When Cullen McManus first encountered Tai Chi, it was not through a lifelong plan or a neatly defined path. Like many meaningful things, it entered his life quietly—through curiosity, timing, and need. Cullen, Daoist Gate Beverly’s Scholar for 2025–2026, was introduced to Tai Chi and Qigong through an elective course at Salem State University taught…
Beautiful Moments of Returning to China Every time I bring my students back to China, there are new experiences and surprises. In past years, Wudang Mountain has always been an important stop on our journey. However, in 2025, I have chosen Yunnan as the main focus. Yunnan is not only the place where I have…
The Book of I Ching (Classic of Changes) contains the thoughts of the Chinese people in philosophy, medicine, astronomy, geography, arithmetic, literature, military affairs, music, art, and martial arts. In addition, I Ching serves different functions for different people. For many scholars, it is regarded as a book of philosophy. For the fortune tellers, it…
One of the primary roles of a Daoist spiritual Master is provide various services to their community. This includes rituals and ceremonies. Daoists undergo extensive training in the ritual arts, and often preside at weddings, births, purification ceremonies and blessings for new homes and businesses. Because we have been inspired by these practices, and want…
Weapons of Wudang martial arts curriculum. After basic conditioning and simple hand forms are learned, a student can train weapon forms as another way to develop strength and agility. Watch what these arts look like on our YouTube channel >> Sword is one of Wudang martial arts weapons and sword is famous throughout China. In…
“Taiji can give you the strength of a lumberjack, the pliability of a child, and the peace of mind of a sage.” – Chinese saying Relaxation Benefits of Taiji Quan Taiji Quan (Tai Chi) is often described as “meditation in motion”. As with other mind-body practices, Taiji focuses on movement and breathing, creating a state…
Wudang mountain is revered in the martial arts community and is seen by many as the spiritual and historical home of the internal martial arts. The Chinese say that “China has five sacred mountains, but Wudang surpasses them all”. A distinguished pilgrimage site, Wudang has attracted many prolific martial artists and philosophers throughout history. There are more than 2,000 palaces and temples, making this complex the world’s largest Daoist center.
At the Daoist Gate Center, there are often Chinese medicine doctors and qigong teachers who come to study with me, and they also help heal people for free. Tatiana B. is one of them. During the Spring of 2021, when the second wave of the pandemic was starting to wane, Tatiana was the fourth student…
If you have a little familiarity with Daoism then you know that for Daoists the final goal is to obtain longevity, to not die, and to become an immortal. There were many methods developed in Daoism, like bigu 辟谷dietetics, refining external elixirs, refining internal elixirs (neidan 内丹) and many others. But there is one extremely important method that…
If you like Chinese culture, you have likely also encountered Chinese movies and folktales. Often in these stories, there are people who can ride on the wind, catch ghosts and exorcise demons, foretell the future, and advise rulers. Some of them can enter flames without being burned, or water without becoming wet, can fly to…
During my years as a wandering Daoist, I spent some time at Taiqing Temple on Jiugong Mountain in Hubei Province (湖北省，九宫山，太清宫). It was there I met Master Lin (林道长)。 I had been at the temple for a year when Master Lin arrived. He was from a small temple in Hunan Province and also spending time…
Here in the West, I have heard many people refer to the Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching) as the “Daoist Bible”. While this isn’t completely wrong, it also isn’t completely right. The Dao De Jing is a very important sacred Daoist text, however it is not the only Daoist sacred text. If Daoism has…
Did you know that food can be used as medicine? Knowledge of the effects of different foods can be used to keep your body in balance and prevent illness as the seasons change. In the winter, Yin is dominant over Yang. The days are shorter and colder. All living things slow down. Animals hibernate, and…
Early Life Sun Buer 孙不二 (birth name Sun Fuchun 孙富春) was born into a wealthy family in Shandong Province in 1119. She was educated well as a child and enjoyed poetry and calligraphy. In her teens she was married to Ma Yu (马钰) the son of a prominent local family. Together they raised 3 sons.…
Instead of waving to each other or shaking hands, Daoists says “hi” use a hand gesture called the Zi Wu gesture. The same hand gesture is also used for devotional practices and in meditation. But, what does the Zi Wu Gesture mean? In order to understand the Zi Wu gesture, we need to talk a bit…
One of the questions I get asked a lot by our students is, “what is your favorite style, Henry?” To which I answer with not a moment’s hesitation, “Taijiquan.” This catches a lot of students off guard since they usually see me coaching our Kung Fu classes and demonstrating the fast and dynamic movements there. …
If you are practicing Wudang style martial arts, I am sure you have heard of the 8 Immortal staff and sword forms. The 8 Immortals are a group of folk heroes who play an important role in Chinese culture. They first appeared as a group in the Ming Dynasty novel Chronicle of the Eight Immortals’…
