Earth Qi for the Pancreas Stomach & Spleen The earth element in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) governs the stomach, pancreas and spleen organs. Earth as an element is located in the centre and is associated with stability and being grounded. This is mirrored in TCM as the stomach, pancreas and spleen are central to health. Stomach,…
Chronic Pain Course ReMap Course Summary – March to June 2019 Wednesday 12 June 2019 saw the completion of the 12 week ReMap course, a movement and stillness class for those living with chronic pain. Over the duration I introduced the students to ‘Hibernating Bear Tai Chi’, covering a variety of Qigong, Chen Tai Chi and…
ReMap Pain Management Movement and Stillness for Health and Wellbeing March – June 2019 The Independent Arts charity launched a new project entitled ‘ReMap’ on 20th March in conjunction with the chronic Pain clinic to see how Tai Chi and Qigong aided life with chronic pain. This project is designed to help people manage their…
Tai Chi Qigong for Ehlers Danlos Exploring the potential of Tai Chi and qigong exercises to aid the genetic connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS). Instructor Nicola lives with hypermobility EDS, you can read her journey in health here. Living with a different health base-line from the norm comes with plenty of challenges, from…
Ebb and Flow In your Tai Chi and Qigong Training Spring is near and life is beginning to return to the earth. My favourite time of year is about to erupt into pink and white blossom. Over the last months, my online lessons have flowed into similar paths. In the winter the challenges that come up…
Taoist Teaching and Mid Life Assistance www.personaltao.com Taoism as a practice helps people live balanced and graceful lives. In China there is a saying: “You retire as a Taoist.” This is a reflection of the fact that Taoism as a teaching is deeply geared to help people come into their life. In the first third…
Tai Chi for Serotonin, Dopamine, Endorphins This articles discusses how to hack into and boost your happy brain chemicals to increase your mood, happiness and wellbeing. Serotonin – for – Good Moods Serotonin is a naturally occurring substance (chemical neurotransmitter) within the human body. It helps to control our mood, emotions, thought patterns, learning and…
The Power of Breathing Breathing and Your Health In ancient Eastern cultures breathing is seen as fundamental to life-long health. This has become lost in the modern world, leaning more on pharmaceutical companies to provide us with ‘better health’. Learning to breathe more effectively can have a profound effect on how the systems in our…
Meditate on Love The art of happiness, compassion and love comes from within. Meditating on love can be done anywhere and at any time. It is one of the open secrets of meditation, it’s simple, effective and requires very little instruction. Training Love and Compassion Qong/Kung in Chinese means ‘skilful work, hard training or endeavour’….
Tai Chi for Cancer Over my years of teaching, I have had the honour of teaching many students who have cancer or are in recovery from cancer. Whether through private tuition in their own home, in my public community classes, teaching as a volunteer within cancer support groups, to teaching care-givers. Some of my students…
Benefits of Smiling A smile is simple, effective and free. In Taoist philosophy the smile is seen as the gateway to health, happiness and longevity. The foundation practice of the inner smile draws on the simplicity of smiling into the internal body as a way to cleanse the organs, cultivate Qi and balance positive/negative emotions….
The Absence of Resistance The meaning of relaxation Through practice, effort and patience you can learn to release physical and mental tension. This helps to reduce pain and fatigue and increases the ability to cope. We are not designed to live in a tight body, it’s a nasty by product of modern life. What if…
Why Smile to our Organs How much attention do you pay your face, hair and body each day? How many times do you look in a mirror a day? Do you know where your organs are in your body or what they look like? In a Western world obsessed with looks, appearance and the exterior…
Tai Chi Standing Zhan Zhuang – Standing Still for Powerful Health Zhan Zhuang is a powerful internal practice where a fixed posture is held for a period of time. It is the foundation of Tai Chi and Qi Gong training, with roots in traditional Taoist practice. By holding a posture in stillness you can develop…
Taoist Six Healing Sounds Taoist Meditation Practice for Health, Happiness and Longevity Further to the article on the meditation of the inner smile, we can extend the practice to include the healing sounds. This ancient practice helps expel negative emotions from the organs, cleanse the organs and transforms them into positive emotions. This can be…