Description

Daoist Ways Of Enhancing Vitality with Livia Kohn

Event recorded 5th – 6th April 2025.

COURSE OVERVIEW

Vitality in Daoism is a function of vital energy or qi, notably the smoothness and harmony of its flow. Various methods serve to enhance this, creating a stronger level of health, a greater sense of well-being, and an extension of youthful living.

After an introductory discussion of the nature and workings of qi, the workshop presents a series of different methods that serve to enhance the quality and power of qi. For the remainder of the first day, we focus on opening the energy flow by learning about and engaging in breathing practices, healing exercises, and internal qi-guiding.

Following the same overall schedule, on the second day, we energize the five inner organs, working with particular methods of breathing and studying the power of visualization. In the afternoon, we learn how to activate core Daoist values, notably sufficiency and nonaction, engaging with the essential potentialities of heaven and earth.

Each session will begin with a PowerPoint presentation, then open to questions, after which we engage in the actual practices. The goal is to engage with Daoist thinking, increase awareness of qi, and gain a set of tools to choose from for its modification and the enhancement of vitality.

ABOUT LIVIA KOHN

Livia Kohn is Professor Emerita of Religion & East Asian Studies at Boston University. Her specialty is Daoism and the study of Chinese longevity practices. She has written and edited numerous books and articles. A long-term practitioner of taiji quan and meditation, she is also a certified instructor of yoga and qigong. One of the world’s foremost Daoist scholars, Livia is expert at placing each practice in its historical and cultural context, relating its current application and efficaciousness to modern Western living.

WHAT YOU GET AFTER COMPLETING THE COURSE