The daily routine included a morning Taoist scripture chanting session at 5:30 am in the temple, morning and afternoon training sessions in Wudang tai chi, and Taoist lectures in the early evening.
She also learned traditional Chinese healthcare from Taoist doctors such as Wang Taike and Zhu Huaying; and learned to play the guqin, the seven-stringed, plucked Chinese instrument, from Taoist nun Fang Chongyi.
She describes Wudang as a "holy land" of "extraordinary Taoist kungfu masters, magnificent natural beauty, pure-hearted nuns, warm-hearted priests, as well as refreshing vegetarian foods".
In Osterman's view, Taoism is not just a metaphysical theory but a better way of life.
"Being modest, natural, retaining tranquility and purity of the heart are the greatest treasures that I have received by studying Taoism and practicing Taoist kungfu," she says.
Jackie Sheargold, a massage therapist from New Zealand, shares the same passion as Osterman.
She has visited the academy for five consecutive years, to improve her tai chi skills.
Back home, Sheargold has practiced qigong, and tai chi for at least 10 years, and has used Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to help cure her clients.
"I have progressed to the point that I am really enjoying Taoist philosophy and I'm trying to incorporate it into my life," she says.
For Raphael Robert Zanders-McNeil, a Chinese language major from San Francisco, learning Wudang kungfu has been a dream since he was a teenager when he watched a movie featuring Wudang Taoist warriors.
Zanders-McNeil has been practicing Chinese kungfu for about 10 years. His focus is Wudang jianfa, or Taoist sword techniques.
Besides the demanding routines that include "lots of kicks and difficult stances", he studies the Tao Te Ching, the supreme Taoist canon, and books about Ba Gua Zhang Boxing, a sub-branch of China's Taoist kungfu.
Asked about the benefit of practicing Wudang kungfu he says it benefits the development of one's character and body.
"Physically, you can stay healthy. It keeps your mind focused and gives you a clear awareness of your body and the environment, and of yourself and others."
Although Taoism behind Wudang kungfu is ancient Chinese wisdom, Zanders-McNeil insists that it is relevant to his life.
"The Taoist ideas have a universal meaning. It does not matter whether you come from the East or the West," he says. "If more people were exposed to the Taoist approach, the world would be a better place."
Bjarte Simon Hiley, a young man from Norway, is on a mission. When he was young, Hiley began practicing kungfu under the guidance of his mother and has studied under many kungfu masters.
His mother, Pamela Hiley, the director and founder of Norsk Taiji Senter, in 1983, is widely considered to be one of Europe's most experienced tai chi and qigong instructors and the first professional instructor of kungfu in Norway.
"In Norway, more and more people are interested in learning kungfu, especially tai chi," he says. "Every week, hundreds of students come to learn from my mother at the Norsk Taiji Senter."
A graduate of Beijing Sports University's wushu department, Hiley has for three straight years learned a wide variety of Wudang kungfu skills, both bare-fist and weapon skills. The Ba Xian Gun, or Eight Immortals Staff, is his favorite item.
Print
Save