Quantum Daoist Cultivation: The Five Organs with Professor Livia Kohn

True vital power in body and mind is much more than having strong muscles, high cardio capacity, or a sharp brain. It comes from practices that strengthen your energy system on all levels—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual—beginning with and centering on the five inner organs.

When your organs are strong, your health and energy are at their optimal functioning, inside and out. Daoist energy practices, including forms of taiji, qigong, and meditation, strengthen and tone the organs so that muscles, bones, and tendons can be healthy and strong. They also open our minds to the energy flow of the universe, allowing us to live with vigor and enthusiasm. 

In this workshop, Daoist scholar-practitioner Livia Kohn presents a systematic discussion of the different dimensions associated with the five organs while also guiding practice sessions in various kinds of exercises that release stagnant energies and empower a healthy flow of vitality. 

The workshop begins after arrival with basic warm-up exercises, a presentation on dimensions of qi, and a gentle relaxation to enhance internal awareness. After that, each morning, after wake-up qigong and breakfast, there will be first a general lecture on the overall understanding of Daoist mind-body dynamics. Next, we will focus on the organs, working on one each day (in the order heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, and spleen) and using as our main source a Tang-dynasty text by the woman Daoist Hu Yin. We will also practice the breathing, healing, and qi-guiding exercises contained in the text as well as other basic Daoist methods.

In the afternoon, we review the exercises and add to them, drawing on a somewhat wider repertoire, both traditional and modern. After that, there will be an in-depth analysis of key psychological factors associated with the organ in question, focusing particularly on spirit, emotions, inner nature, destiny, and authenticity. This work comes with a discussion of related factors in modern science as well as with systematic clearing meditations that release tensions and enhance functioning. After covering the last organ, we will summarize the findings and move on to a comprehensive outline of Daoist visions of perfect happiness, complete with a meditation on cosmic vastness to conclude the seminar.

Livia Kohn earned her Ph. D. in 1980. After six years at Kyoto University in Japan, she joined Boston University as Professor of Religion and East Asian Studies in 1988, then returned to Kyoto twice more for two-year stays. She has also worked variously as visiting professor and adjunct faculty at Eötvös Lorand University in Budapest, the Stanford Center for Japanese Studies in Kyoto, Union Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio, San Francisco State University, and the Taoist College Singapore. She retired from active teaching in 2006 and now works as a freelance researcher and lecturer.

Her specialty is the study of the Daoist religion and Asian long life practices. Having lived in Kyoto for close to ten years, she is also an expert in Japanese religions. She has written thirty-four sole-authored books and over a hundred articles, as well as edited eleven volumes and translated five works from the German, French, Chinese, and Japanese. Since 2008, she has served as the executive editor of the Journal of Daoist Studies, editing a 250-page volume every year. She also manages Three Pines Press, the Western voice of Daoism (www.threepinespress.com) 

In addition, she serves on numerous committees and editorial boards, leads Daoist qigong and Core Health workshops worldwide, and is the lead organizer of a series of major international conferences on Daoism: the next one will take place at Belmont University in Nashville in June of 2023 (join the Facebook group Daoist Conference for updates). She also guides study and hiking tours to Japan, the next one of which is scheduled for October 2022 (http://liviatoursjapan.com).

A $50 non-refundable deposit is taken at the time registration occurs.
The full balance is collected 7 days prior to arrival.

Other than the deposit, no fees are incurred if cancelled up to 7 days after reservation date.
50% of the total cost is retained if cancelled less than 4 days prior to event.
The $50 deposit given at registration is non-refundable.