Senior Master Chin Min Lian lead the park lesson at Ruffey Lake Park, Doncaster, on Saturday 29th April 2023. Before commencing the class, he spoke about the significance of this day.
World Tai Chi & Qigong Day is really something quite special. It is held every year on the last Saturday of April, and many nations in the world participate. At 10am local time, all over the world, people participate in Tai Chi, Qigong and Mind Body events. It starts in the eastern time zones of New Zealand and spreads worldwide, finishing in Hawaii.
And so, at 10 am in our local time zone in Doncaster, we began our lesson with a lovely warm-up by Instructor Christina Koh. Thanks Christina.
Then we worked with SM Chin Min on the opening four movements of the Da Wu Qigong. Da Wu means the Big Dance and is one of the ancient Qigong forms which has been standardized by the Chinese Health Qigong Association. It emphasizes flexibility and rotation of joints throughout the body. SM Chin Min has been teaching this form for some time now, in classes and workshops, and it is a lovely set to learn – if only I could remember it! It’s a very graceful form involving some rather unusual postures. I read that it helps “prevent illness and will improve health and long life”. So I had better start remembering it.
Then we broke off into groups and worked on various aspects of our College’s Traditional 108 Yang Tai Chi, as usual.
At the end of the session, SM Chin Min demonstrated the Phoenix fan routine, which he always does so beautifully, inspiring us all in our endeavours.
It is true that the sun always shines on SM Chin Min. It turned into a lovely, sunny morning, so unexpectedly warm that we were all stripping off outer coats, gloves, scarves etc.
There was a good turn out with approximately 50 attendees who enjoyed the experience of this wonderful event.
Next year, when you read of World Tai Chi & Qigong Day on the College website, or hear it announced in class, please consider coming to this special Event. The motto of the day is “One World One Breath”. A great wave of Qi spreading over the world. How good to be a part of that.
Joy Muir
Instructor, Moonee Ponds Centre
Updated: 4 June 2023
