Bagua Mastery Program

Lesson Index

Module 2
Module 2 Video Lessons

Session 1: Toe-In Step

Outside foot curves in, the inside footsteps straight

Beginners turn from the hips. Intermediate and advanced students turn from the
central channel
Start off with a 12-step circle. If injured use a 16-step circle or larger
2 person exercise for twisting the legs

Session 2: Protecting Your Joints

The joints are not designed to twist

Twist the gluteal muscles with the legs in order to avoid injuring the lower
back
Twisting motions take place in the soft tissue, ligaments, muscles, fascia, etc.

Session 3: Changing Direction

The weightless leg pivots on the ball of the foot while changing directions
Body moves as one piece, centering from the hips and waist
Do not bring the foot in before you step
Legs turn the waist and weightless stepping leg

Session 4: Releasing Resistance in the Body

If the mind glitches, the nerves will glitch and the body will not move as
intended
The translator between your mind and body is your nerves
Training the nerves to have a smooth and clear connection with the mind

Session 5: The Resistance to Change

Remove the glitches and stop starts from the nervous system
Develop progressively smoother, flowing and more continuous movements
Session 6: You Become What You Practice

Steps to learn Bagua in a progressive fashion

Bagua as an art to achieve spiritual awakening and enlightenment
A better flow in the nerves creates improved physiological functions
Work within the cycles of activity and rest to achieve optimal practice results

Session 7: Three Ways to Change Direction

Alignment modifications for injuries and degrees of openness within the body
Comparisons of small and large forms of Tai Chi to Bagua practice
The knee as a weight transference joint, not a weight bearing joint
No Water Method Taoist practice should cause harm to the body

Session 8: Mud-Walking and Peng Jin

Keeping the foot extension very even for optimal balance

Radiating expansive energy from the shins to cause the energy of the earth to
congeal in the shins
Settling the mind and intention in the lower part of the body to create the
expansive energy
Types of weight training in Bagua

Session 9: Heel-toe Stepping

Expanding the energy from the heel of the foot to the bubbling well point out to
the toes
1 unit of qi produced in the lower body equals 10 units in the upper body
Sinking the energy from the top of the body all the way through the toes
The body doesn't have to drop in order to sink the energy

Session 10: Keep Your Perineum Open

Closing the perineum will cut down on qi flow within the body
Keep as narrow of a stance as possible while keeping the perineum open
Session 11: Size of Toe-In Step

The entire spine, waist and legs descend through the tailbone to settle into the
foot
Close the kwa and wrap the body
Always be present within the body
The stronger the ko (toe-in step) is, the more the internal organs will be exercised

Session 12: Warm-Up Exercise (Spine Stretch Preparation)

Keep the back and head straight

The legs and feet connect completely to the spine and back
The butt stays engaged as it connects the entire back and spine with the legs
The lower back does not curl back

Session 13: Warm-Up Exercise (Spine Stretch)

Warm ups prepare and condition the body

Extend out of the legs through the head and feet while simultaneously dropping
the energy from the top of the head to the feet
Push through the feet to open up the kwa and the front of the spine to return to
the standing position
Stay at 50% of your movement capacity until clear awareness of the state body
is maintained continuously

Session 14: The I-Ching and Change

The ability to change to any direction without resistance

Going beyond fixation within the martial arts and meditation traditions

Bonus: Circle walking: Three-part Stepping

Bonus: Circle walking: Four-part Stepping

Module 2 Audio Lessons

Session 1: Circle Walking – Practice Introduction

Do warm up exercises before doing circle walking practice

Rotate focus and practice on the different types and aspects of stepping

Session 2: Circle walking – Three-Part Stepping

Put something on the floor to mark the center of the circle

Envision a 12 to 16 step circle around the center of the marker
Begin by walking a counter clockwise circle
Do a curve in step with the outside foot, do a straight step with the inside foot
The top part of the body follows the turning of the lower body.
Keep the hips at the same height; this will take pressure off of the knees

Session 3: Circle Walking – Four-Part Stepping

After stepping forward and foot break, close and bend your legs until your
weight is 70% forward, then use the front leg to pull the body forward
Open the legs and push backwards from the heel of the rear leg
Make it a seamless action, no shocks or stops and starts
In the beginning walk very slowly until the feet are extremely stable on the
ground
Keep the perineum open

Session 4: Circle Walking – Pivot Step

Pause at each step to make sure the weight shifting is occurring correctly
Make sure the lower back, knees and ankles are not in pain
Keep the 4 points together, make sure the legs and feet do not wobble or strain
Reversing directions balances the organ and musculoskeletal systems

Session 5: Circle Walking – Foot Off Ground Intermediate Change

Make sure when changing directions the stepping foot doesn't retract when
stepping out
Have the 3 and 4-part stepping as well as the pivoting on the ball of the foot
stable before the foot comes off the ground when pivoting
Do not straighten the turning leg or let the hips go up or down
Session 6: Circle Walking – Practice for Intermediates

Introduction to general guidelines for practicing at an intermediate level

Focus on the energy sinking from the crown of the head all the way down to the
feet, and allow the sinking energy to releases and relax the body
The more the energy sinks the more the occiput rises. The kwa and midriff
have a sense of rising and of the expansion of space
Raise and open the back of the knees.
Stretch and raise the area behind the Achilles tendon, raise the sole of the foot
The ideal way to go around the circle is to use the central channel as the central
axis

Session 7: Meditation – Relaxing the Eyes

Become aware of the tension in the eyes, release and relax the eyes. Let the
tension fall down the body into the feet and ground
Make sure the body doesn't collapse while sinking. Feel the space behind the
eyes as well as the optic nerve behind the eyes, allowing the tension to relax and
release down into the ground
Become aware of the images the eyes generate and let them dissolve and relax
their impact on the nervous system
Maintain the relaxing and releasing while turning, keep flowing and do not allow
freezing to occur within the nerves
Module 2 Written Content

Insert 1: Learning to Walk the Circle: Circle Walking Basics

Insert 2: Circle Walking and Taoist Meditation: Intermediate Meditation