The Hidden Body

of the Martial Arts

A discussion on alchemy and exorcism in Daoist martial arts

Friday, April 3 @ 7:00 PM

Subtle Body Armor & the Duel of the Nondual

Friday, April 3, I’ll be giving a public talk on a paper I recently presented at the Esalen Center for Theory and Research. The conference, which was led by my kungfu brother Simon’s Subtle Body Initiative, brought together scholars and practitioners from around the world in dialogue on the subtle body and martial arts.

What exactly does the calculated violence of martial arts have to do with the tranquility of meditation?

This talk explores a hidden axis within Daoist practice where combat, exorcism, and internal alchemy collapse into a single process of transformation—where the body itself becomes a kind of metaphysical armor, a sealed vessel for immortal transmutation.

Drawing from the paper, we’ll move through the strange terrain where inner and outer are no longer separate—and where the final “duel” is not against an opponent, but within the nondual itself.

After the talk, we’ll open the floor for discussion.

Details

```
Friday, April 3 — 7:00 PM
```
```
@ Wudang Santa Cruz, 403 Swift St.
```

$10 general admission, $5 for Five Branches students + enrolled Wudang Santa Cruz students

Eligible students can use code 50OFF, this is offered in good faith, so please use accordingly.

```
To sign up, click here. 
```

Hope to see you there.

Sleep Alchemy

Meditation Workshop

Saturday, April 11 - 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM

The pace of our crazy times leaves many utterly exhausted and yet unable to truly rest—caught in a cycle of depletion without renewal. Fortunately, we bumbling Daoists have spent millennia perfecting the fine art of lying around, and as such, have uncovered some rather ideal methods for rectifying these modern maladies.

 Join us Saturday, April 11 from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM, for a Daoist Sleep Alchemy Workshop, where we will explore ancient methods to deepen rest and unlock the transformative potential of sleep and dream.

Through both lecture and a variety of guided meditations, we’ll explore:

```
The subtle cartography of the body
```

Daoist perspectives on the continuum of the sleeping and waking worlds

Ways of navigating the liminal space in between sleeping and waking

In this workshop, we will examine and directly experience how sleep isn’t just a meaningless period of blackout, nor a means of "optimizing" our productivity, but a potent method of practice, cultivation, and… well… awakening.

We’ll delve into the embodied constellations of the Five Phases, as well as the deeper, non-dual layers of the self, and explore the hypnagogic threshold—that twilight terrain where the boundaries between waking and dreaming soften. That place where we sometimes may feel more awake, sometimes more asleep, sometimes both, and sometimes neither. . .

Details

The workshop will be held on Saturday, April 11 from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM.

Bring a cushion (or several) as well as some warm clothes/blanket to start out the class with.

Be sure to show up on time—i.e. at least 10 minutes before the workshop begins. To preserve the continuity of the class, late comers will not be admitted. All new students to the school will be required to fill out a waiver.

```
This workshop is open to the public. 
```
```
The cost is $99 per person. 
```

Discounts

If any of the following discounts apply to you, please email for a discount code.

50% off for previous Sleep Alchemy participants (at the school or Esalen)

50% off for currently enrolled Five Branches students

10% off for current Wudang Santa Cruz students