Online Tai Chi Review A student shares their testimonial of learning Chen Tai Chi online via Zoom with instructor Nicola of Earth Balance Tai Chi. Dated July 2019 “Tai Chi and Qigong are wonderful teachings. They are truly accessible to all. No matter age, physically ability or fitness, you can improve your health. You can…
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,…
Tai Chi for Over Thinkers For people that tend to over-think, the slow moving practices of Tai Chi and Qigong can be a great way to calm the mind, restore grounding and connection to our physical bodies. The Buddhists practice ‘nowness’, is what we call ‘mindfulness’ today, a single point of focus. Our Tai Chi…
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…
Tai Chi for Anxiety and Depression I am often asked will Tai Chi and Qigong cure anxiety and depression? Simply no. They are not a replacement for professional psychology, psychotherapy or talking therapy. If you live with anxiety or depression, it is advised to seek professional advice. Tai Chi, Qigong and Taoist mediation can help…
Health Baselines Learning to Take Care of Yourself In my classes I often talk about exercising and training gracefully to your own physical baseline. This phrase comes from my teacher Casey Kochmer, from Personal Tao. Read his article on baselines here. We all have a unique health baseline, that changes with the ebb and flow…
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 Tai Chi and Qigong as dynamic movement practices to aid the genetic connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS). Hello everyone, I’m Nicola, a Tai Chi, Qigong and meditation instructor and I live with hypermobility EDS. This article explores how mindful dynamic movements can support the symptoms of…
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…
Learn movement and stillness practices to help manage the symptoms of chronic pain. The Hibernating Bear Tai Chi syllabus has been specifically designed by instructor Nicola for those living with a different health baseline from the norm. This 10 week ‘private tuition’ course covers a variety of techniques that give insight into natural ways to aid the physical and psychological impact of living with chronic pain.
Instructor Nicola has distilled her professional Tai Chi, Qigong and meditation experience along with her research and personal experience living with chronic and acute pain to create this unique course. The course content will be guided by you, your baseline, your pacing and your needs. Take a gentle yet powerful step towards personal health and wellbeing.
Instructor Nicola has been a regular Tai Chi and Qigong blogger since 2010. This E-Book is a collection of her Tai Chi, Qigong and meditation musings, covering the learning process, expectations, principles and movements. Purchase of this book helps support this website and is an opportunity to read all of the articles in a formatted way without advertisements.
Challenges in Tai Chi Training As a student, you can expect many challenges to come up during your training in a group class and your practice at home. Try to hold a positive approach, seeing challenge as opportunity. Tai Chi and Qigong are life-long practices, there will be times you are enthusiastic and highly motivated…
Motivation in your Tai Chi Practice “Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing. That’s the Law of Consistency. It doesn’t matter how talented you are. It doesn’t matter how many opportunities you receive. If you want to grow, consistency is key.” — John C. Maxwell First let’s look at the difference between intrinsic…
The Hips in Tai Chi The importance of aligning the pelvis and hips in your Tai Chi practice, to improve the quality of your Tai Chi movements and your ability to absorb and generate martial power. In turn, this aids your postural health, how well your organs function and your ability to breathe deeply. Aligning…
Pain Instructs Training Tai Chi and Qigong during times of injury, chronic and acute pain can offer some unusual benefits. Simply put, pain instructs. It’s one of the responses in the body that is not subtle, it hurts and we react to it. When you experience physical pain in your Tai Chi or Qigong practice,…