Two Plates in Tai Chi Pelvic Floor & Diaphragm The pelvic floor and diaphragm connection are important to consider in your Tai Chi practice. They are called the two plates and are coordinated in movement and breath work. Spending time practising the connection will help develop your form and improve your posture. The principles that…
Nourish Through Breath Part 5 Qigong Breathing for Health The fifth part in this breath work programme looks at developing your breath work by combining whole body movement. The heavenly breath is a foundation Qigong practice that is co-ordinated with diaphragmatic breathing. You can also learn to train your breath to become slower over time,…
Nourish Through Breath Part 4 Learn Breath Work Techniques The next part in my better breathing series, looks at the involvement of the pelvic floor when taking a full diaphragmatic breath, for both the relaxing Buddhist breath and the energetic Taoist breath. Learn about balloon breathing and kidney breathing techniques to develop your breath work…
Nourish Through Breath Part 3 Buddhist vs Taoist Breath Work Welcome to my breath work course. This part of the programme looks at the two main breathing techniques, known as the relaxation breath and the energetic breath. Discover the role of the diaphragm in each of these methods and practice breathing a full breath. Part…
Nourish Through Breath Part 2 Teach yourself better breath work techniques for optimum health The second part of my breath work programme, looks at the relationship between pain and poor breathing habits. Learn about the role of the diaphragm muscle when taking a full breath and what the best posture is when performing breath work…
Nourish Through Breath Part 1 Learn to Breathe Better for Health Welcome to my breath work programme, helping you breathe better for optimum health. Breathing can be done anytime, anywhere, by anyone, in fact you are doing it right now. Except are you breathing properly? Does your breathing support your health? The aim of this…
Zhan Zhuang Video Course A Free Programme for Beginner Students Standing like a tree – Standing Pole Zhan Zhuang is a stillness meditation which is a unique and powerful method to awaken the body in stillness. It is an ancient internal Taoist practice to cultivate mind and body. Learn to re-wire your habitual posture, integrate…
Tai Chi for Spine Health The spine is key to health. One of my teachers once said that Tai Chi and Qigong all focus on spinal health. We use the phrase ‘structural integrity’ when talking about the Tai Chi and Qigong posture. This means the posture is aligned correctly, to hold your weight appropriately, to…
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…
Detoxing through Movement The Importance of the Lymph System to Health Most of us know that a sedentary lifestyle causes health to decline, and yet a large part of the population of all ages do not move or exercise regularly. Sitting at a desk, lounging on the sofa, driving, lying in bed and so on….
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…
Ding in Tai Chi How to align your spine correctly in your Tai Chi practice. The principle Ding in Chen Tai Chi means maintaining a well aligned upright spine. It is sometimes described as: Imagine a piece of string is pulling you up from the crown on the top of your head. Elevate the crown…
Psoas Muscle in Tai Chi The psoas (pronounced so-az) muscle isn’t well known and yet plays a huge role in our bodies. It is the deepest muscle in the body and unlike most other muscles it lays buried. This muscle is vital for appropriate alignment/structure, full muscular range of motion and correct joint rotation. Location…
Tai Chi Stillness Principles Physical body alignment. FIXED STEP & STANDING POST TRAINING. As beginners Tai Chi can be seen as simple, yet aligning the correct posture whilst relaxing the body and breathing deeply can be quite difficult. As soon as you concentrate on dropping your shoulders, your lower back closes. Ok, try again…. as…