Tai Chi is many things but at its heart it is an art focused on cultivation. It has a deep understanding of martial arts, strength and conditioning, health practices, philosophy, energy work (Qi Gong) and meditation which when put together, creates something unique and greater than the sum of its parts.

In class we focus on building a strong, healthy, relaxed and balanced body. This can be done in many ways but one is by practicing standing exercises (Zhan Zhuang), which teach us how to align, relax, open and link the body together and create and very strong root.

We then practice releasing force from the feet through the body and into the hands. In Tai Chi everything works together, we say if the centre is still, the body rests, if the centre moves, the whole body is in motion! With practice, force being expressed through the body creates an expansion and contraction of the joints and prioritizes the use of the tendons and facia. This results in a body that contracts and expands, coils and releases and can have a gentle or explosive expressions of force.

The mind all the while remains calm and focused on the centre and anchored within the body. We learn to harmonize the mind, breath and body so that all three become integrated.

Students often quickly find that their posture and balance have improved, they have become stronger. Old aches and pains start to disappear, their mind body connection grows, and their full body power greatly increases.

In this new class we will start at the beginning.

I like to teach in a way that enables you to acquire a skill set. So that after a 6 to 8 weeks you have a clear understanding of exercises that you can practice alone and can see a clear progression in your abilities.

The class is open to everyone, all age groups and fitness levels.

Classes trial schedule:

• 9th, 16th,23rd & 30th Jan at 08:00
• 6th, 13th & 20th Feb at 08:00

Included in your membership.

Book on the members app.

People sometimes come to me to practice Tai Chi and Qi Gong because they have health problems. Some struggle with their balance, painful joints, back problems, immobility, tiredness, depression, Arthritis, Parkinson's, or they just want to get stronger and develop their muscle and tendon strength and increase their bone density. These Arts are often prescribed by Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine to help slow or even prevent many medical conditions.

In this workshop, we will start at the beginning. We will look at how to stand. How to the align the spine and joints in a way that enables us to stand comfortably, remain calm and to gently express force through the body.

When the body is correctly aligned and relaxed, then the breath will naturally sink down into the lower belly, to the center. We will look at how to link the mind, breath and the body so that they work in harmony and finally, we will learn a set of movements that are famous in Tai Chi, known as ’Grasping the Sparrows Tail’.

The effects of Tai Chi and Qi Gong are far reaching and have the potential to greatly change our lives for the better. With practice, the mind becomes more calm, able to focus and stay comfortably within the body. The breath settles, deepens and sinks down into the lower belly to the center known as the Dan Tien. The body transforms!

We learn to push the breath through the body, we lower our center of balance and become more stable, we release the tension imbedded in the muscles and connective tissues, this allows the skeletal frame to open and for us to heal old and persistent injuries. The strength in our muscles, tendons and bones increase and our energy levels rise, we have more vitality and are more present.

This introduction to Tai Chi & Qi Gong workshop is open to people of all ages, fitness levels and to beginner and advanced practitioners.

• Sunday, 2nd February 09:30 - 12:00

Investment: £35 for members

£45 for member guests

Minimum of 5 to run