Early birthday celebration at Yang Family Heights (McKinleyville, CA)
Photo: Flurina N.

Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming’s 80th Birthday

On August 11th, Dr. Yang will reach a significant milestone when he turns 80 years young. In Chinese culture, turning 80 carries deep symbolic weight tied to longevity and family tradition. The number 8 (八, bā) sounds like 發 (fā), meaning “prosperity,” making this milestone especially auspicious. Birthdays that mark multiples of ten are celebrated on a much larger scale than yearly observances and turning 80 is traditionally honored with a major family gathering.

On behalf of YMAA members around the world, Happy 80th Birthday, Dr. Yang!

For those who wish to honor Dr. Yang in the Chinese tradition, a monetary gift presented in a red envelope is a customary way to express respect and wish him continued health and longevity. If you’d like to participate, gifts are welcome via PayPal, ideally arriving on or before his birthday on August 11th.

Check
Payee: Jwing-Ming Yang
Mail to: 2112 Ollivier Road, McKinleyville, CA 95519

PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/yangjwingming
(“Send as Friend”)

Recent Events

Dr. Yang’s Summer Seminars

Yang Family Heights in McKinleyville, CA

Dr. Yang’s summer seminars are nearly complete, drawing students from across the US as well as Egypt, France, Iceland, and Australia. Many have attended consistently over the years — returning to train with their teacher, deepen their understanding, and reconnect with fellow practitioners and friends. Several YMAA directors and students were in attendance including:

Angela Laughingheart (YMAA Tucson Tai Chi)
Jonathan Chang (Wu An Martial Arts – YMAA Wu An)
Laurent Magne (YMAA Paris Nord)
Michelle Lin (Wu An Martial Arts – YMAA Wu An)
Paul McIntyre (OC Tai Chi Academy – YMAA Orange County)
Phil Dunwoody (YMAA Huntingdon Tai Chi)
Roger Blough (Qi Elements – YMAA Metro DC) (new school)

Dr. Yang began offering these seminars while residing at the YMAA Retreat Center in Miranda, CA, from 2008–2021 (excluding 2020). Since 2022, seminars have been held at his home in McKinleyville, CA, 5 hours north of San Francisco.

In early 2027, Dr. Yang will announce whether he will offer seminars that summer.

YMAA Venezuela: Rebuilding Amid Tragedy

The director of YMAA Venezuela, Eucaris Navarro, recently stepped down and the school has entered a rebuilding phase. New director Walter Hernández (known as Taruu Sahana) is in contact with instructors across YMAA Latin America and is in the process of establishing provisional status for YMAA Venezuela.

This transition comes at an especially difficult time for the country. On June 24, 2026, two powerful earthquakes struck northwestern and central Venezuela. As of August, reports estimate more than 6,100 people dead, 61,000 hospitalized, and tens of thousands still missing, though figures vary by source.

Fortunately, no one in the YMAA community was injured though many nearby buildings were destroyed. Taruu and his family have since been volunteering at disaster sites, clearing rubble and distributing food and supplies to those affected. Given heavy government corruption, trust in domestic charities remains low, making grassroots efforts like theirs especially vital.

Please keep the YMAA Venezuela community in your thoughts as they navigate both this leadership transition and the aftermath of the earthquakes.

If you’re able to support their recovery efforts directly, please reach out to Taruu via email for more information.

From Our Community

Chinese Herbal Formula of the Month

August — Juan Bi Tang
蹲痹汤 “Remove Painful Obstruction Decoction”

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Essay

The Shape of Water

Perhaps the question is not what must change in life.


Perhaps the real question is what has become so rigid within us that it no longer allows change to pass through.

Some stones remain beneath water for thousands of years and are still stone. Yet water, without intention or effort, always finds its way between them.

Often, we spend an entire lifetime protecting our shape—what we believe ourselves to be, what others believe us to be, and what we imagine we ought to become.

Life, however, has little interest in fixed forms. It is more like a current, endlessly overflowing every definition we try to give it.

Perhaps that is why the deepest transformations rarely feel like achievements. More often, they feel like losses.

The loss of attachment to a personal narrative.
The loss of the need to know.
The loss of the imagined center that once claimed everything as its own.

And suddenly, something becomes lighter.

Not because an answer has finally been found, but because, for the first time, even the question has dissolved into the water.

— Aryanmehr
Director, YMAA Iran
Business Development Director, YMAA International – America HQ

Despite living through repeated bombardments, Aryanmehr has been able to maintain contact with the board of directors. YMAA Iran members strive to continue their work as best as they can and appreciate the support and understanding from the broader YMAA community.

Upcoming Events

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Dr. Yang’s Los Angeles Seminar

October 2nd – 4th at YMAA Orange County