Regular practice of tai chi and qigong can bring great health benefits: deeper relaxation, stronger legs, better posture, increased energy and more. And right now there are a variety of ways to study with us. More details are located on the home page of our website.
Peter Wayne gets it very right, and his book is relevant to our school because the Yang Style Short Form is his touchstone (one of several schools and teachers he has studied with), and he often quotes and always honors Professor Cheng Man-Ching.
We’ve probably all experienced moments in our life when our timing has felt off. This experience may have been in a social situation, or perhaps in a professional one. Whatever the situation, it has probably taught us through experience that timing is important. Great comedians know when to deliver punch lines for maximum laughter. Polished orators know when to pause when making speeches to connect with their audience and deliver their message clearly. Great athletes know how important timing is, whether it be the speed of a golf swing or when to make a break away from the field.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUR LUNGS
By Pam Hunt, RRT (Registered Respiratory Therapist)
Life begins with our first breath.
We inhale. We gather in. We pull the outside in.
And we exhale. We release. We push the inside out.
We exchange. In and out. In and out. And we do it again. And again. And again.
And our rhythm is established for our lifetime, until it ends with our last breath.
You don't have to practice croquet to practice croquet
By Edna Brandt, L.Ac.
My croquet partner and I recently won the spring tournament at my retirement community. The tournament is not our childhood croquet: there are strict rules, and the game requires physical and mental skills, and lots of strategy.
Hall of Happiness
By Professor Cheng Man-Ching
May the joy that is everlasting gather in this hall. Not the joy of a sumptuous feast, which slips away even as we leave the table; nor that which music brings—it is only of a limited duration. Beauty and a pretty face are like flowers; they bloom for a while, then die. Even our youth slips swiftly away and is gone.
Softening & Letting Go In the Time of COVID-19
By Marina Muhlfriedel
We've all said it. Sheltering at home has made it difficult to keep track of the days and, perhaps, to measure the progress of our projects. If you're like me, you've strived to create anchors that keep the weeks intact, safe from floating by unnoticed. Scheduled events like Sunday dinners, morning gardening, and 4 pm dog walks provide a modicum of structure and normalcy.
Still Life with T’ai Chi & Onions
By Fran Snyder
We had to clean the kitchen in the old way of my grandmother before Passover -- everything out, scrub, everything but the forbidden back in. In this case, my daughter and her husband are coming for the summer. She has severe food allergies, and we needed to atone for all her forbidden foods that we’ve eaten since last they came. Besides, it was time to clean the kitchen -- a brutal and sweaty job.
Tai Chi in the Time of Coronavirus!
By Margaret Olmsted
The world is experiencing a major challenge these days. In a time when people more than ever need a way to relax and build their immune systems, we are asked to stay home and physical-distance. In-person tai chi classes have mostly stopped and many people are missing them. But tai chi teachers everywhere have gotten creative and are offering classes online using the Zoom app and other means.
Written Chinese is a language of images, and images engage a different part of our brains than words do. Since exploring a language is a window into how a culture thinks, getting familiar with a few of the basic terms of tai chi will give you a deeper understanding of the Chinese paradigm of health and well-being, as well as help you to explain tai chi principles to students and prospective students.