Judy and I are once again running the Celebrating Spirals in Tai Chi and Alexander Technique seminar at The Letchworth Centre for Healthy Living on Sunday 13th July –  this was a really fun session last year and we look forward to meeting some old friends and some new ones again this year.

Spirals are not just fun – they are healthy and natural – our joints, muscles and vital organs benefit significantly when we move in spirals, especially when we spiral around a lengthening spine with a beautifully poised head. Our muscles are stretched and toned, especially the abdominals, and our organs are massaged and oxygenated – likewise spiral movement enables us to utilise the elastic properties of the fascia within our bodies and to develop a light and limber resilience to our body usage.

For more information please see here.

 

Update – please note Luton Classes are now held at Chaul End Community Centre, for details please see here.

I am delighted to be starting regular Tai Chi classes in Luton from September 3rd at the Hightown Community Sports & Arts Centre – this in response to 4 existing students from the Luton area who would like to practice more often!
The classes will be suitable for beginners with a range of Tai Chi and Chi Kung exercises plus a short form of the basic Chen style routine.

Chen style Tai Chi Chuan or Taijiquan is valued for health, relaxation, personal development and martial arts. It is believed to be the original codified version of Tai Chi and is considered suitable for all ages. Chen-style focuses on
softness with calm relaxed movement, balance, good posture and a quiet mind. Developing awareness of inner body feelings and of mental/emotional states is seen as an important aspect. Please see www.taichiluton.org  for more information.

I have often come across the suggestion ( originally in Karate ) that ” you should train with only one teacher” – but have found that actually all the teachers I have trained with have had many teachers themselves, indeed the really good ones have actively sought out  other teachers and I have come to the conclusion that it is actually quite simple – train with one teacher consistently until you have enough experience and insight to understand what you are going to look for – then find other teachers and other styles. This may be part time – say for a few seminars, or it may be in parallel with your existing Tai Chi or other martial arts classes, perhaps you may travel to other countries occasionally and learn there.

The point is you have to have sufficient ability first – then you can go out and get a different perspective. If you only ever train with one person then you only get one perspective – martial arts is such a huge area that one perspective is not enough to understand this multi-dimensional subject. This is true, I would suggest, in other areas as well – such as my hobby of golf – at least two perspectives on a subject at allows stereo depth vision – a triangulation as it were.

If you come to the conclusion that your original teacher – or one of the others particularly suits you then you have learned something about yourself and are in a position to make an informed choice about your way forward.

 

 

My thanks to the publication – “Into Mountains, Over Streams – Journal of Internal Arts and Culture” for republishing one of my articles “Body Mapping Chi, & Muscle Power” – more than my article itself the journal is well worth a look as it covers a wealth of material on healing, internal practices, meditation etc.

Talk about a cornucopia of choices I hear that Grandmaster Chen Xioawang will be in London in November as follows:

Seminars with Master Chen Xiaowang in London

5 to 11 November

Contact: Patrick Wan

[email protected]

http://www.wctauk.com/index.htm

Calligraphy & Taiji with master Chen on 11 November

Contact: Chris Jones

[email protected]

 

Very soon now we have our own seminar – Tai Chi Exercises and Meditation with Alexander Technique – at the Letchworth Centre for Healthy Living this Sunday – we still have a few places left and Judy Hammond and I are really looking forward to working with everybody. Please contact the Centre to book your place.

My own teachers Karel and Eva Koskuba have the following:

Chen style Pushing Hands Patterns – Sunday 27 October 2013 with Karel – Learning and improving pushing hands patterns with the  emphasis on using correct Alignment, Rooting, Listening, Sticking Following and Neutralising. When:  10:30 to 17:30 Where: Swallowfield LF  Fee: £55 or £50 for CIAA members

Chen Taiji Double-Fan with Eva – Weekend 2/3 November and 23 November 2013 This seminar will give students an opportunity to learn the whole Chen Taiji Double-Fan form. When:  10:30 – 16:30 on 2/3 November 10:30 – 13:30 on 23 November Where: Swallowfield LF  Fee:  £120 or £100 for CIAA members

Joint Manipulation (Qinna) – Sunday 17 November 2013 with Karel • principles of joint locks • control of the opponent’s body and movement by controlling their joints • how joint locks can be countered/neutralised  When:  10:30 to 17:30 on 17 November. Where: Swallowfield LF  Cost: £55 or £50 for CIAA members.

Please see their website for contact details.

I have also noticed that Master Chen Ying Jun is in the Reading/Wokingham area in mid November – see Berkshire Tai Chi for details – and Master Chen Bing is in Oxford in mid December – see Oxford Tai Chi for details.

All are well worth attending – I am having trouble rationing myself  – such a wealth of opportunity!

We are pleased to announce a one day workshop at The Letchworth Centre for Healthy Living on Sunday 24th November 2013, 10-4pm. The workshop will focus on key concepts and practices from Tai Chi and the Alexander Technique, taught so as to facilitate a real sense of positive change in body and mind. It will cover basic concepts and exercises in Tai Chi and Alexander Technique at a level appropriate for carers of those with such conditions as: Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Fall vulnerabilities, Rehabilitation, Age-related deterioration, Chronic back pain, Spinal injuries, Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, Depression/Anxiety, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

The benefits of Tai Chi and Alexander Technique are of course well known both for general health and well-being and for people with specific needs and challenges. Since both operate on common principles, when taught together the resulting quality of movement can be truly transforming.

Carers will be taken through a basic Tai Chi/Alexander approach to inform their professional lives or role as familial carers as to the value of these alternative practices. The clear, detailed teaching methods aim to equip participants with a range of self-maintenance resources, plus the ability to pass on relevant material to the people they care for.

Seminar content will include: History and relevance of Tai Chi and Alexander Technique, basic exercises, mindfulness in movement, keeping a “Tai Chi” diary, care points, theory and approach to movement, matching practice to the individual, and clarity in communication.

The cost will be £50. For further information or to book your place contact The Letchworth Centre for Healthy Living – www.letchworthcentre.org, also see www.movingmindfully.com and www.sheffordtaichi.org.

We are pleased to announce a one-day seminar covering Tai Chi related exercises and meditation with the added benefit of Alexander Technique, hosted at The Letchworth Centre for Healthy Living on 20^th October 2013 from 10 – 4pm. 

The mix of meditation and movement combines to create internal awareness and understanding of our body usage – this seminar will take time to explore how we can develop this mind-body link. In addition to Chen Style Tai Chi Ian has a particular interest in Zen Meditation. Judy Hammond is a highly experienced Alexander teacher who has a very hands-on approach to internal meditation. The combination makes a great mix – we look forward to a very enjoyable day.

The cost will be £50. For further information or to book your place contact The Letchworth Centre for Healthy Living – www.letchworthcentre.org, also see www.movingmindfully.com and www.sheffordtaichi.org.

I recently came across a whole range of papers about Tai Chi for health in The American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation – all positive stuff and worth a read.

Subjects include :

Tai Chi for Stroke Rehabilitation

Tai Chi Treatment for Depression in Chinese Americans

Evaluating the Safety and Potential Use of A Weight-Bearing Exercise, Tai-Chi Chuan, for Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Comprehensive Therapeutic Benefits of Taiji: A Critical Review

 

Also from Natural News a couple of pieces on Parkinsons:

http://www.naturalnews.com/037448_Parkinsons_disease_nutritional_therapy_Tai_Chi.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/034971_Tai_Chi_Parkinsons_arthritis.html

and from Hindawi publishing a piece on Tai Chi for Patients with Schizophrenia:

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2012/923925/