I've taken tai chi, karate and yoga over the past thirty years from truly great teachers in…read moreSeattle, Washington Dc and Boston. When I decided to see if qi gong would enhance the initial stirrings of chi from these other martial arts, I started taking classes at the Longevity center. I have to say that Arnold Tayim is one of the best teachers I have ever had. He has enormous knowledge, is highly articulate, and perhaps what distinguishes him the most is his eagerness to share that knowledge. Many of the traditional martial arts teachers, especially from Asia, have a semi macho tendency to dole out learnings slowly, insisting that students pay their dues for long periods before getting another snippet of learning. Arnold unabashedly draws from a huge array of information, from many teachers and disciplines, and communicates them very clearly, patiently, and always taking time throughout class to pause for questions (which students freely raise, allowing for a highly interactive discussion.). He even encourages students to record his verbal walkthrough of qi gong exercises so we have his guiding voice when we practice at home. I look forward to years of learning from such an enthusiastic and knowledgeable instructor.

I started taking weekly qigong classes with Sifu Arnold here in September, and so far they have…read morebeen great! It's amazing to experience first hand how one can create, scatter, gather, and manipulate energy, for one's betterment. Sifu Arnold is an excellent and very clear instructor who really makes sure that students are imbibing the concepts and the practice itself. He shares handouts, reviews the previous weeks' practices and slowly builds into more complex practices. He is patient, engaging and also fosters a sense of community. This class is great for anyone in the healing field who seeks to learn how to manage energy on a very minute level, as well as anyone seeking to understand how to leverage his/her energy in its optimal form.

Whoa! This is a life-changing class. From the inside out, Leonard guides you through the procedure…read more He walks you through each step of the process slowly and repeatedly so that you can gain a better understanding of what the mind, body, and soul are doing. He is informed and patient. Taking this class has improved my quality of life.

From the owner: Fundamental Qi Gong Practices and Taiji classes presented by Han Laoshi (teacher Leonard Han at the…read moreJACL Building 424, Adams St. Downtown, Monterey. Classes provide practitioners a great introduction and ongoing Taoist practices designed specifically for Health, Wellness, and Awakening Healing Energy. Han Laoshi is a teacher who specializes in health and rejuvenation class practices. Current schedule: M/W evenings in Taiji and Qi Gong training 5:30pm-6:30pm and for a more robust fitness training a class M/W evenings in Traditional Chen Family Taijiquan 6:30pm - 7:30pm. He creates a supportive, transformative environment where practitioners can learn time tested techniques from ancient China to support their bodies, hearts, minds, and relationships. Qigong classes consist of an introduction to Taoist foundation practices with Static and Moving forms of Qi Gong, including Qigong Stretching Practices, sitting, standing and moving meditative practices, mantra, healing sounds, and Taoist Chi-Self Massage. Each of these practices offer a transformative experience for practitioners seeking to enrich their own lives and relationships physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. You can contact Leonard for any questions or sign up by emailing him at lennyh2986@gmail.com or by phone at 831 224-7071. May the best Qi be with you! Han Laoshi Teacher, Leonard Han Qigong and Taijiquan Monterey Bay Healing Tao

Louise is such a fantastic instructor and makes you feel so comfortable. She is very knowledgeable…read moreand has so much experience and is so good at sharing that with all her students. She has so much patience and does such a great job giving individual attention when needed. I love her class and she has made learning Tai Chi and Qi Gong so fun. She has great stories too. I highly recommend her classes.

Louise LaFosse is a great Qi Gong and Tai Chi instructor: knowledgeable and kind. This is a great…read moreexercise program to improve strength and balance, as well as breathing exercises.

Gloria is such an amazing yoga teacher . I'm feeling fully aligned , stretched and ready to take on…read morewhatever else after, like go on 10 miler run or just chill after her vinyasa workout . She helps me avoid injuries in my post yoga endeavors! Highly, highly recommend. And her soothing voice gives a right mindset anytime in hectic day. Wish I could have my yoga fix with her every day!!

Gloria is an amazing Qigong teacher. She explains things on a very basic level which I love. It's…read moreso easy to get lost in her flow. I've been practicing qigong with Gloria for months now and I feel my Qi and energy level is flowing more freely. I'm no longer in pain all over my body. I especially love how she incorporates information about Acupuncture/meridian channels, elements, emotions of each organ in Chinese Medicine. Rather than just showing us the moves.

Beautiful person. I had my birthday party there and invited 6 friends. She went out of her way to…read moretake Sunday which is her family day to teach us. Seh also wrote me a personal Happy Birthday card and had it hand decorated by one of her daughters and she hung a big birthday balloon banner in the studio for me. She treats me better than my own family! Taichi has a diagnostic phase; different than yoga. During the warmup phase the movement drills she teaches you allows you to diagnose where in the body you have less strength and flexibility. You can also detect loss of symmetry in balance. Very different than other forms of exercise. She also teaches you how to work on specific problem areas related to today's lifestyle like upper shoulders and lower back. These progressions are very different than traditional western based cardio and weight lifting exercise. Can develop a monitoring of your own body ad correlate it with the amount you sleep to tune your health levels. I can't get that by doing more miles on the treadmill. Very unique and talented individual. One in a million. She has world class talent; taught live in Chinese TV to millions of people and was practicing since 4. If you grew up in China you have seen he on TV. Incredible person. Polar opposite of the male powerful western martial arts instructor. Can't believe someone like this exists, very rare. Excellent teacher. Never met someone with this much range; able to customize to different groups so effortlessly. Her bio shows 20+ years of teaching experience and it shows in the sessions. She gave us 2 separate demos. Looks like what you see in the martial arts movies. When she throws a punch, the transition from standstill to fast motion punch is breathtaking. Can't replicate that on movies. They add sound effects which isn't the same as experiencing it in real life. The physical displacement and pace of the movement is not something most people can replicate, looks different when she does it. Definitely a special person. Worth the in person visit. From the awards she has won she is as famous in taichi as is Steph Curry in basketball. Very interesting. Not just the physical talent which makes a champion. Also maturity, mental toughness, and being a better person are all tools which are needed to be the best in the world. Many similarities to what Steph is like today. She is a world champion in what teaches and has won many competitions https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%90%B4%E9%98%BF%E6%95%8F/4753116 Incredible!!!

My wife and I are both enjoying ourselves. We decided to take Tai Chi as a way to keep active…read more The instructor (Evi) is friendly and supportive. She make sure that the students are have a good time and learning at their own pace. Sifu Amin Wu drops in sometime to see how the students have progressed. Sifu Amin Wu is amazing in her own right. She has many awards.

Really glad I found Morning Crane. This was honestly one of those places I didn't even realize I…read morehad been looking for until I experienced it. It's in a cute upstairs space in downtown Willow Glen, and the second you walk in it just feels peaceful. It has a calming atmosphere that makes you slow down for a minute. I went in for an evaluation because I've been dealing with some pretty intense foot and ankle pain. Christine spent time asking questions and really trying to understand what my body has been through instead of jumping straight into treatment. I appreciated that she looked at everything as a whole rather than just focusing on where it hurt. She scanned my body and also performed fire cupping where it made sense. I left feeling so much better than when I walked in. I also know this probably isn't a one-visit fix, and I actually appreciated that there weren't any unrealistic promises--just a plan to help my body continue healing. If you're looking for a more holistic approach to caring for your body, I'd definitely recommend checking this place out. I'll absolutely be back.

I was late for my 10am appointment at Morning Crane this morning and had to rush to get there,…read morewhich is not how you want to start off a relaxing massage. It was my first time seeing Christine, and she was kind about me being tardy. We did an intake session and then she used the short time we had left (due to me being late) for a massage. Christine first focused on my shoulders and neck where I hold pain. She incorporated stretches into the deep tissue massage. I had a heat lamp on my feet to warm them and relaxing music played overhead. I relaxed in no time. Next she massaged my face and jawline, reminding me occasionally to breathe deeply. It felt wonderful. I had a mild migraine when we started and it was gone when we were done. Christine is very personable and well educated in holistic healing practices. I'm looking forward to returning and also plan to look into her qigong classes.

Tentcho is an amazing acupuncturist! He has a true gift of healing -- precise, effective, and…read morecalming. He is the first male practitioner I've gone to -- I usually am treated by women -- and I immediately felt comfortable in his presence and on the acupuncture table. I came into hiss office to re-balance my hormones after getting off the Mirena IUD. My period was totally late and off, and I felt very ungrounded. He got right to work and found amazing points on my legs and feet to balance my system. Two days later, bam, my period was back, and stronger and healthier than ever. I got into acupuncture about 5 years ago, at 22, and have used it intermittently for hormones, stress, and personal wellness. I like practitioners who are effective, and don't push for more treatments than are needed. Tentcho is great for all of the above -- efficient, understanding, and very talented.

I have known Tentcho for many years and been receiving his acupuncture treatments regularly. He has…read moretraining in Chinese medicine as well as in Western medicine. In my opinion, it makes him an amazing doctor. Tentcho uses electro-stimulation of points which makes treatments more efficient in my case. I can see great improvement in my health. As a student of Chinese medicine myself, I can say he has a valuable knowledge how to help with disorders. Also, he speaks English, Bolgarian, Japanese, Russian, and German which can be great plus for people who need other languages to explain their health conditions.

Over the years, I've used a number of acupuncturists, most with little results. My first session…read morewith Michael sent me out the door with a distinct lightness of being, a brightness I'd been missing, and complete relief from my complicated situation. Michael is both a Western MD and a Chinese medicine person and brings the two together magnificently. If he took insurance, I'd be there on a regular basis. He's my first choice.

From the owner: This practice is limited to Traditional Chinese Medicine - acupuncture, herbs, qi gong, meditation…read moreand counselling.

If there were such a thing as a Disneyland for Buddhism in an American setting, the closest thing…read moreto that would probably be the Land of Medicine Buddha (LMB) sanctuary, nestled in the picturesque Santa Cruz Mountains near the quiet town of Soquel. I mean no disrespect by this (the organization calls itself a "Dharma Wonderland"), as the narrative below will make clear. Our visit had a dream-like quality to it. It was a weekday, with no scheduled events. As we wandered about, we encountered few people. The handful we did encounter were all very pleasant, exchanging greetings and information with us, as if we were all kindred spirits. It wasn't clear to us initially where the physical boundaries of LMB were. Just as we thought we had reached the end, we discovered yet another temple or other point of interest ahead. Each temple was different, in terms of style, purpose and size, as well as architecturally. The most impressive for me was the 100,000 Stupa, the Mahabodhi Temple replica, which looked like something out of an Indiana Jones adventure movie. That's the 39-foot-tall replica of the 1,500-year-old Mahabodhi Temple in India, where the Buddha is said to have achieved enlightenment. But the most profound personal experience for me was provided by the Wish-Fulfilling Temple farther up the road. The gleaming golden Buddha standing off to the side emanated such a special aura of kindness and omniscience that I was inspired on the spot to do something I had never done outdoors before: I prayed. I prayed for several minutes, in fact (though I'm not even Buddhist). Prior to that, at other temple spots, we spun various prayer wheels, large and small. I pushed a large wooden column, suspended like a swing, into a heavy ornate bell several times. It emitted a "bong" that filled the surrounding wooded enclave with its strong yet soothing sound. Across from the bell was a gong, with two different instruments designed for striking it, hanging on either side. One had a solid soft plastic end to it, the other a fuzzy soft material obviously designed to produce a more muffled sound. Placards with background information and instructions for chants were posted in all appropriate places. I especially appreciated the fact that simplified versions of chants were provided, for those of us for whom the full chant phrases were too difficult to remember. Rustic benches made from split logs were available in various spots from which we could admire the views of the forested mountains nearby and in the distance. Most visitors will probably find the trail challenging -- if you hike to all the temples during your visit -- unless you're both young and in top shape. Here are a few other tips: * The road into LMB is one-lane only. If you meet a vehicle coming toward you from the opposite direction, one of you will have to pull off to the side to accommodate the other. This must be done very carefully, as the shoulders -- where they do exist -- are narrow and the drop from the side can be steep. * There is a food "truck" within the compound but it will not necessarily be open (it wasn't when we visited), so either bring your own food or plan to eat before or after you drive in. A vegetarian restaurant called "Pretty Good Advice" (covered in a separate review) is about 2.8 miles away from the entrance to LMB. * Read the information on the LMB website before going, to be able to fully appreciate your visit. We found no maps available at the compound, so I highly recommend that you print one out from the website. * At the very least, check the information on the LMB website before you drive there, to make sure it will be open. If an event is scheduled, keep in mind that parking is limited and make sure you feel up to the challenge. * You may not be approached by anyone to make the suggested $20 per vehicle donation but this can be done at the bookstore/gift shop near the compound's entrance (if you can't afford $20, then offer whatever you can). I have it on good authority that those who do so will be rewarded with good karma!

This really is a hidden gem. Land of Medicine Buddha Retreat had much more to explore and…read moreexperience than I expected. The hiking path was so beautiful, as I thought, but it also had things to see and read... and usually a place to sit while you ponder the Buddhist quote about life's philosophy. You pass not only tall Redwoods, but also a koi pond and tucked away buddhas from different Asian countries -- China, Tibet, India. There are also other areas to explore on the property, such as a meditation area, store and cafe, prayer area, drums and chimes, statues, and waterfall. There were also docents here and there whom you could talk to. (Note that the meditation area where the waterfall and statutes are located are fenced in and are only open at certain times.) There is a $20 entrance fee per car, but I think it is worth it for the upkeep of the property.