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Qigong Meditation Good Day Sacramento

August 15th, 2010

Good Day Sacramento will be doing a segment on Qigong Meditation. They have selected, Sacramento YeYoung Qigong Meditation featuring Master Wilson, to do a live airing on Sunday 8/15/2010 at 8:00 AM. This will be a great opportunity for the local community to learn more about Qigong Meditation and Qigong classes in the Sacramento area. Sacramento YeYoung Qigong Meditation is a small part of YeYoung Cultural Studies, which is founded and guided by Grand Master YeYoung. The current patriarch of the YeYoung lineage transmission. This is a Chinese lineage dating back more than 500 years. YeYoung Cultural Studies offers authentic lineage teachings of Qigong, Tai Chi, Calligraphy, Feng Shui, I Ching Divinations, Qin Music, Philosophy of Chinese Sages, Poetry and the Art of Tea. Qigong and Tai Chi classes are also taught by other YeYoung Masters in Auburn, and the greater Sacramento area.

Update-  8/15/2010

Unfortunately Good Day Sacramento Canceled Due to breaking news of a fire downtown. They want to reschedule for next week. I will keep you updated.

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Posted in Calligraphy, Meditation, Philosophy, Poetry, Qigong, Spirituality, Tai Chi, Tea, Uncategorized | No Comments »

YeYoung Qigong & The Wellness Fair

May 20th, 2010
YeYoung Qigong & The Welllness Fair

YeYoung Qigong & The Welllness Fair

The California State Department of General Services is hosting a Health and Wellness Fair on thursday , May 20, 2010 at 10:00 am – 1:00 pm, at the Ziggurat Atrium in Sacramento. Sacramento YeYoung Qigong Meditation, Sacramento Mind Body, Master Head & Master Filler will be attending the Wellness Fair, under YeYoung Cultural Studies to provide information about the healing benefits of YeYoung Qigong Meditation. This will be a great oppurtunity to meet YeYoung Qigong Master’s and discuss how Qigong Meditation can help cultivate the mind, body and spirit. We look forward to seeing you there!

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Posted in Meditation, Qigong, Tai Chi, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Tea After Rain

May 15th, 2010

Tea After Rain

When rain stops and wind dies down and the new bamboo shoots turn into green,

The red sunset spreads over half of the sky.

There is a loud bird chirping on the top of the back fence.

I throw a pebble at it, it flies away, carefree.

There are the Ming scrolls, the Song vases,

And the smell from the Tang incense burner…

Spring water in the Zisha pot,

Through tea I see clearly the “oil drops” in the black-glazed tea bowl.

Poem written by Xiang YeYoung

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Posted in Poetry, Tea, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

Tea Retreat

April 28th, 2010
Master Gu Teapots and Teaware

Master Gu Teapots and Tea Ware

Tea Retreat

4/24/10

The YeYoung Tea Retreat is a mindful gathering of select students, led by Master YeYoung’s teachings, and followed with a Tea ceremony and food. The Tea Retreat is not a party for portraying multiple facades to one another, for self-satisfaction, or indulging in alcohol or drugs to escape to a false state of relaxation. The Tea Retreat is an opportunity to expose ones “true self” and the ego’s we all possess. Allowing one to recognize, acknowledge and progress one’s self-cultivation. To further help our self-cultivation and awareness Master YeYoung graciously gives lectures of various teachings. The Tea Retreats are held once a month, rotating the people who make tea, giving everyone a chance to practice the art of tea making.

If you had asked me a few years back what good tea was, I would have told you a coffee mug and a bag of Lipton. Since then I have had the good fortune to experience some of the best oolong tea, tea that is special ordered directly from a tea farm in China that isn’t available on the market here or in China. The first lesson, one of the utmost importance in making great tea, is using a good tea vessel. Zisha teapots (also called Yixing clay teapots) are at the heart of any good cup of tea. The way they expel the essence of the whole leaf of tea which has the potential to produce the perfect cup of tea, It’s truly amazing the difference between making tea from a Zisha teapot and using any other kind of teapot. It’s like comparing Armani clothes to Target clothes. They both keep you warm, but one does it with class and style. Even more amazing is the way different teapots (and tea maker!) uniquely affect the flavor of the same kind of tea. The clay that the Zisha teapot is made with is only found one place in the whole world, Yixing, China. This clay creates an optimum balance of heat while absorbing the tea’s essence to further enhance its brewing effects. At YeYoung Tea Retreats we only use these teapots to brew our tea.

The second lesson, one that was very difficult for me to wrap my mind around, is how making tea is a meditation. It was previously unfathomable to me that the art of making tea was a meditation, or that tea could have such a vast complexity of subtle flavor and aroma. It’s the awareness and energy we impart in everything we do. To sit and mindfully pour each small cup of tea with awareness and intent forces you to take your time and slow down your daily life.

The Tea Retreat has been ever evolving and changing, much like the Tao. Life is never static, neither is our Tea Retreat. At our last retreat we changed a few things. One of the changes was from a potluck to ordering our food from Whole Foods. Which was delicious and much less time consuming for each of us, as we did not have to prepare a dish to bring. Thank you Li for organizing and doing this for us. We much appreciated it! We had beef and chicken, rice, salad, strawberries, fresh bread, and one of my favorites this time was the grilled vegetables. This change allowed us to focus more on the tea, which leads to the second change we had. Two people made tea this time, Michael and Marta. They did a great job and the tea was delicious. Grand Master has made tea for us at all of the other retreats except last time when the torch was handed to Tom. He had hard shoes to fill, but he did a great job. By having two people make tea this time, it made things flow much smoother. It’s extremely difficult to brew tea for 8-10 people. How did Master make it look easy to do it for up to 20? Having others brew the tea also has it’s benefits, like seeing all the other amazing teapots made by various Masters and enjoying the unique cups of tea they make. I was sitting directly across from Michael this time, allowing me a direct view of 4 exquisite Master Gu teapot’s, simply amazing. Most people don’t have the opportunity to drink from a collection of the world’s finest teapots or realize these pots are probably worth more than a Mercedes. This is where awareness comes into play. To be free enough from the mental trap of how expensive these teapots are, so you can enjoy these investments and use them, rather than sitting them in a locked box worrying about them and when will they make money. Also, it forces a more practical awareness of your surroundings, and your movements and everything going on around you- so you don’t break your investment. This is where, as Master YeYoung says, is the trick. You need to be constantly aware, treating this pot the same as you would a cheap pot. You need to let go of the ego and not inflict your will to make anything happen or not happen. Simply follow the natural way- Tao.

This time Master YeYoung covered Chapters 25, 32 and 34 of the Dao De Jing. One of the many points I learned from Master in Chapter 25 was to take things the way they are. The Dao is beyond true human comprehension, nor should we try to intellectually comprehend it. Rather than following the natural way, it’s more a natural law of common sense. We are social creatures and we can’t escape the fact that we need each other, as well as a leader in order to get things accomplished. Otherwise affairs become battles of wills and egos desiring it one way or the other.

In chapter 32 we realize everything has a process that we need to pay attention to and become aware of, the Dao, (natural rules). In this process we don’t make one thing more important than other things. If you accidentally drop a napkin its the same as if you drop a teapot. Everything is a part of your life. By being aware of everything we treat things all the same and we won’t drop the teapot, or the napkin. Chapter 34’s main point is to not take credit for anything, whether it may be good or bad. Nor do you deny something you did. You can acknowledge to yourself you did something, but once you take credit you are trying to make it something more than it is, to feed the hungry ego. Just let things be as they are. In other words if you save someone’s life, you acknowledge to yourself I did that, but you don’t tell that person or anyone else I saved your life, that would be you wanting others to recognize your accomplishments and give you kudos. The reality is not about you and it never was, just accept that moment and move on. Don’t try to distort reality- otherwise you make it bigger or better, and more than it really is to acknowledge the ego!

This Tea Retreat was a great success. I would like to first and foremost thank Grand Master YeYoung for everything. I would also like to thank Li and Xiang for their help organizing. Last of all to Marta and Michael for the wonderful tea they made for us. I look forward to seeing everybody at the next Tea Retreat.

Master Zhi Xing

Tea Retreat

Tea Retreat

Michael's Turn To Make Tea

Michael's Turn To Make Tea

Tea

Tea ID

Everybody Eargerly Awaits Marta's Tea

Everybody Eagerly Awaits Marta's Tea

Posted in Tea | 5 Comments »

Connect The Dots

April 7th, 2010

by Elizabeth (Li)

My 2nd blog

I once walked into an antique store in downtown Sacramento and walked out with a revelation. Most antique stores are kind of depressing, but this one was well put together and clean. There was classical music playing in the background and I felt at once grand and elegant. My surroundings awakened a realization in me. It was like I was transported back to a time when people dressed impeccably, and were well read, and knew how to play the piano, and they would do things like stand by the piano for hours while an artist painted their portrait. In this time, I imagined, people’s education deepened their appreciation for the things life had to offer them. And they took such pride in the way they dressed, head to toe people were elegant and spoke to each other with dignity and kindness. I wanted to live that kind of life. I thought of grand ballrooms, and classical music, and wearing dresses that you can’t put on yourself. Just then the storeowner walked out from behind the counter in his t-shirt and shorts and barefoot walked across the floor. My fantasy wafted away with the smell of his brandy soaked soul. I then connected the dots. My ballroom was a tai chi studio, and my classical music was the zheng. The literati tradition that I have been studying was inclusive of poetry and music and culture. Although it was Chinese and not English, it resonated with me, and felt primal- original and clean. And it deepened my understanding of why I was devoting so much of my time to this lifestyle. Class and elegance is shown through the way you treat yourself and the way you look at life. Dressing well, and using your time wisely was only the first step in the process that will take the rest of my life. It begins in your mind- with the awareness that people are different and there are levels and classes of people. This has very little to do with money. I am constantly reminded of the countless American movie stars with their billions of dollars, yet no class or elegance. We watch them with their broken families and their drug use, and we are deluded into idolizing them. What a sad commentary on American frame of mind. Perhaps the majority of Americans wouldn’t understand, in fact don’t seem to understand why it is important to take pride in your appearance. Why are Americans so fat? Why do people go out in pajamas? Why is that woman wearing curlers in her hair at the bus stop?  I began to feel lucky that I had a chance; someone was showing me the way to a better life. Now it never seems like I have enough time to sit around and have tea. And watching TV is not only boring, it doesn’t entertain me the way it used to. Like my old friends, my previous pass times would no longer do. If spirituality is in the details of everyday life, everything you do from what you have for breakfast to what you wear and how you use your time determines not only the quantity, but also the quality of your life.

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Posted in Philosophy, Poetry, Spirituality, Tai Chi, Tea, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

YeYoung Qigong Meditation Blog

March 30th, 2010

Introduction

Aka; my first blog ever.

Hello! My name is Elizabeth, most people call me Li. I have been a student of Master YeYoung’s for more than 5 years now. Master YeYoung teaches traditional Chinese culture from the literati tradition including qi gong, tai chi, calligraphy, poetry, painting and music. I wanted to share a little bit about how I got started in the literati tradition, and what my experiences have been so far. I hope to continue by telling the stories about my experiences here at YeYoung Culture Studies.

I was invited to take qi gong classes by a friend of mine. Before my first class I had never heard of qi gong, I didn’t even know at that time it was a meditation. When I arrived at my first qi gong class I had had years of experience in yoga, and was hunting around health food stores and reading books about health and well being and diet, even some self help (you know the stuff: here are 10 ways to make your life better! Or here are some agreements…or some mindsets! Just read this book and you will be a happier person!), but to no avail, I was still miserable. The crazy thing was though, at that time, if you had asked me I would of said that I was ok. I had plenty of money, and was seeking out the best I could find in the mind/body/spirit arena. I had some issues, sure, but I was working on it, I could figure it out! Regardless of all my own thoughts about how to fix myself, when I arrived at Master YeYoung’s house my condition was this: I was short of breath all the time, I couldn’t go the whole day without taking a nap, my stomach hurt, and I was in the process of a divorce, not to mention that I looked like I was 10 years older than I actually was, and for some reason my eyes were uncomfortable being open. I was a hot mess. I started qi gong. The first thing that became very apparent to me was my audible breathing. This was due in part to Master YeYoung’s wife, and the second question she asked me after I met her. After she asked my name, she asked me if I do yoga. (She can always tell if a student does yoga because they walk in and the first thing you hear is “yoga breath”) I was the loudest breather ever, and it was uncomfortable, it felt like I couldn’t take a deep breath. It took me many years to realize it, but the ‘take a deep breath’ yoga stuff had really damaged my breathing. Now I don’t even think about my breathing. It’s like when your jeans are too tight, they bother you all day, but when they fit just right, you forget about them, and go about your day.

So, I’m just going to fast forward now, to today. I don’t take naps everyday, and when I go to sleep at night, I fall asleep easily, and I don’t feel tired. The thing that improved the most was that the excruciatingly painful cramps I was used to experiencing during my period have improved to the point that it no longer keeps me in bed all day, in a pain pill induced stupor. Now my period doesn’t stop me from anything, the only thing that has stopped is the pain pills. There was a lot of hard work, (blood, sweat, and tears type work) during that fast-forwarded part. I know that I am still at the beginning of my journey in this work, I am 5 years into it, and just now scratching the surface. Here are some of the things I realize now; If you think you don’t need a teacher to learn real meditation or martial arts, that you can learn it from a book or DVD, you are seriously deluding yourself; In order to become a happy balanced person you have to realize that all the areas of life are connected- your health and your mind and your awareness about the world, it all must be cultivated together, and the appreciation of what you have will keep your ego at bay, and you should never feel like your cup is full- like now your good- because that leaves no room for improvement.

Master YeYoung and his wife are very patient and kind teachers. Yet, at the same time, it is difficult to face them, because they are not “ego massagers”. They tell it like it is, which is sometimes hard to hear. Some might call it “tough love”. I wonder how many of Master student’s have experienced this. You come to a point when you don’t want to do it anymore, you want to throw in the towel. But then you take a step back, out of your emotional ego driven response, and you say to yourself, but my health is better, and I got a promotion at work, and I am getting along with my loved ones. Hmmm. Perhaps the thing I relish in the most about this work is that its not new age, its not about taking you on an escape from you real life, its about how to deal with your real life. Those everyday things that make up the majority of your life, like what do I eat? What do I do when so and so does this? How can I sleep better? When you fix the little things, and they start to go smoothly, then there are no big things. No major crisis ensues. Life can get complicated and messy in a New York minute, and I am incredibly appreciative that I have someone like Master YeYoung to help me sort these things out. Like he always says “If you can’t get the simplest things right, you can’t even eat, poop, and sleep well, what do you have?”

Posted in Calligraphy, Meditation, Poetry, Qigong, Tai Chi, Tea, Uncategorized | 5 Comments »