Meditation, Qigong, Taiji, and Daoist
Arts
Classes in the Northern
Berkshires
The world is in turmoil, but you don’t have to be.
In my first book, “Along the Way to Wudang,” I followed a spiritual quest to the Five Immortals Temple in China, ending with a singular question: Could these ancient truths be lived in the modern world?
“The Stillness of the Blue Heron” is my answer.
Born from the quiet of the Northern Berkshires, this collection of 60 essays and original poetry serves as a map for building a sanctuary within the “Red Dust” of daily life. Drawing from over three decades of Taiji, Qigong, and Daoist practice, I share how to navigate the tumult of humankind while maintaining an even keel.
Classes for Autumn ’26
Living a Daoist-based Life in Today’s World
The Spring/Summer ’26 classes once again will be centered on the concept of living a Daoist-based life in today’s world. One course will include the instruction of Qigong and Taiji; a second course will be an examination of Daoist principles, including the Dao de Qing and The 49 Barriers To Spiritual Growth. A new course will also be offered on Internal Arts and Alchemy (Neidan) and Bagua, with enrollment beginning at the end of April.
Classes are around one hour in duration for each course. The Taiji Course will begin with Qigong to encourage the flow of the body’s Qi; this is followed by Taiji instruction. The Water Taiji form is comprised of 33 movements, and in total takes approximately 11 minutes to perform. While that sounds simple, the form will take between 20 – 25 classes to learn, and then a lifetime to perfect. The Yang Style Short Form has 24 moves, takes just under 5 minutes to play, and can be learned in 10 classes.
The Daoist Arts course is twenty weeks in length, and classes will also be around 75 minutes. It will include an examination of the two principle documents – The Dao de Qing and The 49 Barriers To Spiritual Growth, as well as the Law of The Heart.
The new course on Neidan and Bagua will be a ten-week schedule, again around 75 minutes in length, and will include an examination of The Book of Changes (Yi Ching) and Bagua in Daoism, meditation, and other Daoist practices.
Classes are held at 139 E. Quincy Street, with parking and access off E. Main Street between #384 and #396. A Meditation Garden is under construction at the training center, and the facility is open to the air while the garden is being built. The Daoist Arts classes are held indoors and include a pot of tea, and maybe even a Mandarin orange.
I have been a student of Michael McGrath of Blue Heron Stillness since January 2020. In my opinion, Michael is an excellent teacher and is very knowledgeable in Taiji, QiGong, and Meditation. Since I started learning from him, I have noticed improvements in my overall health, focus, and flexibility. I look forward to learning more from him and I am very fortunate to be his student.
Qigong and Taiji
Qigong, exercise matched to breathing, circulates qi throughout the body. Taiji, a moving meditation, manages and directs the qi. Together, they are 2/3 of a Daily Daoist Longevity Practice. Shui Taiji, Water Taiji, is soft, slow and smooth, with 33 movements. Qi, developed in the legs, directed by the hips, manifested in the hands. It is the Taiji of the Five Immortals Temple on White Horse Mountain in Hubei Province, China.
Meditation
Sitting still, doing nothing. Being both the observer and the observed. The cultivation of stillness, cornerstone to a Daoist Longevity Practice. We focus on our breath, and as thoughts intrude, we gently bring our attention back just to our breath. There is no such thing as a bad meditation, and you’ll learn why. A 5-class course.
Daoist Arts
Course materials include three ancient scrolls brought back from my temple in China. The Dao de Qing, of course, is one – the foundation of all Daoist philosophy. The Law of The Heart discusses the Three Jewels of Daoism – The Way, The Scripture, and The Teacher. The 49 Barriers to The Dao, the third scroll, as translated by my Master, the temple’s Abbot, identifies the obstacles we must overcome for our spiriual growth.