Qigong Wall Squatting The Qigong wall squat is a dynamic whole body movement. An ultimate squat that develops leg strength, power, balance and body awareness. The stretching and relaxing wave like motion in the spine gives circulation a boost, helps the body detox and massages your internal organs to aid their functioning. As a beginner…
Learn to Breathe Well for Life 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 your body function….
Emotions and Body Awareness For over-thinking, cyclical thinking and catastrophising when you get into a certain mindset it can be difficult to stop the mind getting carried away with itself. The mind will latch on to memories and stories from the past or it will make stories up about the future. Try this simple exercise to…
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…
Self Managing Chronic Pain For those living with chronic pain who would like to be active in their self care management, read over my collection of resources that aim to naturally and holistically support you. Explore gentle and powerful methods for both mind and body to change your pain experience. I understand personally the impact…
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…
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…
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 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…
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, and is rooted in traditional Taoist practice. By holding a posture in stillness you can…
Meditation of the Inner Smile PART TWO Taoist Wisdom for Wellbeing. The inner smile is a meditation practice using the five transformational energies: wood, fire, earth, water and metal, known as the five elements from the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This second part of the blog series looks at the mid line and back…
Meditation of the Inner Smile PART ONE Cleanse & Purify the Internal Body with Taoist Meditation. The inner smile is preparatory meditation that cleanses the organs and internal body. Using the human smile as a connection to inner healing for health, happiness and longevity. The smile is the gateway to relaxation. By focusing our smiling…
Help Reduce Stress Do you have a spare 5, 10 or 15 minutes today? What are you doing whilst the kettle is boiling? Can you grab 15 minutes of privacy? Whilst the dinner is in the oven can you take 10 minutes ‘me time’? You don’t always have to dedicate 1 hour to your daily…
Parasympathetic System and Tai Chi Learn how to activate the relaxation response and the vagus nerve with deep breathing, slow connected whole body movements and applied relaxation. First let’s look at the mechanics of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. Together they are known as the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Stress = activation of the…
Tai Chi for Arthritis Aiding Symptoms of Chronic Illness For people living with arthritis, Tai Chi and Qigong can be a great way to keep moving without impact whilst exercising the body in a gentle yet powerful way. The symptoms of arthritis can be debilitating, which makes approaching any form of exercise difficult to manage….