DAO — Steps on the Path
The continuous practice space for body, energy and spirit.
We dedicate ourselves to cultivating the next steps in our own lives — step by step, from our individual starting point, at any age.
It is not about belief, not about belonging, not about esotericism. It is about cultivating one's own essence — a more conscious, calmer, more vital life. Supported by highly effective, holistic Taoist practice systems for cultivating body, energy and spirit, whose effects are increasingly substantiated by neuroscientific and medical studies.
„You do not need a teacher who influences you. You need a teacher who teaches you no longer to let yourself be influenced." — Dalai Lama
A spirit that is not cultivated decays. Every step on this path bears fruit.
Four forms — one path
Four forms are open — they complement one another, but each is also walkable in its own right:
Effortless Openness
Weekly practice evening — bodily-moving, permeable, grounded.
Harmonious Balance
Weekly practice evening — deepening, more silent, more contemplative.
Holistic Health
Individual treatments from the Taoist healing arts.
Essential Self
Individual deepening — mentoring on the path to mastery.
The four forms in detail
Current dates by course, or on request. Entry is possible at essentially any time after a prior personal conversation.
1 · Steps on the path to effortless openness
For whom. For all people — with or without prior experience, at any age — wishing for a bodily and mentally more effortless life.
What we practise. This part of the course and practice focuses on bodily-moving practices. We cultivate bodily permeability together with energetic flow and mental/spiritual training — and thus the ground for possible further practices. More moving, much of it standing, occasional walking. The concrete shape arises from the participants and what is meaningful in the moment for the next step.
2 · Steps on the path to harmonious balance
For whom. For those wishing to go deeper than the first part of the course reaches — typically after a phase in form 1, or with prior experience.
What we practise. A quieter form: more sitting, more silence, more contemplative practice. The body is engaged where it serves; the focus shifts further towards the inner.
3 · Steps on the path to holistic health
For whom. For those who wish individual support in developmental processes — through Taoist energy treatment.
What it is. One-to-one sessions of Traditional Chinese energy work / Taoist healing arts. Not a medical or curative treatment in the sense of the Physicians Act; it does not replace medical care.
4 · Steps on the path to the essential self
For whom. For those who wish to go further on the path — mentoring on the way to mastery of one's own practice.
What it is. Individual long-term accompaniment, in clearly held arcs. Less course, more shared walking. Prerequisite: an established practice or comparable depth.
Important notes
Silent Qi Gong, Taoist meditation and energy work are practices of cultivation — not medical or curative treatments in the sense of the Austrian Physicians Act. They do not replace medical or psychotherapeutic care. Existing complaints should be clarified with a physician. Participation is on one's own responsibility; physical limitations should be communicated before the start. Details in the Terms of Participation.
The first step
An entry to DAO is always preceded by a personal conversation. I look forward to hearing from you.