Tai Chi Instructor

Where Movements Follow Nature

"The best part of teaching Tai Chi and Qigong is passing on the contagion of passionate learning. At the end of a lesson when a student is smiling from ear to ear with childlike excitement, those moments are to be cherished."

Hello, I am Nicola, the instructor and owner of Earth Balance Tai Chi.  Welcome to my school of Chen Tai Chi, Qi Gong and Taoist meditation, where I teach the Classical Chinese arts for health, happiness and longevity. My school is based on the Isle of Wight, I teach in the community, online via Zoom and through video on demand courses. I have been a Tai Chi and Qigong student since 2006 and continue to study, learn and practice every day. I have taught classes as an instructor within the community since 2010 and have been teaching group and private classes online via Zoom since 2016.

I live with Ehlers Danlos syndrome (EDS). During the first few years of my Tai Chi and Qigong journey as a student, I found the movements so beneficial for my health that it led me to become an instructor.  My personal journey has given me a unique understanding of chronic health, relating to healthy exercise, pain management, working gracefully with chronic fatigue, training to my baseline, and managing the psychological aspects of chronic health. Combine this with professional study of the human body in movement and stillness, brings us up to today.

Living with hypermobility, there is an unpredictable nature to the degenerative effects.  As I age, the management of my base-line is becoming much more intense. Every movement I make in my practice has purpose, focus, principles and alignment.  I meet each day, no matter how challenging, with hope and perseverance, as everyday holds potential, even in times of rest and rejuvenation. My aim as an instructor is to show people that there are other routes to improved health and wellbeing, rather than reliance on allopathic medicine and our crumbling health service.  All treatments within my management programme are naturopathic and holistic. Healthy, frequent and accurate Tai Chi/Qigong movements are a key part of my managing my health and wellbeing and I hope that I can pass on my dedication to others.

I created the Hibernating Bear programme to support others living with chronic health to improve their health, wellbeing and quality of life through movement and stillness practices. I have also spent the last 14 years writing my blog on all things Tai Chi, Qigong, dedicating my time to raising awareness for chronic illness and mental health support. Browse the blog here.