August 1, 2007
"Taoists use the metaphor of gu shen, "the valley
spirit." A valley supports life, feeds the
animals who live there and provides fertile earth for agriculture. It can do this only because
it
is empty. It accepts the flow of the river because it is most low and most humble. It
receives the warmth of the sun
because it is wide and not filled with anything to block the
light. It brings forth life because it supports all
who come to it."
- Deng Ming-Dao, Scholar Warrior, p. 182
I live in the north Sacramento Valley,
California, near the town of Red Bluff. At this
location, the Sacramento Valley is about 70 miles wide. To the east are the
southern
Cascades, a range of volcanic mountains, with some nearby peaks over 10,000 feet high.
To the west
are the Yolly Bolly Mountains, with nearby peaks over 8,000 feet high.
To
the north are multiple mountain ranges, including Mt. Shasta, over 14,000 feet
high. Dozens
of creeks flow from the mountains down into the Sacramento Valley, and all flow
into the
Sacramento River. The
area where I live is rural. The primary agricultural products are
almonds, olives, walnuts, prunes,
winter wheat, cattle, and sheep. My outdoor practice of
T'ai Chi Ch'uan
and Qigong cannot help but be influenced by the "Valley Spirit."
Valley Spirit
Journal
"The Valley Spirit
The valley spirit not dying
is called the mysterious female.
The opening of the mysterious female
is called the root of heaven and earth.
Continuous, on the brink of existence,
to put it into practice, don't try to force it."
- Tao Te Ching, #6, Translated by Thomas Cleary
"The valley spirit never dies
Call it the mystery, the woman.
The mystery,
the Door of the Woman,
is the root
of earth and heaven.
Forever this endures, forever.
And all its uses are easy."
- Translated by Ursula K. Le Guin, Chapter 6, Tao Te Ching
"The Valley Spirit never dies
It is named the Mysterious Female.
And the doorway of the Mysterious Female
Is the base from which Heaven and Earth sprang.
It is there within us all the while.
Draw upon it as you will, it never runs dry."
- Tao Te Ching, Chapter VI, Translated by Arthur
Waley
"The Tao is called the Great Mother
empty yet inexhaustible,
it gives birth to infinite worlds.
It is always present within you.
You can use it any way you want.
- Translated by Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 6
"The wu-chi diagram describes
the process of transformation through internal alchemy,
or the return to the Tao. The [empty] circle at the bottom is the
Mysterious Gate
[Mysterious Entrance] or the Valley Spirit. Gate means
"opening," and Valley referes to
"Emptiness" or "Void." On the physical level the
Valley Spirit lies in the Life Gate
(ming-men) on the spinal column (an area on the spine between the
kidneys).
The ming-men controls movement of generative energy in the lower tan-t'ien
(the area
near the navel). On the spiritual level, the Valley Spirit is
consciousness emptied of
sensations, emotions, and thoughts."
- Cultivating
Stillness: A Taoist Manual for Transforming Body and Mind, p. xvii
Translated by Eva Wong, 1992.
"The Mysterious Gate has many
names. In Confucianism, it is called the altar of
wisdom. It embodies limitless compassion. It is a consciousness
without thoughts
and it reflects the way of heaven. It is intuitive knowledge and reflects
the way of
earth. In Buddhism, the Mysterious Gate is the spirit mountain, the
empty
consciousness of original mind, or nirvana, the realm of the Amitabha Buddha.
In Taoism, it is the Golden Palace, the realm of t'ai-chi, the domain of the
Three Pure
Realms, the root of existence of all things. Althought it is given
different names by
the three religions, it is nonetheless the same thing. In Confucianism,
when this gate
is opened, the sage emerges. In Buddhism, when this gate is opened, the
Buddha
emerges. In Taoism, when this gate is opened, the immortal emerges."
- Cultivating
Stillness: A Taoist Manual for Transforming Body and Mind, p. 18
Translated by Eva Wong, 1992.
"Know honor,
Yet keep humility.
Be the valley of the universe!
Being the valley of the universe,
Ever true and resourceful,
Return to the state of the uncarved block."
- Tao Te Ching, #28, Translaged by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English
"High mountains recieve more of these energies than the surrounding
lowlands, and
their atmosphere is
more easily ionized. The positive ions are pulled down the
mountains by
the earth's force fields, while
the negative ions tend to rise, leaving a
greater concentration on the mountain
tops. Applied to human
beings, negative charges
have good effects, while positive charges have bad
effects."
- Frank Waters, Mountain Dialogues, p. 69
"Ku shen: “Valley
Spirit”. The first word modifies the second here, as in English.
Both are
normally nouns. (“Shen gu”
would be “valley of spirits” or “spiritual valley”.)"
- Chapter Two
"When discussing Taoist philosophy, metaphors are used to describe various concepts.
"The Tao Te Ching can be
seen as advocating mostly "female" (or Yin)
values, emphasising
"water" fluidity and softness (instead of the solid and stable
"mountain"), choosing the
obscure and mysterious aspect of things in order to be able to
rule-without-ruling them. In
this respect, this book can be understood as challenging "male" (or Yang)
values such as
clarity, stability, positive action, and domination of nature, values often also
referred to
as Confucian."
- Online Law
Encyclopedia
"The life-force of the valley
never dies--
This is called the dark female.
The gateway of the dark female--
This is called the root of the world.
Wispy and delicate, it only seems to be there,
Yet its productivity is bottomless."
- Dao De Jing, #6, Translated by Roger T. Ames and David L.
Hall
"You darkness that I come
from,
out of which all things come,
I love you more that all the fires
that fence the world,
for the fire makes a circle of light for everyone,
and then no one outside learns of you,
But the darkness pulls in everything,
shapes and fires, animals and myself.
How easily it gathers them,
powers and people.
It is possible a great energy is moving near us.
I have faith in the night."
- Ranier Marie Rilke, I Have Faith in Nights
A monk introduced himself to the teacher
Hsuan-sha, saying,
"I have just entered this monastery. Please show me
where to enter the Way."
"Do you hear the sound of the valley stream?" asked Hsuan-sha.
"Yes," said the monk.
"Enter there!"
The valley spirit dies not, aye the same;
The female mystery thus do we name.
Its gate, from which at first they issued forth,
Is called the root from which grew heaven and earth.
Long and unbroken does its power remain,
Used gently, and without the touch of pain.
"Departing from the Mysterious,
entering the Female.
It appears to have perished, yet appears to exist.
Unmovable, its origin is mysterious."
- The Jade Emperor's Mind Seal Classic
"In the Recorded Sayings of Master
Ta Ma it is said, "The Mysterious [hsuan] represents
heaven, ching [essence], and the nose. The Female [p'in]
represents earth, blood [qi], and
the abdomen. Hsuan is the father of ching [jing], and p'in
is the mother of qi. So that which
departs from the father is ching, and that which enters the female is qi.
Within each
person there is the Mysterious Female. Everyone can create a spiritual
embryo. The
Valley Spirit refers to yang shen [pure spirit]; with just one drop of yang
shen uniting
with the ching and qi, the Spirit Embryo is born."
- The Jade Emperor's Mind Seal Classic. The Taoist
Guide to Health, Longevity, and Immortality.
Translated with commentary by Stuart Alve Olson. Rochester, Vermont,
2003. Index, bibliography,
216 pages. ISBN: 0892811358. Reference, p. 139.
"Here's the commonly available version for Chapter
6
[of the Tao Te Ching):
谷神不死, 是謂玄牝.
玄牝之門, 是謂天地之根．
綿綿若存，用之不勤
And the subtle difference of the older one:
谷神不死 是謂玄牝
玄牝之門 是謂天地之根
綿綿呵若存 用之不勤
The life-force of the valley never dies--
This is called the dark female.
The gateway of the dark female--
This is called the root of the world.
Wispy and delicate, it only seems to be there,
Yet its productivity is bottomless.
- Translated by Ames and Hall
And that futhermore, 綿 was actually,
帛 (white, on top of turban, meaning silk) as the
left-side and 系 (drawing threads together, meaning series) making a character I don't
think is in the Unicode standard. Even Jade Emperor's Mind Seal Classic which references
this passage uses the 綿 form. Combined with
呵 which zhongwen.com says means
"exhale", that last passage includes some reference to inner alchemy. ...
According to Dr. Jwing-Ming Yang, 谷神 and 神谷
refers to the crown (GV-20) and the
third eye. The two halves of the brain is divided in the middle, the convolutions on
both side form a valley. The opening (門) to the valley (谷) lies in those two acupuncture
points and chakra vertecies. When energy floods the valley, the 神 is expressed
through the eyes. ...
Reiki practioners tend to pull in from ... somewhere, with the idea that they are pulling
from an inexhaustible source of energy. They are pulling through the 谷神. Some practice
specifically pulling through the crown, and down the spine, sometimes all the way
through the earth. Mixing the 'heavenly' and 'earthly' energies makes a big difference
in the quality and quantity. "
- qaexl, Valley
Spirit
"Carus と Waley
では、 he が使用されている。 翻訳の時代を考えると、 総称として
he が疑いなく使われていたのであろうが、 しかし、 「女性の賢人」 という可能性を一顧だにしなかったことも確実であろう。また、
Feng and English は妙を mystery
徼を manifestation と訳しているのに対し、ル・グウィンは、
what's hidden と only what it wants
と、 意味にふみこんで訳している。どちらがいいのか一概に言えないにしても、 詩を意識し、 なるべく平明に語ろうとしているル・グウィンの姿勢はよくわかる。
次に 6 章の 「谷神は死せず、 是れを玄牝と謂う （谷神不死、 是謂玄牝）」の部分を見てみたい。
The valley spirit never dies. / Call it the mystery, the woman.
（Le Guin 9）
The valley sprit not expires, / Mysterious woman 'tis called by the sires.
（Carus 37）
The Valley Spirit never dies. / It is named the Mysterious Female.
（Waley 149）
The valley spirit never dies; / It is the woman, primal mother.
（Feng and English.）"
- Earthsea - Le Guin and the Tao Te Ching, The Chukyo University Society of English Languageand Literature
"The valley spirit dies not, aye the same;
The female mystery thus do we name.
Its gate, from which at first they issued forth,
Is called the root from which grew heaven and earth.
Long and unbroken does its power remain,
Used gently, and without the touch of pain.
'The Completion of Material Forms.' This title rightly expresses the import of this
enigmatical chapter; but there is a foundation laid in it for the development of the later
Tâoism, which occupies itself with the prolongation of life by
the management of the breath or vital force.
'The valley' is used metaphorically as a symbol of 'emptiness' or 'vacancy;' and 'the
spirit of the valley' is the something invisible, yet almost personal, belonging to the
Tâo, which constitutes the Teh in the name of our King. 'The spirit of the valley' has
come to be a name for the activity of the Tâo in all the realm of its operation. 'The
female mystery' is the Tâo with a name of Chapter 1, which is 'the Mother of all things.'
All living beings have a father and mother. The processes of generation and production
can hardly be imaged by us but by a recognition of this fact; and so Lâo-dze thought
of the existing realm of nature--of life--as coming through an evolution (not a creation)
from the primal air or breath, dividing into two, and thence appearing in the forms of
things, material and immaterial. The chapter is found in Lieh-dze (I, 1 b) quoted by
him from a book of Hwang-Tî; and here Lâo-dze has appropriated it, and made it his own."
- Texts
of Taoism (SBE 39)
"According to Lao-Tzu, the Tao is what gives rise to the Ten Thousand Things (wan-wu);
it penetrates all of existence; it "acts without acting" (wu-wei). How, though, can anything
act without acting? The best analogy I have seen to explain this is one from Prof. Robert
Henricks, who compares the Tao to an uncultivated field, and the Ten Thousand Things
to wildflowers. The field does nothing, it does not act... but the wildflowers can not exist
without the field. So it is with the Ten Thousand Things and the Tao. The Ma-wang-tui
slips refer in Chapter 6 to the "valley spirit" - this is likely another name for the Tao.
Here is Chapter 6 in its entirety:
The valley spirit never dies;
We call it the mysterious female.
The gates of the mysterious female -
These we call the roots of Heaven and Earth.
Subtle yet everlasting! It seems to exist.
In being used, it is not exhausted.
Like the field under the wildflowers, the valley spirit is used by the Ten Thousand Things,
but they are not necessarily aware of it. All one can say of the Tao is that "it seems to
exist" - there is no physical evidence for its existence. It is still, empty, and inexhaustible.
The flowers are nourished by the field, but do not exhaust it. Likewise, the Tao enriches
our lives, but there is no way we could ever "use up" the Tao."
-
The Tao and the Field
“The dragon and tiger are
none other than yin and yang, the female and male. They are
the cauldron and furnace of alchemical literature, the medicinal substance
required to
compound the golden pill. The cauldron, cool and limitless as the element
Water, fills
herself and nourishes the Fire that would not die. You have read in the
Great One of
the miraculous pass, the portal into all knowledge. I will tell you what this
pass is. It
is none other that the inexhaustible female. Must I be blunt? Can you grasp
the concept
of the dragon and the tiger, water and fire, cauldron and furnace, pestle and
mortar?
The mysterious female is the key to the firing process. This talk of base
metals into
gold and drinking an elixir of mercury is not the real alchemy. Enter into her
and take
it into yourself, again and again. Lao Tzu said, “The valley spirit is the
mysterious female.
Her door is the root of heaven and earth.” It replenishes itself continuously.
There is
no coercion, but it is freely given. Opening up, you will enter the cinnabar
chamber
where all knowledge is stored. Conserving your essence, you will draw her into
yourself, up through the lower and middle tan tien into the seat of ecstasy.
Her
you will find madness and death … or the knowledge that will give you eternal
life.”
- Simon Marnier, White Tiger, Green Dragon,
p. 23
"Here are two translations from the Tao te Ching,
chapter 6:
The valley spirit never dies;
It is the woman, primal mother.
Her gateway is the root of heaven and earth.
(Feng and English)
The Valley Spirit never dies.
It is named the Mysterious Female.
And the Doorway of the Mysterious Female
Is the base from which Heaven and Earth sprang.
(Arthur Waley)
Is the valley spirit "primal mother" or Mysterious Female? There's a difference!
In the first translation, her gateway "is", present tense, right now, the root
of heaven and earth. But in the second, the Tao seems to be talking about a
cosmic event long ago, the origin of "Heaven and Earth," some sort of creation
myth: "the Doorway of the Mysterious Female is the base from which Heaven and
Earth sprang." Yet, neither translation is wrong. The Chinese text
permits both of them, and indeed, many others. It has to do with the great
differences between Chinese and English. "
-
Laputan Logic
"Tao is the mysterious origin of creation. It
manifests itself through an energy
we call Teh. The “Spirit of the Valley” is the result of effectively adapting to
–
and dealing with – this energy. Laotse uses the word “valley” to describe this
result, because energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can, however, be
directed, deflected, and channeled in the same way that a valley directs,
deflects, and channels the perceivable energy form of moving water. Nature
is the greatest expression of Tao and it is tangible evidence of the
intelligence
of the source from which it emanates. Adapting to this expression, this energy,
is how we move toward adapting to its source because the source and its
expressions are actually one and the same."
-
The Spirit of the Valley
"The spirit of emptiness is immortal.
It is called the Great Mother
because it gives birth to Heaven and Earth.
It is like a vapor,
barely seen but always present.
Use it effortlessly."
- Tao Te Ching,
Chapter 6, Translated by J. H. McDonald
谷 = Valley
神 = Spirit
Links and References
The Doctrine of the Mysterious Female in Taoism: A Transpersonalist View. By Evgueni A. Tortchinov. Department of Philosophy, Ste. Petersburg State University, Russia. 54Kb.
Valley Spirit Center Red Bluff, California
Chan Buddhist and Taoist Poetry
Red Bluff, Tehama
County, North Sacramento Valley, Northern California, U.S.A.
Close to the Cities of Chico, Orland, Corning, Los
Molinos, Cottonwood, Anderson, and Redding CA
Valley Spirit Taijiquan Journal
Cuttings: Haiku and Short Poems
Cloud
Hands: Tai Chi Chuan and Chi Kung Website
Tai Chi Chuan, Taijiquan, T'ai Chi Ch'uan,
Tai Chi, Tai Ji Quan, Taiji, Tai Ji Chuan
Chi Kung, Qi Gong, Qigong, Chee Gung, Qi, Chi, Tu Na, Dao Yin, Yi, Neigong, Gong
Fu
Alphabetical Subject Index
Cloud Hands Website
Taijiquan, Qigong, Taoism, Classics, Weapons: Sword and
Staff
Fitness
and Well Being Website
Gardening, Meditation,
Walking, Yoga, Strength Training,
Fitness for Older Persons, Aerobics, Relaxation
The Spirit of Gardening
2,700 Quotes Arranged by 130 Topics,
History, Guides,
Psycho-Spiritual Aspects of Gardening
Green
Way Research
Online Publishing, Research, Indexing,
and Services
By Michael P. Garofalo
Red Bluff, California
Valley
Spirit Center
Michael and Karen Garofalo
Red Bluff, California
Web Guides, Bibliographies, Links, Directories, Lessons, Quotes, Notes
Alphabetical Subject Index
Above the Fog - Zen Poems by Mike Garofalo
Alphabetical Subject Index to the Cloud Hands Website
Ancient Goddesses - Quotations, Poems, Sayings, Prayers, Songs
Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi): Tiger, Bear, Crane, Deer, and Monkey
Arthritis Therapy - Exercise: T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Chi Kung
Audio Recordings, Making This Life Significant, Classics Series
Bagua Zhang (Eight Trigrams Boxing)
Balls - Taiji and Qigong Exercises, Medicine Balls
Bear, Standing Bear, Level 1 Ranking, Valley Spirit Taijiquan
The Bear: The Five Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi)
Bicycling in Northern California
Bird - Five Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi)
Blog - Cloud Hands: Taijiquan and Qigong by Michael P. Garofalo
Blog - Green Way by Michael P. Garofalo
Blog - Valley Spirit Journal by Michael P. Garofalo
Book of Changes (I Ching) and Qigong (Dao-yin)
Breathing Practices: Bibliography, Links, Resources, Quotes
Buddhism - Tibetan: Shambhala Warriorship, Tantra, Yoga
California (Northern) T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Directory: Instructors, Schools, Information
Charkas (Energy Centers of the Subtle Body)
Chen Style Taijiquan Internal Training
Chen Style Taijiquan Index, Valley Spirit Taijiquan
Chi Kung (Qigong) and Yoga Classes, Red Bluff, California. Instructor: Mike Garofalo.
Ch'i Kung: Bibliography and Links
Chi Kung: Bibliography and Links 2007
Ch'i Kung Instructor: Michael P. Garofalo in Red Bluff, California
Chi Kung: Valley Spirit Center Red Bluff, California
Circle Walking - Bagua Zhang (Eight Trigrams Boxing)
Class Schedule, Taijiquan, Instructor: Mike Garofalo, Red Bluff, California
Class Schedule, Hatha Yoga, Instructor: Mike Garofalo, Red Bluff California
Classes, Valley Spirit Taijiquan, Instructional Program
Classics Series, Making This Life Significant
Cloud Hands Blog, Mind/Body Movement Arts: Taijiquan, Qigong, Yoga, Walking and Gardening
Cloud Hands: T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Ch'i Kung
Cloud Hands T'ai Chi Ch'uan Journal
Comments and Notes on the Yang Style Taijiquan
Confucius (K'ung Fu-tzu) (551 - 479 BCE)
Correct Taijiquan Practice Principles
Crane - Bird - Five Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi)
Crane, Soaring Crane, Intermediate Program, Level 3, Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan
Cuttings: Short Poems by Michael P. Garofalo
Daoist Medical Qigong Center Studies in 2007
The Deer: The Five Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi)
Diabetes Therapy - Exercise: Taijiquan and Qigong
Dictionary of Internal Martial Arts (Nei Jia Quan)
Direction of Movements in Taijiquan and Qigong
Disclaimer of the Cloud Hands Website
Dragon Gate - Taoism - Wudang Mountain Qigong
Eight Ox Herding Songs - A Ch'an/Zen Parable
Eight Section Brocade Ch'i Kung
Eight Trigrams Boxing (Bagua Zhang, Pa Kua Quan)
Embrace the One - Zhan Zhuang - Standing Like A Tree
Entering Tranquility (Ru Jing) Meditation
Essentials of Taijiquan Movement Art
Exercise - Diabetes Therapy - Taijiquan and Qigong
External and Internal Aspects of Chinese Martial Arts
Feedback, Kudos and Reviews for the Cloud Hand's Website
Five Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi): Tiger, Bear, Crane, Deer, and Monkey
Five Elements (Wu-Xing) and Taijiquan
Five Stepping Movements of Taijiquan
Five Elements (Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Metal)
Gardening: Quotes, Poems, History, Sayings
Gardening: Quips and Maxims by Michael P. Garofalo
The Four Gates: Grasping the Sparrow's Tail
Michael P. Garofalo's Biography
Michael P. Garofalo's T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Practice
Glossary of Taijiquan Terms in English and Chinese (Pinyin)
The Goddess - Quotations, Poems, Sayings, Prayers, Songs
Goose - Bird - Five Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi)
Green Way Research - Taijiquan and Qigong
Gun Quan Short Staff, 50" Walking/Martial Staff,
Gu Shen (Valley Spirit) Taijiquan Instructional Program
Hatha Yoga Classes, Red Bluff, California, Instructor: Mike Garofalo
Health and Fitness - T'ai Chi Ch'uan
Hexagrams and Trigrams of the I Ching (Book of Changes)
Hidden Tiger, Beginning Program, Level 2, Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan
High Blood Pressure Reduction and Practicing Taijiquan and Qigong
Hsing I Chuan Five Fists
I Ching (Book of Changes) and Taijiquan and Qigong
Index to the Cloud Hands Website
Indoor Cycling, Stationary Bicycling, Spinning
Instructional Program, Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan
Internal and External Aspects of Chinese Martial Arts
Internal Martial Arts (Nei Jia Quan) Dictionary
Jo Short Staff, 50" Walking Stick, Way of the Jo
Jo Do: Way of the Short Staff: Jo Do, Aikijo, Jojutsu, Gun Quan
Journal - Valley Spirit Journal by Michael P. Garofalo
Kudos for the Cloud Hands Website
Kundalini (Coiled Serpent) Energy
Kwang Ping Taijiquan of Kuo Lien Ying
Learning and Teaching Taijiquan, Qigong and Yoga
Lifestyle Advice for Wise Persons
Links and Bibliography: Qigong
Links and Bibliography: Taijiquan
Long Form 108 Yang Style Taijiquan
Making This Life Significant, Classics Series
Massage: Valley Spirit Center Red Bluff, California
Master Chang San-Feng (circa 1350)
Master Cheng Man-Ch'ing (1901 - 1975)
Master Kuo Lien Ying (1895-1984)
Master Sun Lu-Tang (1861-1932)
Master Yang Cheng-Fu (1883-1936)
Mastery, Self Control, Self Mastery, Choices, Will Power, Strength of Character
Medicine Balls, Taiji and Qigong Exercise Balls
Meditation Instructor: Michael P. Garofalo in Red Bluff, California
Meditation Methods and Techniques
Meditation - Standing Like A Tree
Meditation - Standing - General
Meditation - Wu Ji - The Edge of Emptiness
Michael P. Garofalo - Brief Biography
Michael P. Garofalo - Internal Martial Arts Practice History
Michael P. Garofalo - T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Practice
Months of the Year: Quotes, Poems, Links
Mountain Biking in Northern California
Movement Direction Instructions for Taijiquan and Qigong Forms
Movement Principles of Tai Chi Chuan
Moving Hands Like Clouds: T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong
Northern California Taijiquan and Qigong News in Cloud Hands Blog
Northern California T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Directory: Instructors, Schools, Information
Northwestern U.S. Tajiquan and Qigong News in Cloud Hands Blog
Notes and Comments on the Yang Style Taijiquan
Nei Jia Quan (Internal Martial Arts) Dictionary
Nine Movement Temple Ch'i Kung Exercise Set
Older Persons Exercise and Wellness Programs
Oregon T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Directory: Instructors, Schools, Information
Original Waving Hands Like Clouds URL
Pa Kua Chang (Eight Trigrams Boxing)
Photography - Valley Spirit Photography Gallery
Pilates: Links, Bibliography, Resources, Quotes, Notes
Pole Weapons, Chen Style Taijiquan
Pranayama: Breathing Techniques from Yoga
Principles of T'ai Chi Ch'uan Movement Art
Private Instruction by Michael P. Garofalo, Instructional Programs
Pulling Onions: The Quips and Maxims of a Gardener
Qigong (GWRW)
Qigong (GDW)
Qigong Ball Exercises, Medicine Balls, Taiji Balls
Qigong: Bibliography and Links
Qigong: Bibliography and Links 2007
Qigong, Ch'i Kung - Chinese Mind-Body Exercises
Qigong and Yoga Classes, Red Bluff, California. Instructor: Mike Garofalo.
Qigong Instructor: Michael P. Garofalo in Red Bluff, California
Qigong Practice: Tips, Suggestions, Lessons
Questions and Answers in Cloud Hands Blog
Red Bluff, California, Qigong Classes
Red Bluff, California, Yoga Classes
Red Bluff, California: Valley Spirit Center
Red Bluff, California: Valley Spirit Taijiquan
Red Bluff, Valley Spirit Taijiquan Instructional Program
Reiki (Ushi Shiki Ryoho) - Karen Garofalo, Reiki Practitioner
Reiki: Valley Spirit Center Red Bluff, California
Resolve, Will. Willpower, Self Control, Self Discipline
Reviews of the Cloud Hand's Website
RSS Feed for the Cloud Hands Blog
Self Control, Self Mastery, Choices, Will Power
Senior Citizens Fitness Programs
Senior Fitness - Red Bluff, CA
Sensing Hands: Push Hands - T'ui Shou
73 Standard Competition Form, Sun Style Taijiquan
Shambhala Warriorship: Tibetan Buddhism
Shoong, Sung, Song - Loose, Relaxed, Open, Yielding, Responsive
Short Form, Yang Style, Beijing Simplified 24
Short Staff Martial Arts: Jo Do, Aikijo, Jojutsu, Gun Quan
Silk Reeling, Chen Style Taijiquan
Simplified 24 From, Yang Style
Soaring Crane, Intermediate Program, Level 3, Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan
Speaking to the Spirit Meditation
Spear Weapons, Chen Style Taijiquan
Staff Weapons: Chen Style Taijiquan
Staff Weapons: Jo, Bo, Can, Staff, Spear
Standard 32 Sword (Jian) Form - Yang Style Bibliography, Links, Quotes, Notes.
Standing Bear, Level 1 Ranking, Valley Spirit Taijiquan
Standing Like A Tree - Zhan Zhuang
Stork - Bird - Five Animal Frolics
Subject Index to the Cloud Hands Website
Sun Lu-Tang's (1861-1933) Chronology
Sun Lu-Tang's (1861-1933) Biography
Sun Lu-Tang (1861-1933): Baguaquan, Hsingyiquan, and Taijiquan Grandmaster
Sun Style Internal Martial Arts Glossary
Sun Style Taijiquan Online Videos
Sun Style Taijiquan, 73 Standard Competition Form
Swordsmanship and T'ai Chi Ch'uan
Sword 32 Standard Sword (Jian) Form - Yang Style
Tai Chi Ball Exercises, Qigong Balls, Medicine Balls, Exercise Balls
Tai Chi Chuan (GWR)
T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Bibliography and Links
T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Directory:
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T'ai Chi Ch'uan Instructor: Michael P. Garofalo in Red Bluff, California
Tai Chi Chuan Movement Principles
T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Red Bluff, CA
T'ai Chi Ch'uan Short Form, Beijing Simplified 24, Yang Style
T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Links and Bibliography
T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Valley Spirit Center Red Bluff, California
Taijiquan: Bibliography and Links
Taijiquan For Good Health, Fitness and Vitality
Taijiquan Instructor: Michael P. Garofalo in Red Bluff, California
Taijiquan - Princiles of Practice
Taijiquan: Valley Spirit Center Red Bluff, California
Taming the Ox - A Zen Allegory or Parable
Tantric Buddhism: Shambhala Warriorship, Yoga
Taoism, Nature Mysticism, Alchemy
Taoist and Eastern Classics, Making This Life Significant Series
Teaching and Learning Taijiquan, Qigong and Yoga
Tehama Family Fitness Center, Red Bluff, California
Temple Qigong - A Nine Movement Exercise Set
Thirteen Postures: 8 Gates and 5 Steps
32 Standard Sword (Jian) Form - Yang Style
The 300 Missing Poems of Han Shan
Tibetan Buddhism: Shambhala Warriorship, Yoga, Tantra
The Tiger: The Five Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi)
Tiger, Hidden Tiger, Beginning Program, Level 2, Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan
Tips, Suggestions and Lessons for Qigong Practice
Tree Qigong - Zhan Zhuang - Standing Like A Tree
Trees - Quotations, Poems, Lore, Wisdom
Trees - Lore, Magick, Myths, Magick
Trigrams and Hexagrams of the I Ching (Book of Changes)
Twelve Animals of Chinese Yoga
Twelve Animals of Hsing I Chuan (Xing I Quan)
Valley Spirit Center Red Bluff, California
Valley Spirit Fitness and Well Being Website
Valley Spirit Journal by Michael P. Garofalo (May 2003-July 2005)
Valley Spirit Journal by Michael P. Garofalo (August 2005- )
Valley Spirit Photography Gallery - Old
Valley Spirit Photography Gallery - New - Coppermine
Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan Club
Valley Spirit Taijiquan, Red Bluff, California
Valley Spirit Taijiquan Instructional Program
Valley Spirit - Green Way Blog
Valley Spirit Taijiquan and Qigong Journal (5/2003-7/2005) by Michael P. Garofalo
Valley Spirit Taijiquan and Qigong Journal (8/2005-) by Michael P. Garofalo
Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Qigong, and Yoga
Vancouver, B.C., T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Directory: Instructors, Schools
Walking - Eight Ways of Walking Qigong
Walking - General Fitness Exercise
Walking: Valley Spirit Center Red Bluff, California
Washington T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Directory: Instructors, Schools, Information
Waving Hands Like Clouds: T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong
Way of the Short Staff: Jo Do, Aikijo, Jojutsu, Gun Quan
Will Power, Self Control, Self Mastery, Choices, Strength of Character
Wudang Mountain - Taoism, Taijiquan and Qigong
Xing Yi Quan Five Fists
Xing I Quan (Hsing I Chuan) - Twelve Animals
Yoga Class, TFFC, Red Bluff, CA
Yang Family Taijiquan Genealogy
Yand Style Push Hands and Da Lu
Yang Style Traditional Taijiquan Long Form 108 Movements
Yang Style Taijiquan - Notes and Comments
Yang Style Taijiquan Short Form 24 Movements
Yin-Yang Sensitivity Training: Sticking Hands - T'ui Shou
Yoga Class, Red Bluff, CA - Instructor: Michael P. Garofalo
Yoga and Qigong Classes, Red Bluff, California. Instructor: Mike Garofalo.
Yogalates: Links, Bibliography, Resources, Quotes, Notes
Zhan Zhuang - Standing Like A Tree
Zen Poems: "Above the Fog" by Mike Garofalo
Zen
Poetry: Bibliography, Links, Quotations, Resources
Valley Spirit Internal Martial Arts Club
Valley Spirit Center - Red Bluff, California
Red Bluff, Tehama County, North Sacramento Valley, Northern California, U.S.A.
Cities and small towns in the area: Oroville, Paradise, Durham, Chico, Hamilton City,
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May 15, 2007
Cloud Hands: T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Ch'i Kung
Cloud Hands: Taijiquan and Qigong Blog
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