Be Like Water

According to Chinese Zodiac, there are twelve animals to represent years in the order of the Rat, the Ox, the Tiger, the Rabbit, the Dragon, the Snake, the Horse, the Goat, the Monkey, the Rooster, and Dog, and the Pig and then repeat from the beginning. There is a separate system of Five Elements (the Wood, the Fire, the Earth, the Metal, and the Water), which is parallel to the Zodiac and also designates the years. Next year it will be a Water Rabbit and it was 60 years ago that a Water Rabbit last emerged. You might be curious as to what is the significance of a Water Rabbit.

Rabbits are considered gentle and lively in both Eastern and Western cultures. Water is flexible and accommodating and a symbol of the Yin energy according to the Chinese philosophy. Martial art genius and Hollywood Kung Fu movie superstar Bruce Lee once described water in an interview brilliantly highlighting the importance of water. A Water Rabbit is an emblem of being soft, friendly, fun, vibrant, adjustable, resilient, and non-aggressive. Considering the anxiety caused by current wars, political unsettlements, natural disasters resulting from global warming, COVID, inflation, and violent crimes by guns, we certainly can use more Yin energy with the Water Rabbit.  

Early this year, Sifu Sharon Smith of New York was very excited telling me that she had a vision and was planning an event to celebrate the Year of the Water Rabbit. In July, I was surprised to receive an invitation from her to share the healing art of Qigong at “Be Like Water” retreat in the beautiful and soothing resort Tolantongo, Mexico on Feb. 20-25, 2023 with infinite pools, waterfalls, and water caves. 

If you have been practicing Tai Chi and Qigong, Sharon Smith may not be foreign to you. Sifu Smith has been practicing Qigong, Tai Chi, and other healing arts for more than 40 years and teaching for 39 years. Her teachers include masters Mantak Chia, Li Junfeng, Ming Chan, T.K. Shih and others. Sharon is certified by Master Mantak Chia’s Universal Healing Tao system as a Senior Instructor and by the International Sheng Zhen Society to teach Master Li Junfeng’s Sheng Zhen Gong.  In 2011, she attended the Wudang Martial Arts Internal Kung Fu Academy in China. In addition, Sharon has practiced Lyengar yoga for over 35 years and has traveled to China, Thailand, India, the Philippines, Europe, and New Zealand to further her knowledge and skills. She has taught the healing art at many prominent institutes both in the U.S. and abroad. 

It was 2009 when I first met Sifu Sharon at the first International Tai Chi Symposium at our alma mater Vanderbilt University. Due to our passion toward Tai Chi, we found a common language. Through dialogues, I discovered her devotion to the art. In 2017 and 2019, she created and directed The Immortal Sisters Conferences, historic gatherings of women committed to “Returning to Tao” and honoring Yin energy in our overly Yang world. Sharon was the host as well as one of the top 5 rated presenters at The Shift Network’s Qigong Global Summits from 2021 to 2022. It wasn’t easy to be a host of the Qigong Global Summits. She had to search her rolodex or computer database to find qualified instructors around the world to have a diverse, interesting, and balanced programs each year. She studied her guests’ background to ask meaningful questions during the interview. Because of her knowledge in martial arts, healing arts, and spiritual studies, she was able to have in-depth discussions with the presenters and made the interviews engaging, dynamic and interesting.   

I was exhilarated when she shared with me the concept of Be Like Water retreat. She would assemble a group of ten outstanding female qigong instructors to teach at a spring resort for 5 days. Qigong is energy exercises. It encompasses plethora of body and mind regimens.  The final list of retreat presenters is fascinating. Marie Favorito of Boston is Director of the Universal Tao Boston and collaborated with Dr. Peter Wayne at Harvard Medical School on Tai Chi studies; James Culbertson of Boston is also a certified Alexander Technique instructor beside a teacher of Tai Chi and Qigong; Rachel Santos of New York City is an expert of aquatic movement meditation; Yolanda Kelly of Mexico City is an architect and the Healing Dao instructor; Kathryn Davis of New York City is a practitioner and teacher of medical Qigong, Reiki, and the Sandlin Technique; Brea Fisher of Santa Fe teaches Quan Yin Kung Fu, which combines the discipline of Kung Fu, Tai Chi and Qigong; Chicava Tate of New York teaches sacred sexuality of Taoist Womanly Arts; Daria Fain of New York teaches her own creation of CORE Motion, which is Chinese energetics and body mind practices; Julia Kulakova of New York is an instructor of dancing, Qigong and Tai Chi. I feel blessed and fortunate to work with them to manifest the Yin energy. Besides ten individual workshops, Sharon stated that attendees will have plenty of time to explore the rustic resort by hiking, dipping in the beautiful pools, walking, meditating, and other outdoor activities or simply lounging around with eyes closed or reading a book. Better yet, all instructors will be accessible to attendees in a relaxed and in-person setting outside of the scheduled workshops.

Tolantongo is a box canyon resort about 3-4 hour drive from Mexico City. It was a hidden treasure until in 1975 when it was discovered and promoted by the magazine “Mexico Desconocido”. The resort is made up of few hotel complexes and heated pools near the bottom of a steep box canyon that has walls as much as 500 meters high. Its main attraction are two grottos at the canyon’s closed end out of which flows a small volcanically-heated river on the canyon floor. The large grotto chamber is about half the size of a tennis court with a ceiling of up to ten meters. Above the grotto, there is a “warm water tunnel”. Sifu Smith explained that the river divides the canyon into two sides. One side is highly developed with man-made pools and very commercialized with hotels, shops, and restaurants. She chooses the other side which is less developed, natural, and calm. But all retreat attendees will get passes to see the developed side as well.

This retreat is designed for a small group of like-minded persons. Sifu Smith said that experience is not needed and both men and women are welcome – yes, men need the Yin energy as well. The open enrollment started a month ago and almost all the slots are filled. So, if you are interested in this rare opportunity, you need to register soon at https://www.immortalsistersconference.com/ before the prices go up in Jan. 2023. If you have any questions, there is FAQ page https://www.immortalsistersconference.com/faq, you may find your answers there. 

Disclaimer: I am invited to teach at the Retreat.