Water Method Blog

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.

Hey Everybody, I'm sharing this video with my teacher Bruce with good info for those of you who attended our Art of the Spiral: Embodying Twisting Neigong in Tai Chi & Bagua course or who watched my free webinar on the subject.

I hope you enjoy it! The seminar was profound to say the least, trans...

Thanks to everybody who joined the livestream last week. If you didn't get a chance to join us on this talk on twisting neigong and neigong weaves, you can check out the video recording here.

Wishing you all good practice,
Paul

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...

Follow along to this qigong exercise to tune in to the Water Element. Release stress and anxiety, and become grounded.

Follow along to this two-minute breathing exercise to ground, relax and let go.

By Krystle Menendez

If you’re like many people, you are interested in and desperate for wellness, but don’t have a clear idea where to start on your path to achieving it. Western culture doesn’t exactly lend itself to this idea, after all–most of us have to work long weeks, take care of children ...

Taoist Lineage Holder Bruce Frantzis:

"This book showcases Paul Cavel's dedication to the Taoist Energy Arts — a commitment I've witnessed firsthand since encouraging him to teach in 1995. Years of earnest practice are infused in the writing, and his desire to share the philosophy and extraord...

By Paul Cavel

A hallmark of Taoist studies is a focus on living in accordance with universal flows and the natural cycles of Heaven and Earth, such as the four seasons, day and night, and the phases of the moon. Following The Path is about tuning into and following these rhythms as humanity and a...