Taijiquan Gi Qong
TAIJI QUAN
In the Taiji Retreat, we study and practice the form, or choreography, of the authentic Yang style. Qigong exercises are additionally practiced for warm-up, strength, coordination, and agility.
Contents
In four days, we will cover either Part I of the form (Earth), or the first or second half of Part II (Sky) (including script) The first part is somewhat easier than the second, but in principle we could start with Part II as well. Warm-up with qigong exercises before we develop and practice the choreography of Part 1 of the authentic Yang-style form as a group. The meditative aspects of this form of movement are explored, as well as the principles of opening and closing the yin and yang.
This 4 or 5-day retreats comes with/includes a detailed script for practicing at home. Lessons take place from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon (with a short tea break) and from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Please wear comfortable, breathable loose cotton clothing, socks or shoes with a flat, thin sole. Since windows are often kept open during practice, be sure to dress warmly enough and always have a sweater and a scarf or shawl with you just in case.
Schloss Elmau is located in a natural preserve and makes every effort to reduce its CO2 foot print to a minimum. For this reason, we heat Schloss Elmau by burning wood waste from the surrounding forests in our 1 MW wood chip power plant. As a backup and to cover peak demand we use our own combined heat and power cogeneration plant (CHP) which is fired by gas and generates 50% of our electricity. Our own hydroelectric power station, which has been in operation for more than 100 years, contributes another 15%.
In addition we have reduced electric power consumption by using LED lamps developed in-house and using software to limit peak demand. We dim halogen ceiling spots – which are still necessary for aesthetic reasons – to just 2% of their possible output. Plastic straws have long been replaced with bamboo straws and plastic bottles with glass bottles. To reduce CO2 emissions by transports, we only use and offer drinking water from our own high quality and mineral rich mountain source.
All our meat and dairy products are produced by farmers in our region. Food waste is disposed of in a biogas plant nearby. Waste glass and waste paper are recycled. Insulation of both hotels, which were build in 2007 and 2015 with local construction companies, exceed the European Energy Conservation (ENEV) Criteria by more than 20%. By 2021 all our cars will be powered by electricity.
Recent awards & accoldades
Guide Michelin (2020) two stars in a row for our Gourmet Restaurant Luce d'Oro
Handelsblatt CH 2020, Best Spa in the Alps,
Conde Nast US & UK 2020, Gold List, Spa Guide
Bilanz CH 2019, # 2 in the Ranking of the World´s Best Spas
Travel & Leisure USA 2019, # 1 Best Destination Spa in the World
Wellnessheaven D 2019, # 1 Best Wellness Hotel in Europe
