire and water, red and blue/black, that produces the purple color, going in the reverse control cycle from fire to water.
So what I’ve done is attempted to organize the meditations, qigong, and martial arts I’ve learned or am endeavoring to learn into that elemental progression to give the practitioner a comprehensive schema to evolve through levels of physical, energetic, and spiritual development and capability relative to their interests in either meditation, qigong, and/or martial arts.
I wrote the first outline of this in the Fall of 2022. That spring I was ordained, so I had that ordination and training process on my mind, and then in the fall I briefly began teaching some tai chi and qigong at a Tae Kwon Do school called pathfinder Martial Arts in Mars Hill, NC. They had all their belts displayed on wall plaques, and a big binder in the corner itemizing all the requirements to progress through belts - and its reminiscence of the Daoist priests earning their robes. So, as a meditation, qigong and nei jia kung fu teacher, as well as an an acupuncturist and Daoist priest, I started to synthesize a curriculum outline for anyone who would want to learn everything I know and practice in a systematized way.
This is a living system, and subject to changes as deemed fit.
Elemental Progressions
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Lungs & Large Intestine
White represents the purity and blank slate of a new process. Like white light contains the potential of all colors, a new student contains the potential of developing all the elements and skills within themself. At this point the student is willing to take on a new approach to their life through the study of internal martial arts & qigong. With every new beginning, there is an ending. For every inhale, an exhale. The metal elemental phase curriculum, represented by the color white, is focused on getting students more in touch with their bodies through their breath. This is an essential foundation for internal martial arts and energy work. Students learn methods for deep auto-relaxation and meditation, along with various qi-gong breathing techniques to enhance the connection of their mind and body, thereby helping to energize and purify their body and mind through breathwork.
Metal Elemental Phase Principles & Practices
Theory
-3 Pillars & 4 Stages of Qi Gong
-The 3 Dan Tian & Defining Acu-Points / Qi Xue “Qi Caves”
-3 Treasures - Jing-Essence, Qi-Energy, Shen-Spirit, & Xu-Void
-3 Levels of Qi - Wei, Ying, & Yuan
-Jin Jing Sinew Channels
Practices
Jing Gong (Stillness Skills)
-laying, sitting, & standing meditation postures
-Includes Zhan Zhuang “Post Standing” and other stances
-Relaxation through breath, awareness, & intention
-Consolidating Essence
Breathing Skills
-Natural Breathing
-4 Wall Breathing
-Bubble Breathing
-Square Breathing
-Sealing & Locking the Breath
Forms / Dong Gong (Moving Skills)
-3 Treasures Qigong
-9 Spiral Gates Qigong
-Wudang Metal Tiger Dao Yin
-Zig-Zag Walking Qi Gong
-Hua Tuo Hua Shan Metal Tiger Frolic
-Wudang Metal Snake Yang Sheng Gong
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Kidney & Urinary Bladder
Blue represents the student diving deeper into the sea of mysteries within themself and the curriculum they are endeavoring into. The water element represents our inborn motivation and willpower to see through to completion whatever we have intended for ourselves. Training builds on the breathwork, mind-body integration, and ability of auto-relaxation that was cultivated in one’s metal element training to further develop the ability to soften the body that is essential for internal martial arts training. Training now expands to include study and practice of Taijiquan as the students first true martial arts style within the system. Taijiquan is often compared to water due to its emphasis on using softness to overcome hardness, and the nature of how its movements and techniques flow seamlessly from one into the next. Beginning martial arts training with Taijiquan helps train the student to maintain deep internal awareness and a tendency to slow down as they learn more fast paced and explosive movements in the future.
Water Elemental Phase Principles & Practices
Theory
-Micro-Cosmic Orbit Xiao Zhou Tian
--Ren Mai, Du Mai, Bao Mai, Chong Mai, Dai Mai, Da Bao
-Macro-Cosmic Orbit Da Zhou Tian
--12 “Primary” Channels
Wu Xing 5 Elemental Phases
Ba Gua 8 Trigrams (Pre & Post Heaven)
Practices
Breathing Skills (Tu Na)
-Reverse/Embryonic Breathing
-In Stillness & Motion
Forms / Dong Gong (Moving Skills)
-Wudang Yang Sheng Gong
-Wudang Water Dragon Dao Yin
-Hua Tuo Hua Shan Water Bear Frolic
-Water Tortoise Yang Sheng Gong
Tai Ji Quan (Tai Chi)
Relaxation, Softness, Sinking, Slowness, & Roundness
Wu Bu & Ba Fa “5 Steps & 8 Methods” of Taijiquan
Taijiquan Single Technique Practices & Martial Applications
18 Movement Wudang San Feng Taijiquan
28 Movement Wudang San Feng Taijiquan
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Liver & Gallbladder
Green represents the sprouting of the student’s latent potential. Nurtured by months or maybe years of meditation, breathwork, and internal body conditioning through the practice of Foundation Qi Gong and Taijiquan, the student is ready to begin pushing their system to new limits of flexibility and development of Fa Jin “Issuing Power”. Like a tree or plant, the student is now cultivating a balance and harmony between softness and hardness. Too hard and the tree will snap under pressure. Too soft and it will not reach the full extension of its growth potential. With the foundation of breathwork, relaxation, and softness from metal and water stages, the student is now guided to begin doing more rigorous stretching routines.
Once this is learned the student is introduced to the San Ti stance training and five element fists of Xingyiquan which help to further develop internal energy training, fa jin ability, and training of rapid movement along a linear trajectory. The linearity of Xingyiquan reflects the linear growth trajectory of a tree. It has a destination it aims to reach by all means necessary, attempting to overcome and push through obstacles in its path towards the light.
Once this is learned, the student is introduced to Ba Bu stance training, circle walking, and 8 mother palms of Baguazhang. The circling and spiraling of Baguazhang reflects the spiral growth patterns that is very often present in trees and plants, this can be seen often in time lapse videos of plants growth. Although they are growing for a goal in a linear direction, there is a side to side and back and forth motion they go through in the process, producing a spiral. Baguazhang training helps to be quickly adaptable to changing circumstances (wind) in one's environment, so as to be able to find the most advantageous position to reach one’s goals.
Wood Elemental Phase Principles & Practices
Theory
Sinew Channels (Jin Jing)
Practices
Stretching
Sinew Channel Dao Yin
Forms
Xingyiquan
-San Ti Stance Training
-5 Elemental Fists
Baguazhang
-Ba Bu Stance
-8 Mother Palms
-Circle Walking Qigong
Wudang Wood Leopard Dao Yin
Hua Tuo Hua Shan Wood Deer Frolic
Wudang Wood Dragon Yang Sheng Gong
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Spleen & Stomach
The Yellow Sash represents the Earth element, doubling down on and strengthening one’s foundations. It is at this juncture that the student begins learning the “basic” punching, striking, and kicking techniques that at other schools might be taught at their beginners stage.The reason for the delay in the Waypoint curriculum is in order to first develop deeper internal awareness, softness, and flexibility of one’s body and mind through foundation training in Taijiquan, Xingyiquan, and Baguazhang. Taihequan is taught as an introductory form that balances slow, soft, fluid techniques interspersed with fast, hard, fa jin techniques, it trains the ability to rapidly and effortlessly move from a state of being slow and soft, to fast and hard, and back to slow and soft at will. With that foundation, the student will be able to learn and drill all the foundational striking and kicking techniques with far more nuance, skill, and power than new students learning them fresh off the street at other schools. Earth represents having patience, humility, and the willingness to integrate everything you’ve learned so far to develop a stronger foundation. The student will be guided to engage in more rigorous stance training as well as mid and upper body calisthenics such as crunches, leg lifts, push ups, pull ups, and handstands to develop the overall strength and endurance of their body on top of the foundation of flexibility, softness and relaxation they have already been cultivating. This will help prepare them for taking on the weight of weapons in red belt training.
The student is also trained in the grounding skills of rolls and break falls.
The student learns the Wudang Sanfeng Ji Ben Taolu “Foundational Form” which integrates all the major stances and many offensive and defensive techniques.
Earth Elemental Phase Principles & Practices
Forms
Wudang Xing Yi Quan 5 Element Linking Sets
Wudang Tai He Quan
4 punches
4 elbows
21 Kicks
Jibenquan
Wudang Earth Snake Dao Yin
Hua Tuo Hua Shan Earth Monkey Frolic
Wudang Earth Tiger Yang Sheng Gong
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At the orange belt stage, the students' training is beginning to heat up. At this point they are asked to temper that through learning the 108 movement Wudang Sanfeng Taijiquan Taolu which introduces a handful of new techniques, and challenges the student to slow down and maintain deep internal awareness and intent for an extended duration of time, maintaining a slow, low burn of energy within their system.
They also learn the three Xuan Gong Quan forms which further train coordination of speed, softness, and power.
At Orange Sash level the student also learns their first weapons forms - the Taihe Staff and Saber. These build on the Taihequan empty fist form the student learned back in their yellow sash training.
Principles & Practices Taught & Tested for Orange Sash108 Movement Taijiquan
Xuan Gong Quan 1, 2, 3
Tai He Staff
Tai He Saber
Fu Hu Quan
Fire Crane Dao Yin
Fire Crane Yang Sheng Gong