"You must understand that ordinary efforts do not count; only super-efforts count." -Gurdjieff
Our Group
Fresh Pond Taiji is a Taiji & Meditation group based in Cambridge, MA. We teach the Path of Internal cultivation for Body and Mind that has been taught in Europe and Asia by our teacher Patrick Kelly for over 40+ years. Our Taiji lineage connects back to its origins through the Art passed directly by:
Yang Luchan - Yang Cheng Fu - Cheng Man Ching - Huang Xing Xian - Patrick Kelly
Our group is best suited for people who want to learn deeply and work consistently over time to actively change and grow. Beginners are welcome; openness to following our teaching is more important than prior experience.
Genuine taiji transmission requires deep, sincere, and sustained effort from both teacher and student. We ask prospective students to observe a full class before joining.
Class Format
· Huang Xingxian's 5 loosening exercises
· Zheng Manqing's 37 posture short form
· Yang Chengfu's 108 posture long form
· 8 basic fixed pattern push hands
· guided meditation
The loosening exercises are designed to loosen the muscles, free the joints, and turn the mind inwards. Regular practice will bring benefits to mind and body.
The traditional forms train body and mind coordination. We train fluid power waves through the body, including the issuing transverse wave typically emphasized by the Yang style, the vertical borrowing pressure wave emphasized in the Wu style, and the spiral twisting wave emphasized in the Chen style.
The basic 8 push hands patterns are cooperative partner exercises set to awaken and develop the sensitivity towards the partner’s intention (意 yi), energy (氣 qi), and forces (劲 jin). The smoothness and accuracy that come from learning the push hands well, will allow students to find the subtle inner levels of energizing, activation, and connection.
As the self-awareness gradually develops, and the Intention connects into the inner levels, the right conditions for a guided meditation arise. Meditation is an intentional process of energy transformation from Lower to Upper dantians (精 jing, 氣 qi, 神 shen) to direct the practices toward inner refinement and development.
Instructor Bio
Our group was started in 2021 by Charlie Liu. Charlie has exclusively trained Patrick Kelly's approach since 2014, with particular support from Patrick’s students Tim Suh, Guillem Bernado, and Christine Schneider.
Prior to that, Charlie studied with Liam Comerford (a student of Zheng Manqing) from 2001-2007 and Ben Lo (Luo Bangzhen) from 2008-2010. During those periods, Charlie also took a few classes with Maggie Newman, Ed Young, and Mark Lord.
落魄红尘四十春，无为无事信天真
生涯只在乾坤鼎，活计惟凭日月轮
八卦气中潜至宝，五行光里隐元神
桑田改变依然在，永作人间出世人
-吕洞宾