Yoga helps people of all ages, sizes and fitness levels live more comfortably and peacefully in their bodies. More than an exercise routine to improve strength and flexibility, Taoist Yoga is a 3,000 year-old healing system that benefits numerous common ailments. If you regularly experience low back pain, hormone imbalance, depression or fatigue, yoga can help improve your quality of life. Regular yoga practice increases physical health and promotes mental clarity and emotional well-being.

A private introductory lesson or beginning group class that honors your strengths and nourishes the unique needs of your body and spirit can be an excellent beginning toward greater health and vitality.

You are invited to discover Taoist Yoga in a safe and comfortable home environment where you will be inspired to find your best self through the joy of movement.

If you would like to try yoga, but are shy about going to a commercial studio, a private introductory lesson can be a good place to start.

Ready to try yoga? Visit the classes page to find a class right for you. If you'd like to learn more about private lessons, call Kai Dailey at 805-679-1404.
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Taoist Yoga for balanced health and healing.
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Taoist Yoga Frequently Asked Questions

What is Taoist Yoga?

Cultivated from the healing practices and spiritual philosophies of ancient China, Taoist Yoga (pronounced Dowist) is based on the Taoist principle of living in harmony with nature. This artful, time tested system of self-cultivation was originally developed by Taoist priests in northern China for the purpose of maintaining physical vigor and mental clarity. It encompasses yin and yang yoga postures for flexibility and strength training, movement exercises such as chi kung (Qigong) for stamina and balance, and visualizations and breathing meditations for focus and inner stillness, all of which draw upon the principles of the five elements or phases used in Chinese medicine (earth, metal, water, wood, and fire).

Integrating the power and healing aspects of these principles can help balance emotions and put one into accord with the true nature of being. Through this process of renewal and awakening, we can generate change and personal effectiveness in our lives.

Why learn this style?

Taoist yoga is simple and easy to learn. Practice for beginning students is not focused on achieving perfect posture or alignment. Students instead learn to focus on how a posture feels and to adjust their practice to the unique needs and shape of their bodies. This reduces the risk of injury for beginners, because it eliminates the pressure we can sometimes feel to strain into a posture to achieve the correct "look" or to accommodate the myriad of subtle adjustments some styles require of students. In general, because of the relaxed, personalized approach, students tend to improve their flexibility more quickly with Taoist-style yoga than with other styles of practice.

With time you will learn to achieve more in yoga and in life by striving less. The Taoist approach to yoga honors and fosters your individual uniqueness. You are encouraged to start where you are and to proceed at your own pace. If you enjoy learning in a relaxed and unstructured atmosphere, you will enjoy this style.

Can anyone learn Taoist Yoga?

Yes. Regardless of your age, initial flexibility, body size or shape, the benefits of Taoist Yoga are readily accessible and apparent from the very first lesson. The accepting, noncompetitive nature of the Taoist approach frees students to gently and slowly move beyond limitations to develop fluidity, grace and relaxed confidence.

Can I take only the classes that interest me?

Absolutely. I wanted to offer a variety of classes focusing on various aspects of the art so that students could select what interests them most. In the same fashion as traditional yoga studios, you are welcome to take as many or as few classes as you like. Drop-in students are always welcome, just call ahead to make sure there is room in class.

Will I be asked to do complicated postures like the ones I've seen on video and magazine covers?

No. While many yoga enthusiasts enjoy the satisfaction of executing exotic, difficult postures, athletic prowess is not the true essence or purpose of yoga. And it is not a prerequiste for beginning students.

In the west, a commercial culture of professional yoga emphasizing beauty, athletic achievement, technical and anatomic knowledge, precise physical alignment and professional/medical certification has developed. While this trend continues to broaden yoga's acceptance in mainstream, popular culture, viewed from the Taoist perspective, these additions tend to busy, distract, and worry the mind.

Taoist Yoga exists outside of this trend. Still connected to its roots in ancient rural China, it is a simple, quiet, and playful method of healing, rejuvenation and self-reflection. By learning even a small number of postures and their individual qualities and benefits, one can create endless variations to benefit the body and spirit and from this develop a transformative life-long practice.

Good yoga, healing yoga is not complicated. Beginning students are often surprised to discover that simple easy-to-do postures are powerful tools for healing.

How does Taoist Yoga enhance creativity?

The art of Taoist Yoga is about following your own path. You will be gently guided to open to the artist within by practicing yoga as a creative expression of the authentic self. The Taoist style combines the power of stretching and movement with the invigorating healing influence of the imagination. Imagination is key in Taoist Yoga for it is through our imaginations that we discover our greatest potential, connect with our deeper selves, and awaken the healing and restorative energies of our bodies.

Through the process of enlivening your body-mind with alchemical attributes (earth, metal, water, wood, and fire), you awaken to the liberating power of your primal nature and playful spirit--your true state of being--and transcend the boundaries of assumed limitations.

What is a Taoist Yoga class like?

I teach in a relaxed, informal style, like a group of good friends getting together to share a cherished activity. Classes are conversational, unhurried and unstructured. Evening classes end with tea and conversation for those who have the time to linger. Each class provides a seamless blending of instruction in the following aspects of the art.

Yin Yoga- Postures of stillness for promoting growth, clearing energetic blockages, and enhancing circulation.

Yang Yoga- Postures for developing core strength and muscle tone, balance, and stamina.

Taoist Flow Yoga- Including both Yin and Yang yoga, Taoist Flow is more than just a sequence of postures. In Taoist Flow the process of transition from pose to pose is as integral to the practice as the postures themselves. Taoist movement incorporates continuous, smooth and circular motion that promotes ease, fluidity and grace in the body.

Taoist Alchemy- Cultivating and harmonizing the five elemental energies contained in the body and its energetic field.

Chi Kung (Qigong)- These exercises involve very simple and gentle movements and breathing techniques. They are designed to increase vitality and to restore harmony in the natural rhythms and functions of the body and its energetic field.
Are you interested in improving your health, quieting your mind, and enhancing your creative energies? Does your body need help coping with a chronic condition? Whether you are recovering from illness or just want to stretch tight muscles, a Taoist Yoga class can support your journey to better health and inner peace.
Invigorate your body. Recharge your creativity. Quiet your mind.
Face life's challenges with a calm heart.
We are proud to support:
Yin Yoga Institute
Kai Lynn Dailey, RYT - 805-679-1404  Private Lessons in Santa Barbara, California