Taoist Arts Organization is made up of instructors, students, enthusiasts, and practitioners, of the Taoist arts. Our intention is to spread the Taoist arts regionally in order to bring these ancient healing, and meditation arts into the awareness of the community. We hope to help in making these powerful practices as accessible to the public as yoga, and acupuncture. We are dedicated to constantly deepening our own practice, and the practice of others, so as to help facilitate the growth of this budding transplant from the east.

The Founder of T.A.O.

Shane Johnson is nationally certified in massage therapy and nationally certified Asian Bodywork Therapist with his focus being Shiatsu. He has dedicated most of his adult life to the study of alternative medicine and movement therapies. Shane learned his first meditation at age 9 and has had a drive for spiritual pursuits since he can remember. Shane has studied many traditions and modalities from Shamanic voyaging, to Zen meditation, to Kundalini yoga, to Rei Ki, to contemplative prayer, to higher states through dance. He found a special connection when he first read the Tao Te Ching. This began his pursuit for the Taoist arts that has lasted over a decade. Since then, Shane has studied with some great teachers within the traditional Chinese medical field and the Taoist arts of Tai Chi Chuan, Qi Gung, Nei Gung, Taoist meditation, and the mysterious art of Ba Gua Zhang.

Shane graduated from the Baltimore School of Massage from both the professional massage course and from the professional Shiatsu course. He studied Yang style Tai Chi Chuan and Tao Yin with Chinese Olympic coach Ji Yue Er. He has studied Kundalini Yoga intensively for several years with Thelma Gruss, a student of Yogi Bahdgan. He has studied Qi-Gung, Nei-Gung, Ba Gua Zhang, and Taoist meditation with Sifu Frank Allen and Tina Zhang. Authors of "Classical Northern Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan" and "The Whirling Circles of Ba Gua Zhang", Frank Allen and Tina Zhang are two of the leading authorities on Taoist Meditation, Qi-Gung, and Taoist Internal Martial arts in the western world.

Shane has been certified by Wu-Tang p.c.a (Physical Cultural Association) of New York City in New York and by the Healing Tao University of North Carolina to teach Ba Gua Zhang. He is certified to teach the basics of Ba Gua stepping, Taoist breathing techniques, the 8 trigram palm Nei-Gung, 8 energies circle walking, Lao Ba Zhang (the old 8 palm changes - the oldest known set of Ba Gua Zhang in existence), the 8 pieces of brocade, the basic 8 palm changes, and Rou Shou (the two person soft hand exercises). Shane is currently training for instructor level in Ba Gua Zhang meditation. This is a two year training, which is part of a long term Taoist arts program, through Healing Tao University and Wu-Tang p.c.a, of NYC.

Shane teaches in an up-beat personalized way. He is capable of explaining the health, martial, and meditation aspects of the art. He can customize a lesson in order to best benefit the needs of the class and the situation. Most importantly, Shane can teach Taoist internal techniques in a way that helps to demystify and make it easier for westerners to understand.

Shane is dedicated to the spread of the Taoist arts, and to helping people realize their own inner potential. If you would like to host classes and help Shane spread the Taoist arts, or if you are interested in learning them yourself; Shane is available for private lessons, weekly classes, monthly drop-ins, workshops, intensives, and retreats.

What is Taoism?

Originating from the Kunlun mountains on the border of China and Tibet. Taoism is one of the indigenous belief systems of China along with Shamanism and ancestor worship. This ancient practice is thought to of started some 5,000 years ago. There are 3 prominent texts associated with Taoism; the 4,000 year old I-Ching or book of changes, the writings of the sage Chuang Tzu, and the Tao Te Ching written about 2,500 years ago by Lao Tzu.

Many of the things that we in the West associate as being Chinese are actually Taoist in origin. This includes acupuncture, Qi-Gung, Nei Gung, Tai Chi, Chinese herbal medicine, Feng Shui, Chinese astrology, and the concept of an underlying, unifying, primordial force known as the Tao for which they are named. Philosophically, the Taoist are responsible for the concepts of complimentary opposites known as Yin and Yang, and the idea of Wu Wei or the action of non-action. These ancient sages also developed a way to recognize and realize these ideas within the human body. It is one of the most advanced and integral systems for health, energy, power, and realization ever presented to human kind.

What is Ba Gua Zhang?

Ba Gua Zhang (the eight trigram palm), also written as pa kua chang, baguazhang, or just plain ba gua, is the Taoist internal martial art based off of the 4,000 year old Chinese oracle called the I-Ching or "Book of Changes". It is a martial art from the same internal family (Nei Jia) as Tai Chi Chuan, but done at a much faster, more dynamic pace.

Ba Gua Zhang is a Nei Gung (internal power exercise) performed while walking in a circle as the Taoist monks have done as a meditation, energy, and health practice for over 2,000 years. Ba Gua uses spirals and quick changes of direction for which it is referred to “The Art of Change”. It was originally perfected and introduced as a martial art by Dong Hai Chuan in the late 1800's. Dong was a palace eunuch, body guard, tax collector, and martial arts instructor of the royal family. He was very elusive as to who taught him the art. He claimed that he learned the art from a Taoist master in the mountains.

At its most physical level Ba Gua stretches, and “rings” the tissues, massages the organs, and opens and lubricates the joints of the body. In addition, it activates and assists in the pumping of the fluids of the body; including the blood, the lymph, the synovial, and cerebral spinal fluid. At a more subtle level it builds Qi (energy), removes energetic blockages, clears the emotions, and calms the mind. At its most profound level it can be a vehicle for the deepest states of meditation, and a way to "realize the Tao" (become enlightened).