Autumn 2017 Newsletter
(September 2017)
Dear Living Tao Friends: HAPPY AUTUMN!
So quickly, Spring and Summer of this “Phoenix Rising/Fire Bird/Rebirth” Year have passed. I look back with such fond remembrances of the many seminars, celebrations and shared times. First, our Easter Week in Winterthur and that special celebration to honor my 80th year of Tao Living. And just prior to that, my return to Munich (at Gut Sonnenhausen in Glonn) and a great reunion with my Bavarian friends – plus a surprise early-birthday dinner; and a revisit to Schloss Elmau, full of fond memories of teaching there during the Claussens’ organizing years. Since returning from Europe, I was invited back to support the good work of my friend Ruth Stricker-Dayton at The Marsh in Minnetonka in May. In addition, I gave a lecture in her name at the University of Minnesota. Following that, our annual Spring Seminar during the Memorial Day Week in Urbana. (With more birthday surprises and cheer from the group!).
Shortly afterward, both daughters and I went to Rancho La Puerta for our annual “Father-daughters” retreat. Then, before flying to Oregon to begin our Summer Seminar at the River House, I gave the keynote address at the National Qigong Association Conference in Newark, NJ, coinciding with the release of my two new books with Singing Dragon Publishers, “Tai Ji Dancing for Kids” 
and “Chinese Symbols for Baby Brains” authored in collaboration with my daughter Lark Huang-Storms (and grand-daughter Sylvie!).
During the 3-week Summer Seminar at the River House, we were especially happy to dance on the newly completed refurbished and expanded deck (thanks to John Harper’s design and supervision!). We were very fortunate to have mostly sunny and windless days to enjoy the deck facing the glorious ever-changing scenes of the Rogue River.
We celebrated the joint 80th year of Yuki Sasaki, Sandra Church and myself—a total of 240 years! —with great fanfare at the first week’s group dinner.
After the end of the seminar, some of the group stayed on the Oregon Coast to view the Total Solar Eclipse; while my family gathered in Gold Beach to celebrate my actual 80th August birthday together. It was a such a blessing for me.
I am writing this newsletter during the few quiet days alone by the sea after seminarians and family members, one by one, have left. Looking back on this year so far with such good feelings of appreciation, joy and gratitude. And beginning to look forward to the events coming up for the rest of this year.
Upon returning to Illinois, I will participate in the 2017-18 opening season at the Krannert Center of the Performing Arts by continuing to plan with the team for our upcoming “Chinese enhancement” production of Gustav Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde”, to be premiered at the 50th Anniversary Celebration during the 2018-20 “double” season. (Exact dates are still to be determined).
In late September, I return to The Marsh in Minneapolis for seminars and training to the Tai Ji Qi Gong Staffs to continue integrating our Tai Ji work with The Marsh’s movement curriculum. Then late October/November I will be in China, lecturing and guiding the “Cross-Cultural Journeys” including two week in Hangzhou and Suzhou, my favorite cultural-arts rich cities in China, famed for this renowned praise: “Up there is Heaven; Down on Earth there are Hangzhou and Suzhou!” In Hangzhou, the special bonus will be for us to reside at the Xin Xin Hotel by the West Lake, where my family lived in the Chinese section called “Autumn Water Mountain Villa” for a year right after the SinoJapanese War. Much has changed since my teen years in Hangzhou, but the beautiful West Lake is right in front of the hotel, and the city is still so full of historic and beautiful spots to treasure. Our second week will be in Suzhou, the city with the charming watercourse ways, the classic gardens, and the theater museum/school of the Kunqu Opera, the predecessor of the Beijing (Peking) Opera. Also, the Silk/ Embroidery Museum and the I.M. Pei designed Contemporary Art Museum. We will visit the nearby Cold Mountain Temple, renowned for the Tang Dynasty Chan/Zen poet/ recluse Cold Mountain (Hanshan).
The timing will be perfect for me, for shortly after that I have been invited to present at an international conference of “Cold Mountain” at the Hua Ching Temple in Tien Tai where Hanshan and his cohort Shih-Te were monks. 
(Some of our old friends may remember the performances at Yerba Buena Performing Arts Center in San Francisco, many years ago of my concert of the “Cold Mountain Poems” when I collaborated with David Darling to play these two poets, with Ram Dass joining to recite the poems translated by Gary Snyder. 
It is also recorded in “The Zen of Poetry” CD with David Darling). For our previous China Lan Ting Scholars and those of you remember his residency in Molokai, Urbana, Gold Beach and in Europe, I am sad to tell you that our beloved teacher-micro-carver artist-painter-musician, Chen Zhongsen suffered from a brain surgery to end up not able to speak and being fed by feeding tubes at home in Fuzhou. I will go to visit him at the end of my Autumn China trip, hopefully to find him improving and still managing okay. I have sent him and will bring him All our joint healing CHI and goodwill Wishes for his hopeful recovery. Times like these remind us to count our blessings and be especially grateful for our relative well-being.
Upon my return from China, I will be at Esalen Institute in time for my annual Thanksgiving Weeks residency. As you may know, Esalen had to suspend operation last March due to the landslide and bridge collapsing on Highway One. Partial repairs began in late July, and hopefully gradual recovery will continue. So far, we expect the northern portion of HWY One to be accessible sometime in October for travel. Keep sending good CHI-eers to Big Sur to wish Esalen’s recovery from this unfortunate setback. Having completed the 4-year Heritage Program Seminar with concentration on Mama Huang’s Ba Ji motifs and poetic metaphors and images, we will return to continue our Winter Seminar this coming February focusing on the deeper essentials of the Tai Ji Circles. We will keep building and expanding, beginning with the exploration and building of the organic form of the Fifth Circle. By now, with so many years of sharing with you how to arrive at the Four Circles, one by one, continuing to review and re-construct while we de-construct in the spirit of “Wei-Wu-Wei”, I will focus even more on our joint creative explorations to co-create the future “Circles” together. While summer seminars are more open for the continuing return to the True “Advanced Beginners”’ work, our Winter Seminars will resume the in-depth focus to hone in on our “Tai Ji Essentials”, reaching deeper and expanding wider, returning to our initial wishes and early designs of the “Inward and outward” never-ending “up and down” spirals, to build substances in our ongoing lifelong learning. This “Phoenix Rebirth” Year shall wrap up with hope for a Much Better Year, ALL Around, here in North America, in Europe and All over the World. Keep our Optimism and Hopes Up and Always be Grateful!
Chungliang