Spirit Arts Academy
The Spirit Arts project aims to open the possibility for anyone to study the ancient Daoist arts and explore in a genuine way the profound transformative power of these methods.
This includes healing arts, self-cultivation methods, energy work, and martial arts that come from the Taoist lineage of the Dragon Gate from the Temple of the Five Immortals at Wudang.
We believe that these ancient philosophies and methods can be particularly valuable in these times when humanity is challenged to rethink itself and seek new ways to live more harmoniously with nature and in peace.
Our greatest ambition is to teach/learn with those we are destined to meet with the purpose of deepening our connection with the source and empowering each other in the pursuit of our path.
Giulio Saltelli
Founder of Spirit Arts Academy
I deeply believe that this era and the challenges it brings us collectively will lead to a metamorphosis that we cannot yet imagine. In this process of transformation, the wisdom of our ancestors can be a guiding light for us, a source of help and profound inspiration.
Giulio Saltelli is a teacher of Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Kung Fu, and Daoist Meditation methods.
He studied for three years with Master Du Song Feng (Li Shifu) at the Temple of the Five Immortals at Wudang, China, where he also worked for two years as a Chinese/English instructor and translator.
He was taught karate by his father from the age of five and began practicing Tai Chi Chuan and seated meditation at the age of 18. His first contact with the Wudang mountains was at the age of 19 during his first trip to China when he studied for a year with various kung fu academies and teachers before meeting his master at the Five Immortals.
In 2015, he founded Wudang Tian Ma (now Spirit Arts academy) and dedicated himself to teaching seminars and retreats on Taoist arts and spiritual practice.
Daoism is a tradition still largely unknown and unexplored. I feel extremely grateful to have been able to study the methods and teachings passed down by ancient Taoist masters, and I have a deep desire to contribute to the spread of this tradition to give everyone who wishes the opportunity to study and practice it.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi (or Tai ji) is an ancient practice that combines energetic exercises (Qi Gong) with martial techniques.
The name Tai Chi refers to Taoist Cosmology and can be roughly translated as "supreme unity," the stage of creation where everything exists in unity.
Tai Chi Quan expresses this principle in all its aspects, from the most superficial to the deepest.
It harmoniously combines meditation, energy practices, martial practices, and health.
The exercises are characterized by slow, steady, and relaxed movements, like flowing water that never stops, and by low postures and techniques to increase inner strength.
With relaxation and coordination, it is possible to remove physical and energetic obstacles, open the flow of meridians, and eliminate the root of diseases.
In this way, Tai Chi is practiced simultaneously at the level of the body, energy, and spirit, seen as different expressions of the same life force that animates the universe.
Qi Gong
Qi Gong (or chi kung) is an ancient Chinese practice that aims to heal and prevent diseases, calm the mind, and learn to consciously control the energies of our body and nature.
The name "Qi Gong" is a historically new name and has been used to define in one word the great variety of Chinese energetic practices.
The exercises we will practice in our class are a combination of standing static and dynamic postures and meditation.
These meditative practices include and combine breathing, relaxation, stretching, concentration, visualization, exercises to strengthen the body, and control energy.
They are based on Yin and Yang theories, ancient medicine, and also Daoist principles, philosophy, and practices.
For this reason, in addition to healing and strengthening the body, these practices also aim to cultivate character and connect with high wisdom to open new doors to understanding ourselves and the universe.
A journey to the Temple of the Five Immortals
