八段錦 Ba Duan Jin. The Eight Treasures.

The Qi Gong practice that will guide us throughout our time together is Ba Duan Jin, traditionally translated as The Eight Pieces of Brocade. Although the earliest written reference appears during the Song Dynasty (1162 AD), the practice itself is undoubtedly much older.

In the 1970s, Taoist Teacher Hua-Ching Ni¹ carried the tradition of the Brocades to the West, referring to them as The Eight Treasures. The practice unfolds through eight sets of movements, comprising thirty-two movements in total. Throughout our sixteen months together, we will embody each Piece of Brocade, allowing time for the Treasures to gradually reveal their medicine.²