“MythBody” at Esalen Institute with Chungliang Al Huang

IMG_2699To play Tai Ji with my first & favorite teacher, Chungliang, I traveled to Esalen Institute, an education and retreat center, in Big Sur, California. Chungliang and mythologist, Joseph Campbell, coined the word “MythBody” for workshops they taught together for many years. Forty participants moved in Tai Ji forms and free dance. Poetry and fairy tales were read. Tai Ji insights and praxis were processed. We shared personal snake stories and dreams. Chungliang demonstrated his Qi-lligraphy drawing and taught us the Five Moving Forces sequence that he choreographed. In the Chinese zodiac, this is the Year of the Water Serpent. In Chinese legend, the silvery snake meditated in the mountains for centuries to expand potential. He grows and transforms by shedding his skins. This Serpent is a symbol of wisdom, intuition and mysticism.