Esalen Institute is open! However, Highway 1 to the south is closed — please review the current travel advisory.
Learn More.

Learn more.

Due to road closures along Highway 1 to our north and south, Esalen is closed through April 11.
Esalen Institute is open! However, Highway 1 to the south is closed — please review the current travel advisory.
past workshop

The Essential Qigong of China: The Energy, the Movement, and the Stories

November 29 – December 1, 2024

Chungliang Al Huang

Master Chungliang “Uncle Al” Huang, one of Esalen’s most cherished faculty members, brings 50+ years of teaching  experience to welcome you into China’s ancient practice of qigong.

During this workshop, Master Huang will teach the most essential qigong exercises — guiding students through energetic practices of movement, storytelling, and subtle energy work. This is an experience for those who wish to sustain a daily practice for the mind, body, and spirit.

Master Huang will teach easy-to-absorb, adaptive exercises and assist you through metaphors, visualization, sonic chanting, meditation, and deep circular breathing methods. Participants will hear about the great history of this ancient practice as Master Huang shares his vast wealth of knowledge.

A fun, joyful weekend for all ages and levels of practitioners! We will learn to incorporate this healthy practice as a consistent habit: Wei Wu Wei — “doing by not doing, spontaneously.”

Beginners and “advanced beginners” are welcome.

Chungliang Al Huang

Chungliang "Al" Huang teaches Tai Ji philosophy, East/West synthesis, and the art of movement meditation. He is the founder and president of the Living Tao Foundation and director of Lan Ting Institute in the Sacred Mountains of China. His best-selling books include Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain, and Tao: The Watercourse Way, co-authored with Alan Watts.

Full Bio