Initially, the Single Palm Change is a very short, five-step bagua form, and is contained within all other palm changes or forms within bagua. The purpose of the Single Palm is to upgrade and amplify all the benefits of Circle Walking, take the twisting and spiraling of the soft tissues deeper into the body to give access to more profound layers of stagnancies, tension and contraction, produce light energy within, and add the possibility of martial applications.

Once you have learned the Single Palm Change, you can learn any of the Eight Mother Palms, with each being associated with the Eight Energies of the I Ching. Whether you learn all eight palms (bagua zhang, the younger, martial tradition), or stick with only the Single Palm Change and its variations (as originally practised in monastic bagua), you can develop your body, mind and qi to a very high degree. These palm changes are designed to go directly into your core: opening, balancing, healing and bring more coherency to your system as you practise.

Since the palm changes (also called “forms” or “palms”) are very short and concise, they never take more than 20 seconds to one minute to complete, even at the slowest speeds. They can be completed in a matter of a few seconds at high speeds. The palms are practised equally on both sides of the body in a left-right-left continuum, creating and maintaining balance as you practise.

This course is the first in a series of bagua courses whereby you can learn all eight bagua zhang palm changes.

You will learn: 

1) BAGUA WARM-UP & UNIFICATION EXERCISES

Bagua Warm-ups — are designed to increase circulation of blood and qi to warm up the body, and make the soft tissues more supple and elastic in preparation for stronger, more demanding exercises to follow.

Bagua Unification Exercises — connect the various parts of the body into one, unified whole, allowing internal neigong to permeate the body and improve your technique.

2) STRAIGHT-LINE & CIRCLE WALKING

Straight-line Walking — is where you learn all the basics, allowing you to integrate progressively deeper and more complex internal techniques in a clear format with fewer angles. Without first developing exercises while walking in a straight line, Circle Walking will be far less effective and yield many errors.

Circle Walking — is the primary movement method of bagua, which allows a practitioner to develop flow, smoothness and continuum to eradicate inertia and other, unnatural, conditioned responses that manifest in the body, mind and qi. Circle Walking is the foundation upon which all more advanced aspects of bagua are built.

3) ENERGY POSTURES & THE SINGLE PALM CHANGE

Energy Postures — open up the full circulation of blood and qi, release superficial, deeply-bound and accumulated tensions, and connect the various layers of depth in the body and its qi into one, coherent whole.

The Single Palm Change — combines and unifies all the previous layers of bagua training into one practice. The “SPC” is the first palm change, which is both the beginning of the journey and has the capacity to contain the entirety of the Water Method bagua system.

The SPC, "Heaven Palm", is essential training for practitioners of both the monastic and bagua zhang traditions.

"The Single Palm Change classes are fantastic! Thank you".

— Tony S, California

Establish and grow skill in bagua with guidance and support from Paul.

Each modules includes:

• Bagua Warm-up and Unification Exercises
• Straight-line and Circle Walking (2-part or 3-part Mud Stepping)
• Energy Postures and the Single (Heaven) Palm Change
• Follow-along Practices

Embedding the choreography deep within your body-mind is what generates the flow and rhythm of bagua.

When you sign up, you’ll also receive instant access to:

• Paul's Taoist Breathing & Meditation Series — 23 guided practices on whole-body breathing and Outer Dissolving to stream 24/7.

• Q&A Forum, where Paul answers questions 1 x week.

* Subscription
If you pay by module you will automatically be signed up for Paul's multi-year bagua programme:

• Single (Heaven) Palm Change, 12 modules
• Double Palm Change and Single Palm (Earth Version), 12 modules
• Third & Fourth Palm Changes, plus Single Palm (Wind & Thunder Versions), 13 modules
• Subsequent modules for the remaining four Mother Palms TBA spring 2027
• Cancel at any time by going to "Settings", or email us and we'll do it for you.

A personal library will be created for you at paulcavel.com, where you will be directed to after checkout. Stream and download MP4 videos 24/7.

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