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…
February Taiji Push Hands Seminar Our friend Mat Ward of Inner Harmony School will be returning to Horsham in February 2014 for the second workshop focusing on Tai Chi partner work, push hands, sensitivity training, throwing away our hard strength and learning to yield. Join us for an afternoon of Tai Chi exploration, self discovery…
Knee Alignment Tai Chi Improving Posture in your Tai Chi Practice In Tai Chi and Qigong practice, correct knee alignment is often neglected which can lead to pain, injury and long-term damage. As the largest and most complex joint in the body the knee is more likely to get damaged than other joints. The knee…
Taiji Qigong Chronic Fatigue How the Classical Chinese Arts can aid the symptoms of CFS One of my students has written a personal account of her Qigong practice relating to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: “I had been diagnosed with CFS in 2009, following a bout of swine flu and a chest infection, which left me with…
Organ Health in Taiji Qigong There are over 70 organs in the human body which work together to keep us alive. The core of our health and longevity stems from how well our internal organs function. Poor lifestyle can reduce the effectiveness of our organs leading to ill-health and reduced wellbeing.   In the practices of…
Importance of Silk Reeling Silk reeling is at the centre of Chen style Tai Chi training, helping the student to develop strength, co-ordination, body awareness, unity in movement, relaxation and grounding. Also known as Chan Si Gong; Chan (pulling), Si (silk) and Gong (skill achieved through applied effort). Chan Si Jin = A spiralling and…
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…
Rooting in Tai Chi One of the main principles in Chen Tai Chi training is rooting / grounding / sinking / balancing. This principle combines three concepts: Chen (pronounced chuen) which means rooting and sinking Qi to Dantian Zhongding which means central equilibrium, stable and balanced. Song which means applied relaxation. Without a root there…
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…
Peng Jin in Tai Chi Peng jin is the primary principle in learning Chen Tai Chi. It is a whole body quality that times time, effort and patience to develop within your structure. Once established, it should always be present. When beginner students notice that their movements and structure looks different from their teacher, on…
Qigong for Parkinsons Disease Parkinson’s disease is a nervous system disorder where the nerve cells found within the brain that produce the chemical called dopamine start to die off. This leads to the many symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Main Symptoms Tremors Slowness of movement Rigid body / rigid movement Bladder and bowel problems Swallowing and…
Tai Chi for Heart Failure What is Heart Failure Heart failure is a chronic condition. When the heart muscle becomes damaged it is unable to heal itself, this results in blood/oxygen not pumping around the body as well as it could do. This creates stress on the body as it cannot function normally. Possible Damage…
Tai Chi and Hypermobility Joint Syndrome As a Tai Chi Instructor I live with hypermobility. The good news is that Tai Chi, Qi Gong and Meditation are all recommended ways to help manage the symptoms of this connective tissue disorder. I changed career in 2010 to become a Tai Chi and Qigong instructor when my…
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 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…