Types of Meditation There are thousands of types of meditation and mindfulness practices, varying from stillness to movement. You can be seated, standing, lying down, walking, dancing or doing. When starting out with meditation, practice a very simple method like pausing or focusing on the breath, daily or every other day if possible for small…
Slowing Down in a Fast World If you consider your daily routine, what tasks and activities do you do at speed? I don’t mean sports where you deliberately train fast for aerobic exercise and strength and conditioning training. I mean everything from chores to work, to speaking and movement. If you observe your pace, you…
I found this poet on social media, and the poem had such an impact on me that I wanted to share John’s words with you. The relationship between his poem and our Tai Chi and Qigong training is quite profound, not much renders me speechless these days, and this poem did. I hope you enjoy…
Meditation Myths There is a lot of misinformation about what meditation and mindfulness are, mixed in with unnecessary stereotypes and superiority. For many this puts the stillness practices out of reach. When I teach meditation and mindfulness, I strip away preconception, expectation and myths. Simplicity is the key. On a basic level mindfulness and meditation…
Spring Qi for the Liver Spring is a time of re-birth and new growth. A time for outward expression, like the first signs of plant life that burst out of the earth. A time for new beginnings and waking up. Spring is governed by the wood element and the liver organ in Traditional Chinese Medicine…
Ways to Relieve Stress I would go as far as saying that stress is one of the most silent health disorders of our modern times. Managing stress is often overlooked and seen as trivial. There is growing pressure on everyone, to go faster, be more productive, achieve more, do more and so on. Before we look…
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…
ReMap Course Isle of Wight Movement and Stillness for Health and Wellbeing March – June 2019 Isle of Wight charity the Independent Arts are launching a new project entitled ‘ReMap’ on 20th March in conjunction with the ‘Chronic Pain’ department at St Mary’s Hospital. This project is designed to help people manage their chronic pain…
Tai Chi for Serotonin, Dopamine, Endorphins Serotonin is a naturally occurring substance (chemical neurotransmitter) within the human body. It helps to control our mood, emotions, thought patterns, learning and sleep by carrying signals in between the nerve cells (neurons). It is located in the intestines, within the central nervous system, the brain and in blood…
Tai Chi for Depression This webpage shares student experiences of training Tai Chi and Qingong when living with depression. For more information about the many benefits of the Classical Chinese practices, read my article on how Tai Chi and Qigong can aid anxiety and depression. Written by Anon, Female Tai Chi and Qigong Student. “The…
Compassionate Tai Chi Can Tai Chi and Qigong help you become more compassionate with yourself and others? Regular practice of the Classical Chinese arts helps bring about a positive change in personal health, happiness and longevity. The slow-moving exercises and stillness practices slow down the mind, reduce internal chatter and allow us to focus on the…
Improving Health Naturally Are you happy with your health? Imagine this scenario: ‘You go to the Doctors surgery for a general check up with a few nagging problems and he offers you a course of tablets that could offer the following health benefits. There aren’t any side effects and the tablets are totally natural, would…
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 SAD SAD stands for seasonal affective disorder. Commonly talked about as the winter blues, SAD is a serious condition that affects many people over the winter months. Linked with the lack in our bodies of Vitamin D from natural sunlight, this condition can be hard to diagnose as the symptoms are similar…
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…
