Water Method Blog

The Water Element governs the kidneys. Water Element qigong can help boost qi and support healthy living well into old age.

In the Taoist model followed by the Water School, yin & yang regulate the flow of all things here in the manifest realm.

In this video, I sit down with Sarah Lim-Murray to discuss how Heaven & Earth Qigong uses opening-and-closing neigong and lengthening of the yin-yang tissues of the body to open, power up and connect the body. This is just one of the reasons why qigong has an edge modern exercise systems.

This is an excerpt from my book, Taoism: A Journey Towards Unity, where I discuss the Five Elements of Manifestation. Heaven & Earth Qigong is the classic Wood Element neigong practised in the Water Method.

The I Ching, Book of Changes, known as the Taoist bible, dictates that energy governs matter. Qigong, tai chi and bagua target the qi of the body.

According to Taoist philosophy, balancing yin and yang in the physical body is the first step in creating space for healing in body, mind and qi.

The Five Elements of Chinese medicine are Water, Fire, Wood, Metal and Earth. These energies govern the manifest realm and indeed the whole body-mind-qi matrix.

In the West, we don't focus on contacting, let alone banking, the energy (or qi/chi) that we generate. Qigong, tai chi and bagua target qi development to heal body imbalances and traumas, restore health and vitality, and strengthen weaknesses. All of it is guided by the Taoist Principle of Thir...

Qigong, tai chi, hsing-i and bagua target the qi (or chi) that powers the physical body to create health, vitality and longevity.

Of the five senses, four are located in your head: vision, hearing, smell and taste. Only feeling is applicable to the whole body, inside and out.

The liver unlocks the power to do, and generates the raw power needed for practice and riding this wild ride called life.

In the Water Method, the following three foundational practices include techniques that specifically target the liver to release stagnant and bound energy, and balance and rev...

Posture is so foundational it's often overlooked in practice and daily life. We "know" how to align our bodies and best perform tasks. Yet we rush or get so absorbed in other things that we don't always keep together even basic alignments.

And we adjust movements to avoid touching on or engaging st...

In the Water Method, training focuses on balancing all aspects of yin and yang — opposites — in body, mind and qi. Neigong exercises initially target the physical body and its qi to systematically root out weaknesses, heal imbalances and trauma, and increase vitality.

I recommend playing with these...

Thanks to my friend, Chris Cinnamon, head instructor of Chicago Tai Chi, for reviewing my recent book, Taoism: A Journey Towards Unity. He offers an overview of what's included in the book as well as more on the context about the teachings that I think you might find interesting.

Read the review!...

A sinking action always creates a rising action.

Following the path of least resistance is the way of water.

After finishing a qigong, tai chi or bagua practice, you want to spend a few minutes banking the qi you have generated. You can use this qi at a later time, when you need it.

Join this medical qigong retreat with TTC Instructor Anna Price:

13-15 February 2026
The Quadrangle, Kent, UK

Learn more and book at AnnaQigong.com

Tung Hai Chuan, known as the modern progenitor of bagua, taught each of his disciples differently, depending on their specific talents and needs. This is the basis of the main bagua lines and schools that have followed.

Liu Hung Chieh, my teacher Bruce Frantzis' teacher, had the honour of attending...

Taoists say you already have everything you need inside of you. It's just that traumas of the physical, energetic, emotional, mental and/or spiritual nature prevent you from realising your full potential.

By Paul Cavel

Fascia is the connective tissue that contains and encompasses the body's soft tissues and structures, linking together the entirety of the physical body.

Healthy, hydrated and elasticated fascia fibres, essentially a web of liquid-filled tubes which envelopes the body, supports and und...

By Paul Cavel

Everywhere I turn, I keep hearing, "You become what you think”. But if all we had to do is *think* our way through life, for a start, everybody would be super fit, rich and happy!

The Taoist sage Liu Hung Chieh said, "You become what you practise”.

Exercise the body, become stronger

By Paul Cavel

"Consistency without desire". Of all the wisdom shared within the Tao Te Ching, this line finds its way back to me time and again.

Students often share with me their goals for training. I can relate to the honest intent that underscores these aspirations, especially in regards to heali...