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The Daoist Outlook・049

Aug 01, 2025

Waxing Double Water Goat


   Now that we've passed the summit of Summer, notice how rising can feel different on the way down. In these instances, it's less about showing up or producing, and more about maintaining your poise amidst a natural decline. 
   Posture is important, especially in partnerships. When a loved one is down and out, it can weigh heavy on the other. So keep those shoulders back and hold that chin up high. Don't let yourself be the first domino to drop.

   As for the poetry of the moment, this is the time to manage your morale. If you're in a relationship, bolster your beloved. Prop them up and see them to their goals - after all, their success is the exact same as yours. For those of you that are living single, you can still invest in friends. Simply put, this your chance to be with those you intend to be with for life. Nobody gets through this entire ride alone - we all need partnership for the long haul. 

✧ The Double Goat Rises✧

Buddy Up: Choose your partner for the dance.
Do the Math: Trouble is divided, joy is multiplied.
Catch a Groove: Find a rhythm, then ride it out.
Dive On In: What are you waiting for? Commit.
Share the Love: Enjoy moments together.

Friends till the End


Contents

・Shifu Says: A brief word from our head teacher, Shifu David Wei.
・It's Pai Da Time: Shifu is back from Hawaii! Let's get back to class! 
・The Daoist Calendar:
Special holidays and how to observe them.
・Deep Steeps: Round one, Shifu sits with Grandpa Chris in Hawaii!
・Double Steeped: Round two, Shifu sits with the Parting Clouds team.  

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✧ Shifu Says ✧


   Every week you guys hear from me, sometimes more sappier than others. This round, instead of reading what I think, why not hear from my students? Below you'll find two sweet testimonials from Norma and Eileen about what they got out of our recent trip to Honolulu.

   "I had the opportunity to learn 1:1 with Ray Carbullido and Dr. Robert Santee this trip to Oahu. It was fantastic!! I came back with a lot of personal insights about shaping my personal lifestyle and projects, so that I have the necessary elements for self-cultivation and artistic expression of what I've learned. Like wielding a sword, ultimately, it's not about combat or self-defense really, its a tool for learning about myself, my purpose, and to do it with courage, wisdom and skill."
- Eileen Housteau

   "The trip to Hawaii to meet Sifu David’s five teachers was truly life changing for me on various levels. I was initially excited and nervous to meet them, but was quickly put at ease by their kindness, humor and expressed joy in sharing so much of their experience and wisdom. We learned a little bit about lineage, culture, Buddhist approaches, Daoist approaches, some martial arts & self-defense moves and concepts, some weapons, intuitive learning and more including each of their stories. Being an artist, “the Portal” and “the light mandalas” also connected me deeply to myself and martial arts beyond the tangible. But it was each Sifu’s deeper bits of wisdom to understand and love oneself that fed my heart.
- Norma Chan

Touch a Heart. Change a Life.


It's Pai Da Time!   


   Summer is the season for slapping. The heat rises, the yang energy peaks, and the body opens up—making it the perfect time to clear stagnation, move blood, and release tension through the humble yet mighty art of pai da (body slapping). It might sound strange at first, but once you start, you’ll wonder why you didn’t begin sooner.

   Pai da is deceptively simple: you use your own hands to rhythmically slap different parts of your body, waking up circulation, stimulating the meridians, and releasing toxins trapped beneath the skin. It’s like giving yourself a massage, acupuncture, and a deep energetic reset—all in one. Beyond the physical benefits, pai da teaches us to face discomfort with calmness and curiosity. Sometimes healing requires a little noise.
   We meet twice a week—every Monday and Friday at 4pm PST—for a 60-minute online session over Zoom. You’ll be guided through a full-body pai da routine that’s suitable for all ages and experience levels. Whether you're dealing with chronic stiffness or just need to shake off a long day, this is a great way to reconnect with your body and breath.
   Everyone is welcome. Really. Bring your partner, your roommate, your kid, your cousin from out of town. Healing is better in good company. Just show up with an open mind and a free hand.

✧ Pai Da Party ✧

Every Monday and Friday @4pm PST
Register Here to Join
It's FREE!

Shifu is Back!

Daoist Holidays


Sixth/Sweet Sedge Moon: Yin Water Goat
Qi Node: Great Heat
Holiday: Marshal Tian Du (Music Diety) Birthday
Play an Instrument, Sing, Dance like No One is Watching
Holiday: Lu Ban (Carpenter Immortal) Birthday
Enjoy Wood, Follow the Grain, Count the Rings

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