MythBody at Play in the Year of the Dragon

(with Chungliang Al Huang and Robert Walter)

In the Chinese calendar, now in its 79th sexagenarian cycle, a year can be named in three different ways: after an animal in the Chinese zodiac; by using the complex stem-branch system of classification; and by referring to the number of years since the crowning of the first king of China, the Yellow Emperor, in 2697 BCE.

Accordingly, 2012, the current year in the Gregorian calendar, is year 4709 in the Chinese calendar, year of the Water (yin) Dragon. Though the Chinese zodiac, unlike its Western analog, isn’t a fixed system, tradition holds that the ruling animal shapes the traits—that is, the “mythbody”—of people born during that particular year.

Chungliang Al Huang coined the term mythbody for the Esalen workshops he led with the late Joseph Campbell. We have resurrected that neologism to describe our continuing exploration of “The Way of the Animal Powers”—that vital interrelationship between your physical being and your story of yourself.

During our playful weekend, we’ll explore the mythology of the dragon: in Occidental lore, a fierce creature that hoards a treasure, a fiery beast that the hero must slay; in Oriental traditions, a harbinger of good fortune, a benign being one is encouraged to embrace. We will examine the contrasting spiritual, emotional, and physical qualities of such paradoxical creatures by mixing tall tales with Tai Ji insights, weaving calligraphy and conundrum, sharing poetry and praxis: all in celebration of this mythic marvel.

Prices range from $360 to $1245, depending on accomodations

Reservations Information (Accommodations & Pricing)

Chungliang Al Huang teaches Tai Ji philosophy, East/West synthesis, and the art of movement meditation. He is the founder-president of the Living Tao Foundation and director of Lan Ting Institute in the Sacred Mountains of China. Web: www.livingtao.org

Robert Walter, Joseph Campbell's editor for a decade, is president of the Joseph Campbell Foundation and a poet/playwright with several decades of experience as group leader, teacher, publisher, and theatrical producer/director/designer. Web: www.jcf.org