Eight Brocades

The skills collected through Eight Brocades practice
provide invaluable support for the internal alchemy of meditative living.

This training is ideal for people who have an existing embodiment practice or prior experience with yoga or similar forms of moving meditation. The practice of Eight Brocades has its roots in the traditions of Daoism. Similar to other forms of moving meditations throughout the world, it requires precise physical movements matched to breathing patterns and visualizations. YourTurn’s version of this practice is very adaptable, and can be performed according to individual needs and physical abilities.

A “brocade” is like a stitch in the fabric of meditative understanding, which creates part of a whole– each movement assists the practitioner in moving through different phases of internal meditative work. This method is a powerful form of body and mind unification, promoting heightened awareness of three fundamentals of embodiment:

Shen– awareness practice, letting the mind take its seat in spiritual awareness, and maintain awareness throughout movement/thinking/concentrating/living

Jing– vitality, the potential for the body to express life, cultivating intentional vitality, movement and energy in action within our bodies.

Qi– the way our vitality expresses itself, the ability to direct our energy and experience of being alive through intentional breath and movement. Qi is what makes it possible to flow through the states of Shen and Jing.

In the YourTurn Training Framework, Eight Brocades is derived from the Shaolin version of the practice, merged with Dan’s 30+ years of martial arts experience, understanding of Daoism, and energetic work. Movement practice creates a stronger anchor and increased stimulus for investigation– there’s more to concentrate on. Seated meditation is more of an investigation of the mind, while moving meditation is an investigation of the interplay between body and mind. Seated and moving meditations are mutually supportive practices, and both should be explored by serious seekers.

 A daily Eight Brocades practice can support you in:

  • increasing awareness of the body and improving physical fitness
  • learning to synchronize movement with breath
  • developing the capacity for extended concentration
  • tuning into, increasing the capacity for, and directing energetic flow of the body
  • opening up to and harmonizing with our environment and the energy around us
  • strengthening the capacity for visualization and subtle body awareness

All of these are skills that promote a meditative lifestyle, and serve as prerequisites for other aspects of the YourTurn training framework.

This self-paced training program includes:

  • A philosophical overview of the archetypal energies of yin and yang.
  • In-depth written and narrated video tutorials on each brocade and intermediary positions, including details on the physical posture, breath patterns, and energetic practices.
  • A “follow-along” video to work toward memorizing the whole pattern.

*This training is included for those actively engaged in YourTurn Training.