Our Health Benefits

(and we are not talking politics) A while ago I was curious to know why all forms of Tai Chi and Qigong I have studied and practiced start out to the left. I hunted through my books and the internet and found nothing on this question. Is it something to do with having weapons located…

The marathon lockdowns of 2020/21 may have prevented us from attending regular Taiji classes, but they also provided us with the opportunity to access some wonderful Celestial College videos that were made available online. Whether viewing these demonstrations to learn new moves or, alternatively, to maintain form, they always allowed us to take a partial…

When I start talking about my love of Tai Chi and Qigong – I often get asked “What’s the difference?” This question can be answered in a number of ways. While an instinctive reaction may be to look for differences, it is important to first understand that both Qigong and Tai Chi share a common…

We all know the benefits of Tai Chi, and that practice makes (almost) perfect. So, it’s great that we can take Tai Chi with us when we go on holidays or business trips. I have practised Tai Chi in many different places, and I find it really keeps me centred. There’s nothing like getting into…

What a joy it is to return to class and reconnect with our tai chi buddies. We’ve spent a large part of 2020 with very little human connection, and where there was connection, it was over Zoom or Skype. We practised our tai chi on our own, or not at all. Those moments where groups…

Mindfulness is the ability to be fully in the present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, to not be distracted by what’s going on around us. Mindfulness is a quality that every person already possesses - it’s not something you have to create. In Tai Chi we learn how to develop this…

When I started Tai Chi, under the wonderful instruction of Mario Cianci (Level 1) and Suzette Hosken (Levels 2-6), I knew I struggled a little with keeping my movements slow. Having been a karate student for six years at that stage (now 19 years!), I realised that even though there were numerous similarities between Tai…