For the past five months we have been working, eating, breathing & living the ‘Wandering Dao’ lifestyle here in Yangshuo. Over this time we have learnt and integrated many wonderful Qi-gong practices, Daoist meditation techniques, substantially improved our understanding of detoxifying the body, embraced and shared within a communal environment and felt the joy of having contributed. Minds, bodies and hearts expanded we now leave Yangshuo knowing deep gratitude. As part of the wandering dao work study program, for three and a half months our daily life consisted of two hours of meditation, two hours of Qi-Gong, four hours working on a nutritional healing resource aimed at raising awareness, drinking copious amounts of tea in the company of friendly souls and eating delicious wholesome vegetarian dishes prepared by the wonderful staff at Mood Food Cafe. This is by no means to say the experience was a leisurely stroll through the park. The days were often long and as many know communal life and undertaking a strong spiritual practice includes many bumps, dips, turns and shakes. It was not the place for hiding feelings behind a smile and brushing problems under the carpet. Luckily for us we had a wonderful teacher to help guide us through this process. Throughout the work study program Daniel delivered timely teachings and helped us develop and refine many wonderful tools to directly face our inner & outer discomforts. As Daniel often quoted “Make space for pain and wisdom will grow.” The little intensified bubble of the work/study program provided the perfect laboratory … as the people, emotions and feelings came and went a deeper knowing,...
A word from Amy Katharine Evans about her own experience of Wandering Dao… Today marks a full week since I returned home from the 5 month work/study program at Wandering Dao. A full week since I last had a Mood Food smoothie or one of Ayi’s amazing soups. A full week since I drank Chinese tea the way it should be drunk (with many friends and tiny cups)… and a whole week since it’s just been me, my practice and the big wide world. It would be very easy to write a simple, complimentary summary of this program. The food, the people, the location were all fantastic. But that wouldn’t represent the real reason I applied, or the benefits I believe Wandering Dao offers. Maybe I’m a little masochistic in my approach to life, but I didn’t start the Work/Study Program expecting, or wanting, to simply have a ‘nice time’. And, to my (un)pleasant surprise, I didn’t. “Qi Gong won’t make you feel better, it will make you feel more” were Master Daniel Li Ox opening words to us on our first day. And so it has. These 5 months have been a roller coaster of emotion… meeting trauma, smiling to pain, breathing it all in and then letting it go. This is a program of self-healing, and as we discovered, that’s not always very enjoyable. In its entirety, Wandering Dao provides a ‘holistic toolbox’ of practices for exploring both your internal and external worlds and taking responsibility for what is there. The depth and breadth of what we have learnt in just a short few months could have...
An insight into the Wandering Dao work/study program from one of our students… When my partner and I first came to Yangshuo it was to escape to paradise. To sip on coconut milk in the shade of a bamboo forest, dangle off the limestone karst and hang out with the ducks in the winding rivers. For nine months we did just that… working just enough to keep the dragon from the bamboo gate. Like all naturally beautiful places many people come to Yangshuo in search of a little magic to spice up their lives. As a general rule of thumb, where there’s magic there’s money to be made… this is perhaps true nowhere more so than in China. So in true unflinching modern Chinese fashion the town of Yangshuo and its tourism industry has literally exploded. Driving through the centre of town feels more like being stuck in traffic in Beijing than being a brush stroke in a Zhang Quanzong landscape painting. Luckily for us though we did stumble across a little jewel amongst the madness… “Mood Food Energy Café” – the current place of residence for “Wandering Dao”. After our first encounters with the ‘Emerald Reviver’ and the ‘Power Smoothie’ Mood Food quickly became a regular pit stop for us. Each visit not only satisfied our bellies but also sparked our curiosity … an interesting film here, the odd meditative brain balm there, a new branch to perch on … or perhaps a new way to sit on the old one. Since our first step through the unassuming blue gates of Mood Food life has taken some curious...
An insight into the Wandering Dao work/study program from one of our students…. In the West we have a saying ‘Time is Money’ but in Asia time is more like the rhythm of the waves, the ebb and flow of hourly, daily, annual and historical cycles. Today we spent our four hour “work” period swimming at Secret Beach and drip drying in the warm sun. Not to imply any lack of structure or discipline in the WSP as that would be far from the truth, but to emphasise the importance placed on listening to our “true rhythm”. I have found that being in true rhythm is when the quality that governs the rhythm comes from the essence of who we really are. Everything you go through brings you a deeper living experience and lessons towards your evolution. Being a part of the WSP has strengthened my honouring of each reflection as an opportunity to heal, grow and transform continuously. The art of ritual is intertwined in everything we do. We are learning to meditate not only during the 2 hours a day allocated for sitting meditation, or the hour of standing meditation … but in every step, in every breath, with every dish that we wash, and with every sip of the delectable Mood Food Power smoothie we devour for breakfast! Individually and together we are tuning into our truth … living it, breathing it and beaming it....
As students of the work/study program, we have been encouraged to keep journals, and provide written insights into our journey. Below is one students account of how things are going… As we approach the halfway mark of WSP 2015, it feels like a good time to reflect on what I’ve learnt and take note of how I am feeling. Our group is smaller now, there are only 4 of us and we have become very close. Everyday we share how we feel, where we are at and we always take the time to ask after each other. There is a feeling of family… we are all in this together! Each day presents its own challenges. That’s the same no matter where you are right? But I think I am more sensitive to it here. Part of what we are learning is how to be open to these challenges and see them as gifts rather than shutting them out, or ignoring them all together. Challenges are opportunities to learn and grow. The WSP program feels like an intensive course in the school of life! My practice is developing and carving it’s own path. I am feeling a much deeper sense of inner strength at the moment, and I know that has come from what we are learning. There are the physical sensations of Qi, which get stronger the more we practice, but there is also a more spiritual feeling of Grounding. I find it so easy to get caught up in where I ‘should’ be or what I ‘should’ be doing… but right now I know I am exactly where...
We are now in our third week of the Wandering Dao Work/Study Program, and there’s already been some great progress made both with the projects and in our training. The Nutritional Healing Project is really coming along, and students Dawa and No Mi have been working hard to research and compile articles on the different foods we will focus on. This will then be edited into an E-Book, and later condensed into a user-friendly application that can be accessed through your phone. Something to look forward to! The Community Project has made good ground recently too… quite literally actually, as we may have found a suitable piece of land to purchase just outside Yangshuo. WSP student Brad has also been gathering information for the suitable Permaculture and Energy techniques we will use there. The Wandering Dao website is being brought up-to-date with regular blog posts, and even an Instagram account (www.instagram.com/wandering_dao). Futhermore, student Jose has been looking to open a WeChat page that will be accessible soon. As far as training goes, we have all been quite overwhelmed and excited by the depth and breadth of what there is to learn. The practices we are exploring, such Qi Jin Gong and Dao Yin, are not just physical practices, they are very internal and have so many different aspects. We have been meditating for 2 hours a day, learning different exercises, forms of stomach massage, stretches and even studying anatomy and physiology. It feels like we are being introduced to a new world of health and information, and we’re all feeling the differences. As Brad says “I am much more...
1.) Would you like to introduce yourself? My name is José, I’m from Mexico, and I’ve been living in China for almost 4 years. I live here in Yangshuo, where I teach outdoor education. I am very passionate about outdoor sports, especially rock climbing. And I’m also interested in Health and Wellbeing, so I’m always excited to learn more about balancing sports, nutrition and spiritual health. 2.) Why did you decide to join the WSP programme? Well, I have been practicing a little Qigong and Daoism at Wandering Dao over the past year. I first met Daniel last October on a holiday trip to Yangshuo. I was very inspired by the practice and also Yangshuo itself, so after finishing my previous job contract last December, I decided to come back to Yangshuo to continue my Chinese language studies. After that, a series of opportunities started to unfold. The first was finding work in the outdoor education industry, which is something that I really like and enjoy doing. The second was a that, by coincidence the Work/Study Program was starting on my summer break. I was really interested in the projects Daniel had in mind, and I saw it as a good opportunity to keep practicing what I had already learnt from him. At the same time as I was having these thoughts, Daniel actually wrote me a an email inviting me to jo in the program! So it was like it was meant to be. One of the things I have learnt from this holistic lifestyle is to learn how to follow the signs, the opportunities that emerge in...
1.) Would you like to introduce yourself? I’m Amy, I’m 27 and from the UK. I have spent a lot of the last 5 or so years in China, working, studying and travelling. I originally came to study Shaolin Kungfu, first at an academy in Shandong province, and then later at Shaolin temple. But as I started to explore Chinese martial arts more, I found myself being pulled towards the internal styles, and then later to Qigong. 2.) Why did you decide to join the WSP programme? Because it’s an amazing opportunity. Having the chance to spend 3 months focusing on different Qigong and Daoist practices, as well as getting involved in the different projects going on here is really special. And then there’s the place… Yangshuo is beautiful. And the food is great. Oh, and we will also have the S.H.E.E.P retreat at the end of the program. There’s a lot to like! 3.) What project(s) are you involved with at Wandering Dao? I am involved with communication, blogging and social media. So there’s a lot of writing… it’s cool because I get to collaborate with all the different projects, everything going on in the centre and in the restaurant too. And then tell everyone out there about it! 4.) What have been the biggest challenges you have encountered with the project(s)? So far, just technical stuff. I’m not that computer savvy, so learning about things like how to make hyperlinks in blogs have probably been giving me the most grief! 5.)How are you finding the training side of the programme? It’s all still very fresh and new,...
8 people have arrived at Wandering Dao from all corners of the globe (with a few more yet to join us), ready to start a 100-day placement involving both ‘work’ and ‘study’ elements. During the work element of the program, participants will take part in one of the (awesome) projects going on this year… There is a book and app being developed on Nutritional Healing. There are photography and video presentations being created, that will document what’s happening at Wandering Dao. There are communication tasks, blogging and updates to be written. And the Community Project will be brought to a new level this year, with a lot of exciting progress being made. So a lot to get stuck into! As for the study side of the program, where to start?! There is so much to learn… our mornings are now becoming an opportunity for us to explore different Daoist and Qigong practices, such as Ba Duan Jin, Zhan Zhuang and various forms of Meditation, all under the watchful eye of Master, teacher and friend Daniel Li Ox. When the WSP program is complete, participants will be free to attend the 6-week Self-Healing Essentials Empowering Program (S.H.E.E.P) retreat here at the centre. The S.H.E.E.P retreat will run this year from Oct 18 – Nov...
•It’s time to interview Work/Study participant Jesse! Would you like to introduce yourself? Hey, my name is Jesse and I come from the US. I’ve lived in China and learned some taiji and qigong before, but it’s my first time doing anything like this retreat. •What is the reason you are here at Wandering Dao? I came to Wandering Dao to explore my interest in qigong, taiji and daoist studies, and also learn how to heal my body. I’ve been studying Chinese language, Chinese philosophy and anything having to do with Chinese culture for seven or eight years now, so being able to do this program while being in China seemed like a really good opportunity for me. •What kind of work do you do here? I find myself doing all different kinds of jobs. My main focus is on creating the materials to promote the upcoming retreat and also the expansion of the center; but I also find myself participating in more creative projects like designing the restaurant, helping with the menu and building various structures and things to help improve the look and feel of the center. Since I speak Chinese, I also end up doing a lot of translating for everybody – which I enjoy! •Were there any difficulties or challenges you have encountered? Of course. We are uncovering a lot of emotions and past memories that we’ve chosen to bury safely over the years. So, with the detox cleanse and things like massage and stretching, a lot of these things have come to the surface for me. Ordinarily, I would maybe deal with these things in my...
