CLASS DESCRIPTION

In this foundational introduction to the Tao of Deep Intimacy, we explore Taoist practices with direct and transformative impact on intimate relationship.

This course will be held in person in Grass Valley, California and also live-streamed on Zoom. You may participate live in person, live on Zoom, or access the recordings.

• We will learn to dissolve the forces that block love — irritation, control, distrust, and contempt — and cultivate the qualities that sustain it: appreciation, trust, generosity, tenderness, and authenticity.
• We will work with Taoist practices that regulate the nervous system and dissipate conflict at its root.
• We will develop grounded methods for deepening commitment, and for creating shared values and living agreements within intimate relationship.
• In the later part of the course, we turn to sexual energy — learning solo cultivation practices for both male and female, and the classical Taoist methods of dual cultivation, which support extended lovemaking and open pathways into ecstatic states of deep union.

MODULE ONE

Softening the Soil
June 9

• We will start with some time to orient together, and to introduce ourselves.
• We will learn a routine of basic Chi Kung movements, to open the spine and the joints, which participants can then use every morning.
• We will learn to practice the Six Healing Sounds. This is an ancient Taoist practice to clear stagnant energy and emotions from the five major yang organs. This includes feelings of sadness and grief, fear and stress, anger and frustration, criticism and contempt and worry.
• Once you get comfortable in the effectiveness of doing this practice alone, we’ll learn how to use the 6 Healing Sounds to dissipate stagnant emotions in your relationship with your partner. You will see this demonstrated, and then you’ll have an opportunity to practice with a partner.
• In the second part of this first module we’ll also learn simple relational skills to interrupt and dissipate habits which Interfere with loving relationship. Depending on the specific needs of participants, we’ll share specific relational tools from Dr. John Gottman, Terry Real, and Drs Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks.
• We’ll focus on tools to dissipate:
  • withholding, lying and dishonesty
  • blame and complaint
  • pulling away and stonewalling and
  • criticism and contempt.

MODULE TWO

Planting Seeds of Intimacy
June 16th

• We’ll build upon the basic Chi Kung practices we learned in the last module and add Three Fires Six Directions, which is a way to accumulate more chi or bio-energy in the body.
• In this module, we’ll primarily focus on Taoist practices to cultivate the emotions and dispositions which create healthy relationship. We’ll use an old Taoist meditation called the Inner Smile. Specifically, we’re going to learn ways to create the energies in the organs, underlying emotions of appreciation, gratitude and joy, trust and fairness, authenticity and the courage to tell the truth, tenderness and empathy and generosity, which includes taking responsibility and asking for what you want
• In the second part of the class, we’ll focus on the relational practices which also amplify these qualities, based on the needs of the participants. Specifically, these will also draw on tools taught by Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks, Terry Real, Dr. John Gottman, Sue Johnson and others.
• We will draw upon practices to build:
  • authenticity, and honesty and dissolving withholds,
  • taking responsibility in a way that empowers you to create what you want,
  • expressing appreciation and gratitude
  • leaning in with curiosity

MODULE THREE

Creating a Strong Foundation
June 23

• After a brief check in, we will build on the Chi Kung practices we learned in earlier modules; we will add Iron Shirt Chi Kung to create groundedness.
• In this module, we are primarily going to focus on how to get clear about your values, particularly around relationship.
• We will learn how to create commitments to bridge any gap between your day-to-day life today and your deeper values.
• How to create viable agreements with your partner about working more collaboratively as a team, in creating conscious relationship.
• Specifically, we’ll learn how to design and create agreements which activate the “three minds,” or the “three Tan Tiens,” referred to in Taoism. This means the head (informed by logical thinking), the heart, (informed by empathy and connection) and the lower Tan Tien, (the gut), (informed by groundedness and connecting to reality and it is.

MODULE FOUR

Removing the Weeds which Create Conflict
June 30th

• After a check in, we will continue with building the simple Chi Kung practices we have developed in previous modules now adding several Taoist breathing techniques.
• In this module we will develop an understanding for Polyvagal Theory and how most conflict in relationship is attributable to dysregulation in the nervous system, rather than the particular topic that seems important at the time.
• You’ll understand three distinct states of the Nervous System: ventral vagal (chill), aroused sympathetic (hyper), and dorsal vagal (checked out), and how to shift easily between them using Taoist tools.
• Specifically, we’ll learn how to shift from a hyper state back to well regulated, and from a checked out state back through an aroused state into a well regulated regulated state.
• As well as learning how to regulate the nervous system alone, we will also learn tools to co-regulate with your partner.

MODULE FIVE

Solo Cultivation for Men and for Women
July 7th

• After a brief check in, we will build on the basic Chi Kung practices we learned in previous modules, this time adding moving energy through the microcosmic orbit.
• In this module will touch on the basic practices for both men and women to cultivate sexual energy and to prepare for dual cultivation.
• For men, we’ll learn PC clenching and relaxing, warming the fire, testicle and penis massage, testicle breathing, the Cool Draw and Big Draw.
• Women will learn breast massage, nipple massage, nine flowers gland stimulation, ovarian breathing and the Orgasmic Upward Draw.
• There is no aroused energy during the class, and we stay fully clothed. You will learn about how to use these techniques at home.

MODULE SIX

Dual Cultivation
July 14th

• After a brief check-in, we will continue to build on the Chi Kung practices we learned in previous modules, this time learning how to seal energy using Taoist self-massage.
• In this class, we will learn about the practices which can be used during lovemaking for Dual Cultivation.
• We will understand the importance of setting aside enough time for these practices, and how they can be very different from normal sex.
• We will learn the phases of the love date: invocation, attunement, giving arousal to a man, and to a woman, the stages of the Valley Orgasm, and how to complete a Love date.
• We will learn specific tools for invocation, and for attunement.
• There is no aroused energy during the class, and we stay fully clothed. You will learn about how to use these techniques at home.

You get access to:

• Six modules, live or online.
• A WhatsApp group, where you can ask questions and get support on practice between modules.
• Access to the recordings of each class.
• Later, you’ll also have access to the members area of the taoofdeepintimacy.com website, where you can watch video of specific practices.

Who Can Attend

• Couple or single people can attend.
• You can book the entire series on line or for in person attendance.
• Additionally, it may be possible to register for individual classes in-person on a drop-in basis.

Cancellation

• Once you register your place in the class, you can cancel within five days with a full refund.
• After that time, if you cancel before the series begins, you can get a 50% refund.
• After Module One has commenced, there are no refunds.

Meet Your Guides

Arjuna Ardagh has practiced Chi Kung with Grandmaster Mantak Chia since 1988 and is certified to teach the Healing Love (Taoist Sexual Practices), as well as numerous other Chi Kung modalities. He has trained extensively in Conscious Relationship practices and dynamics with Drs. Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks, as well as with Terry Real and many other teachers. He has authored 15 books, including the forthcoming The Tao of Deep Intimacy.

Katherine Dessert is a certified Chi Nei Tsang practitioner and associate instructor, trained in Mantak Chia’s Universal Healing Tao lineage. Her work weaves together Taoist bodywork, somatic practices, and earth-based wisdom to help others release tension, restore vitality, and reconnect to the pleasure of being in a human body.