The Way of openness:

Releasing Deep Patterns Through Qigong and Acupuncture

April Workshop 2025

Sunday, April 27 1-4pm

Penticton, BC

 
 

Brandi opening the belt meridian 带脉 by practicing the Eight Brocades Qigong 八段锦

In this half-day retreat, co-led by Brandi Beckett, Dr. Simon Cox, and Penticton Acupuncture’’s Dr. Blair Edwards, you’ll learn to release long-held tensions, calm your nervous system, and connect mind, body, and breath. Through a gentle blend of Qigong, Tai Chi basics, and acupuncture, we will explore the body’s eight extraordinary meridians—energetic pathways traditionally said to store ancestral memory and emotional patterns. These eight extraordinary meridians are the main subtle channels used in Daoist martial arts and meditation.

As you move and breathe, you will create the perfect conditions to heal old and deep patterns and move stagnant energy and emotions. Our qigong exercises will be followed by acupuncture treatments that allow you to drop into deep rest and integration, helping you connect with and feel into the channels.

No experience needed.

Eight Extraordinary Meridians 奇经八脉

Classical moxibustion chart

In classical Chinese thought, the body is permeated with a network of channels, a subtle architecture of breath and spirit. At this workshop we will be focusing in and exploring into the Eight Extraordinary Meridians or Vessels, a series of eight channels that course throughout the body. They are often thought of as reservoirs,where excess energies can gather and be dispersed as the body requires. They also serve as the main subtle anatomical framework of alchemical transformation.

  • Reservoirs of Qi and Blood

  • Related to “prenatal” or constitutional energy, our most fundamental, subtle energies

  • Holding patterns tied to growth, development, and deep emotional or karmic imprints

  • Ancestral energy or inherited constitution

  • Yin and yang balancing and emotional and energetic regulation

  • Unresolved issues or “latent” conditions, including emotional holding patterns

It is because they deal with our deepest, subtlest energetic currents that these paths are seen as the true gateway of healing and alchemical transformation. This workshop is simply about getting in touch with these pathways, feeling into them through the combination of Wudang practices and acupuncture. Our hope is you leave the workshop with a direct experience of the Daoist subtle body.

 

what about the Qigong?

Ancient scroll with images of people practicing Qigong

We'll explore gentle, flowing movements inspired by Taiji (Tai Chi), designed to harmonize breath, body, and awareness. These practices help you slow down, calm yourself, and grow an embodied awareness of internal energy. We'll also draw from the Ba Duan Jin (Eight Brocades)—a classical Qigong set known for its ability to move stagnant qi, nourish the organs, and restore internal balance. Each movement is simple, accessible, and focused on activating the deeper energetic channels of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. Whether you're new to these practices or have some experience, we will guide you to move with ease and awareness.

The Acupuncture Experience

We will have about 30 minutes for individualized acupuncture treatment, designed to support the activation of the Extraordinary Meridians and the energetic shifts initiated through movement and breath. These gentle treatments help to anchor the experience, opening space for healing and integration.

Following your acupuncture session, you'll be guided into a relaxation practice rooted in the Wudang San Feng lineage. This final piece of the journey allows your system to settle and realign, leaving you feeling clear, restored, and connected to your internal landscape.

No previous experience with acupuncture is necessary. All treatments are provided in a safe, supportive environment by licensed acupuncturist Blair Edwards, with your comfort and well-being as the priority.

Who is hosting it?

Dr. Blair Edwards

Brandi Beckett and Simon Cox are Tai chi and Qigong Instructors with Okanagan Valley Wudang who studied and lived at Wudang Mountain in China for over 5 years. Read more about them by clicking here and here.

Dr. Blair Edwards is a registered Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncturist of Penticton Acupuncture and Herbal Clinic. Read more about him by clicking here.

where is it?

At Okanagan Valley Wudang, right in the middle of the Cannery Trade Centre, 115-1475 Fairview Road, Penticton BC.

what should i wear?

Something comfy. Loose-fitting clothing. It might be nice to bring a favorite pillow and blanket for extra coziness.

very nice, how much?

This workshop is $108 CAD


No experience needed—just bring your breath, your curiosity, your subtle body, and something comfy to wear.
Click below to sign up. We can’t wait to share this space with you.