Available for Workshops, Public Speaking, & Training Sessions
~ Michael Mayer, Ph. D.~
~Self-Healing Methods for Physical and Mental Health~
Michael Mayer is a licensed psychologist, Tai Chi/Qigong teacher, and an award-winning author who pioneered the integration of Qigong*and Western bodymind healing methods. Dr. Mayer presents his integrative approach to bodymind healing at: hospitals, universities, national/international conferences, and he is a keynote speaker. In Dr. Mayer’s workshops you’ll learn self-healing methods to find peace of mind and become more self- reliant about your own health treatment. Become initiated into this self-healing path that may become part of your lifetime preventative medicine program.
Dr. Mayer ‘s lectures, public speaking events, workshops and training seminars have a wide range of formats to the general public, professional health oriented organizations, retreat settings, universities, psychotherapists wanting to learn how to integrate qigong into their practice and anyone interested in learning self-healing empowering techniques in the arena of bodymind healing.
*What is Qigong? Qigong is a many thousand- year old way to cultivate our vital energy using breath, posture, movement, touch and awareness. Modern Scientific research has now documented Qigong’s positive effects on hypertension, chronic pain, various measures of increased health and longevity, increasing balance and preventing falls amongst the elderly, and on a wide variety of chronic diseases. The Wall Street Journal calls Qigong, “the hottest trend in stress relief,” and Time Magazine calls Tai Chi (the best known system of Qigong) ” the perfect exercise.”Dr Memmot Oz recently advocated for Qigong on the Oprah Winfrey show and said, “If you want to be healthy and live to 100, do Qigong… Qigong reverses the aging process.”
OVERVIEW OF DR. MICHAEL MAYER’S WORKSHOPS ON EAST-WEST, MIND-BODY HEALING *
The format of each workshop listed below can be adapted to different organizations’ specific needs:
• Bodymind Healing in Psychotherapy: Ancient Pathways to Modern Health. In this workshop therapists will learn how to expand their healing repertoires by being introduced to self-healing methods that can aid patients’ physical and mental health. You’ll become initiated into an integration of Qigong and psychotherapy that Dr. Mayer developed after 30 years of training with some of the most respected TaiChi/Qigong masters. Qigong (of which Tai Chi is the best known system) is a many thousand-year-old method of cultivating the energy of life through synchronizing movement, breath and imagery. Dr Mayer shows how to integrate the essences of these practices into psychotherapy without using a Qigong movement, and without mentioning a word about Qigong. This is more than a workshop on Qigong and psychotherapy. Dr. Mayer will show how a variety of ancient traditions can be part of an integral psychotherapy oriented to heal the mind and body. Theory, case illustrations, and practices will be combined to show how this bodymind healing approach can help alleviate anxiety, hypertension, chronic pain, insomnia, trauma, etc. Click here: For a more complete discription of this workshop, Bodymind Healing in Psychotherapy.
• Self Healing Practices for Trouble Times: Qigong & Western Bodymind Healing:During troubled times of any “great unravelling” of life, ancient wisdom traditions are a passed-down lineage from our spiritual ancestors to help us find a healing pathway. An integral combination of psycho-mythological story telling, somatic practices (from Qigong and Tai Chi) Western bodymind healing methods, and experiential practices will be used to help participants find their way though troubled times…and you’ll learn from your experience how to help others do the same.
This workshop is formatted as a weekend workshop, but it can be given in other lengths of time. Click here for description of, Self Healing Practices for Troubled Times.
• Transforming Troubled Times through Metaphysical Practices. The current era of the great unravelling of culture is a time to draw on the resources of ancient wisdom traditions to help ourselves and others to navigate through these times. The metaphysical approach draws from the “world behind the world” (of energy, symbols, and beliefs) to help us find a transformed life-stance. In this re-visioning of the term “metaphysical,” coming from Dr. Mayer’s new book, metaphysics includes: both spiritual and soulful practices, psycho-mythology, somatic approaches to healing (such as Tai Chi Qigong), and a multidimensional approach to the political/ecological sphere. You will learn specific tools from various ancient and modern traditions.Click here.
• Energy Psychology: Michael’s book, Energy Psychology: Self-healing Practices for Bodymind Health, (North Atlantic/ Random House,2009) creates an integral comprhensive energy psychology. Moving beyond the most well known energy psychology tapping methods, Michael’s approach broadens and deepens energy psychology to include Qigong and other cross-cultural traditions of postural initiation, depth psychotherapy, symbolic process traditions, and Genlin’s Focusing. For an example of one day format, Bodymind Healing in Psychotherapy: Towards an Integral,comprehensive Energy Psychology (presented at the Annual International Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology), click here: Energy Psychology_Workshop_ACEP2013.
• Introductory Evening Lectures and 1 Day or Whole Weekend Workshops: Qigong: Ancient Path to Modern Health. These workshops stem from Michael’s two volume The Tao of Bodymind Healing series, Volume I, Secrets to Living Younger Longer: The Self-Healing Path of Qigong Standing Meditation and Tai Chi, Volume II Bodymind Healing Psychotherapy: Ancient Pathways to Modern Health. Included is a slide show on the history of energy healing from ancient to modern times, and experiential exercises introducing participants to methods for cultivating their vital energy (chi) and developing self-healing practices for health problems. Also included, depending upon a group’s needs, can be a discussion of research and clinical uses of qigong and bodymind healing methods. Click here: For a more complete outline of the Whole Weekend Workshop.
• Bodymind Healing Qigong: Michael has done many National and International workshops on his BMHQ method, which synthesizes ten systems of qigong into a single form. In one day, two day, five day formats. You’ll learn how each Tai Chi/Qigong movement has four levels of purpose: self healing, spiritual unfoldment, self defense, and changing your life stance. You’ll learn why Standing Meditation has been called “the million dollar secret of Qigong, how the animal forms of Qigong can help you reactivate your primordial Self, and why Yi Chuan walking meditation adds something vital to traditions of Walking Meditation. Classes and Workshops can combine teaching of movements and Tai Chi Dance. A unique feature of Michael’s approach is your learning how the transformation of your hero’s journey in your written mythic journey process can be enhanced with a Tai chi/Qigong movement. His Bodymind Healing Qigong DVD and book help participants to continue their practice before Michael’s next visit. Michael has done four of these five day workshops for Esalen Institute. For an overview of the five day workshop please click here: Esalen Instititute_2007, and for specifics about the workshop format please click here.
• Bodymind Healing in Psychotherapy: Towards an Integral Transpersonal Psychology: With the current healthcare crises, mind-body healing approaches offer much to ameliorate the health issues of our country. Dr Mayer’s approach called Bodymind Healing Psychotherapy is an integral, transpersonal approach, which combines traditional forms of psychotherapy, Eugene Gendlin’s “focusing” technique, ancient sacred wisdom traditions such as Qigong, and symbolic process approaches to healing. Dr Mayer has tested his approach at an integrative medical clinic that he co-founded. In this workshop participants will discover how to apply these methods to anxiety, chronic pain, hypertension, anxiety, and trauma. Case illustrations, Qigong practices, and research will be presented. {This workshop was presented at the annual Association for Transpersonal Psychology Conference (2010, 2012), and is available as a download.} •
Certification Programs: Six certification programs in Qigong and Bodymind Healing for: health professionals, coaches, Qigong/Tai Chi teachers, and anyone wanting to learn self-healing methods. (For details: www.bodymindhealing.com/Certification-Programs.html)
• Workshops/Staff Trainings: These can include focus on self- healing methods for common issues such as anxiety, hypertension, chronic pain, insomnia, trauma, etc. Qigong and Bodymind Healing: An Integrated Psych-physiological Approach to Self-healing.
• Staff training in Bodymind Healing Psychotherapy: Training and/or case consultation applying BMHP to cases.
• Keynote Presentations: For large conferences Michael does keynote presentations on the need for self-healing methods for health problems, called, Qigong: Ancient path to Modern Health. Or, give your conference a “chi lift.” Michael works with large groups to give an energy lift to enhance the conference experience.
• The Mythic Journey Process: Building upon the work of Joseph Campbell, Sam Keen, and Carl Jung’s active imagination process, Dr. Mayer’s mythic journey process (Mayer, 1982, 1993, 2007, 2009) added a somatic dimension to psycho-mythological inner work. The MJP is a symbolic process tool that has a person transpose a life problem into a story set in ancient time in order to work through that issue. To ground the mythic dimension, the MJP uses Gendlin’s Focusing so that the storyteller continually refers back to the felt sense of the body. It has been used by therapists, by lay people as a self-growth tool, and it is a central component of Bodymind Healing Psychotherapy. In this updated version of the process (which comes from Chapter 20 of the book Bodymind Healing Psychotherapy), at the end of the process you’ll be introduced to how to ground the new life stance you have discovered by the use of a spontaneously arising gesture, Qigong/Tai Chi posture, or animal movement…further activating the transformative somatic dimension of the Mythic Journey Process. Michael uses it as a method in his workshops to help people deal with relationship issues (Mayer, 1993), and in conjunction with Tai Chi/ Bodymind Healing Qigong raining for healing psychological and somatic issues. The Mythic Journey Process is included in many of Dr. Mayer’s written works (Mayer, 1982, 1993, 2007, 2009), and is available as a PDF at this link.
• Tai Chi Chuan: Four Dimensions of Purpose: Michael teaches the traditional long form of the Yang style Tai Chi Chuan along with an eight part system of Tai Chi Joining Hands (two person Self-development) practice. Learn how every Tai Chi movement has four purposes: Self-healing, spiritual unfoldment, self-defense, and changing your life-stance through shape-shifting. Michael’s Secret’s… book provides the anthropological evidence for his theory that Tai Chi is part of a cross-cultural postural initiation tradition that includes these four purposes. This approach combines a “soulful” as well as a spiritual approach to Tai Chi. Michael has trained for 32 years with Master Fong Ha who learned directly from Grandmasters Yang Shouzhong and Dong Yingjie. As part of Michael’s Tai Chi Chuan and Bodymind Healing Qigong training curriculum, he teaches an eight system linking form method of Tai Chi two-person Joining Hands practice, and Yi Chuan two-person Self-development practices. He teaches these as kinesthetic initiatory methods of Self-cultivation to develop “the elements” of one’s primordial self. (In the Eastern tradition, fire, earth, metal, water, and wood; in the Western tradition: fire, earth, air and water.) For a more complete description of this workshop as it has been taught by Michael at Esalen Institute please click here.
Video, Master Fong Ha’s memorial celebration, Senior Students presentations at Santa Sabina Retreat Center (202, Michael Mayer presents on Tai Chi Chuan: Four Dimensions of Purpose.
Article, American Tai Chi and Qigong Association, Mayer (2007). Tai Chi Chuan: The Four Dimensions of Purpose.
Integral Living with Transformative Practices: The world we have come to know is shifting. The confluence of the great recession, a country in search of itself, and a sense that the world is in upheaval can be rather disorienting. These difficult times can challenge our relationship to both ourselves and others; and they can serve as an opportunity to activate the hero in us and cultivate our integral spiritual path. In this workshop, we’ll learn methods from cross-cultural spiritual traditions for dealing with the troubled times in which we live. To see the methods you’ll learn in this one day workshop, Click here.
• The Animal Forms of Hua Tau: Michael begins this workshop with the story of his forty night vision quest where, in a state of lucid dreaming, his medicine animal, a deer, came to him. This workshop combines imaginal storytelling and learning the sacred healing movements of the bear, crane, monkey, tiger, and deer.
• Standing Meditation Qigong: You’ll begin to be initiated into this tradition, that Taoist scholar Ken Cohen calls, “The million dollar secret of Qigong.” This workshop consists of Michael’s unique transmission of the Yi Chuan and Wuji Standing Meditation traditions that he has trained in for many decades. Adding to traditional training regimens, here you’ll get an emphasis on how each posture has four purposes: self-healing, spiritual unfoldment, self-defense, and changing your life stance psychologically. The Standing Meditation Qigong tradition is a natural complement to, and will add a vital health practice to, any other form of meditation that you do. Energy cultivation meditation traditions like this are what Bodhidharma taught to sedentary monks whose bodies were atrophying from practicing sitting meditation. In addition to being introduced to Standing and Walking Meditation Qigong, you’ll learn how these Chinese traditions are part of a cross-cultural tradition of postural initiation, and you’ll see how they can be experienced as a way to change your life stance psychologically…thereby finding the spirit and soul of the practice. Michael trained in Yi Chuan with Master Fong Ha and masters Han Xingyuan (a first generation disciple of Wang Xiangzhai), Sam Tam, and other masters of the tradition; and he studied Wuji Standing Meditation with master Cai Songfang. Michael’s approach to Standing Meditation was highlighted in the first article for the first edition of the NQA Journal, Mayer, M., Standing Meditation: What do you Stand for?, The Journal of Qigong in America, Vol. 1, Issue 1, 2004, Summer ( Click link). He has taught his approach to Standing Meditation at various World Qigong Conferences, National Qigong Association Conferences, and at various workshop locations such as Esalen Institute. On his website, www.bodymindhealing.com, you can see books and DVDs related to his approach to Standing Meditation. Books: Secrets to Living Younger Longer: The Self Healing Path of Qigong, Standing Meditation, and Tai Chi.; Energy Psychology: Self Healing Practices for Bodymind Health DVD: Bodymind Healing Qigong.
Wudang Mountain Staff: As with other elements of the internal martial arts traditions, Michael teaches the Staff set in a post-modern way. Having been trained in one of the traditionally transmitted versions of the Wudang staff, Michael has added a post-modern approach: Honoring the traditional set, Michael adds a cross-cultural, mythological, pluralistic perspective and an orientation to using the healing powers of the staff to enhance one’s preventative medicine, bodymind healing exercise program. You’ll discover why in Psalm 23 it’s said, “Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.” In this workshop, (or in private lessons) you’ll learn to use the staff to: enhance moving the chi through the joints, increase balance, simultaneously limber and strengthen the muscles, reverse atrophy in such conditions as scholar’s shoulders, frozen shoulders, hip imbalances, etc. The key in the post-modern approach is honoring the tradition while transcending ethnocentrism and extracting the essence of the tradition to find a way it honors the unique experience of the practitioner. (The related article, Tai Chi Chuan: A Post-modern, Metaphysical Point of View is free on this website for subscribers.)
* For a more complete listing of Dr. Mayer’s Past Workshops, Trainings, & Lectures please click this link.
What others are saying about his books and accompanying DVD: Volume I: Secrets to Living Younger Longer
A wonderful guide for learning the ancient healing practice of Qigong. Full of clear and practical exercises.
~ Dr. Wayne Jonas, Former Director, National Institute of Health, Office of Alternative Medicine
A splendid break-through, which will certainly contribute a new slant to meditative practice.
~ Dr. Larry Dossey Author of Reinventing Medicine
Volume II: Bodymind Healing Psychotherapy …a seminal contribution to the field of mind-body interventions for a wide range of common disorders…profound in its scope, evidence based, bridges Eastern and Western traditions, and provides practical insights and skills that can be of enormous value to individuals seeking to attain optimal health.
~ Dr. Kenneth R. Pelletier, Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCSF and University of Arizona School of Medicine Author of The Best Alternative Medicine: What Works? What Does Not?
…a dazzling accomplishment… a thrilling blueprint for the integration of body, mind, and spirit.
~ Larry Dossey, MD Author of Reinventing Medicine
This scholarly and eminently readable book …hopefully foreshadows the shape of body-mind approaches for years to come.
~Bessel van der Kolk, MD Medical Director, The Trauma Center, Boston University School of Medicine Past Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard University
Bodymind Healing Qigong DVD I liked your Bodymind Healing Qigong DVD so much that in the course I taught, we started with two or three sections of it every day.
~Bessel Van der Kolk MD, Past President, International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies Co-principal Investigator,DSM IV Field Trial, Post Traumatic Sress Disorders
What others are saying about Michael’s Tai Chi Qigong Background: “Michael Mayer’s practical synthesis and deep knowledge of Qigong and Tai Chi movement forms has greatly impressed me during my years administering the Esalen Institute Movement Arts Program. Michael traces the roots of these practices back to their origins and presents a very usable as well as spiritual approach to these ancient and very valuable systems. He stands out among the many teachers I’ve met and practiced with and has provided me with insights available from no other teacher.”
~ Rick Cannon, Esalen Institute Coordinator, Movement Arts Program
In the 1970s Dr. Michael Mayer began his study of Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong with me. With continuous diligence, devotion, and skill he grows and ages with me as faithful student and friend. It delights my eyes and warms my heart to witness the masterful way Dr. Mayer creates a joining of hands between Eastern and Western spiritual traditions in this book.
~Fong Ha, Internationally recognized grandmaster of Tai Chi Chuan and Yi Chuan Qigong
To schedule Dr Mayer for a seminar or workshop please call him at 925-254-6616, 510-849-2878, email drmichael@bodymindhealing.com, www.bodymindhealing.com.
Michael Mayer, Ph.D., is a licensed Psychologist, hypnotherapist and a Qigong/Tai Chi teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area who specializes in giving his patients self-healing methods for physical and mental health problems. He has devoted the past 30 years to researching, lecturing and writing about the integration of ancient and modern methods of healing the body and mind. Dr. Mayer presents his integrative approach to bodymind healing at: hospitals, universities, national/international conferences, and is a keynote speaker. The First World Symposium on Self-Healing gave him an award for outstanding research and contribution to the advancement of mind-body medicine. Dr Mayer pioneered the integration of Qigong and Psychotherapy, and was the first person in the country to train doctoral level psychology students in these methods. Dr. Mayer co-founded and served as part of a multidisciplinary medical clinic which practices integrative healthcare; and the American Tai Chi Association has certified Michael as a Master Tai Chi Instructor. He has authored twenty publications on bodymind healing, including books, audiotapes on cancer and chronic disease and articles on chronic pain and anxiety. His peer-reviewed article on Qigong and hypertension appeared in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, and is updated in the book Healing Intention and Energy Medicine by Dr. Wayne Jonas, former Director of the National Institute of Health, Office of Alternative Medicine. Dr. Mayer’s Bodymind Healing Qigong DVD synthesizes ten Qigong systems for a lifetime preventative medicine practice. He is author of various books on mind-body healing including, Bodymind Healing Psychotherapy: Ancient Pathways to Modern Health, and Energy Psychology: Self-Healing Practices for Bodymind Health (North Atlantic/Random House, 2009.)