Below is our ever-growing collection of articles on Tai Chi, Qigong and health related subjects.
Many other articles are being prepared and will be available here in due course. These will include the full 37 step tai chi form, qigong practices, meditation skills, health advice and more.
So check back regularly to find more new content.
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The Horse Stance
Whoever you are don’t neglect horse stance training. The horse stance is the most important skill new beginners should focus on. In some traditional schools in China new beginners would do nothing else but the horse stance for months on end until they could stand in a deep stance for…
Ward Off
After the initial opening movements of raising and lowering the arms ward off is the next move. We ward off to the North then to the East. Ward off is a fascinating movement and an excellent demonstration of how yin and yang work to create power. Essentially one half of…
Qi – The energy of life
The Chinese term qi (pronounced chee) refers to universal life energy. This energy has been investigated and written about by most cultures in the world. The Japanese call it ki, the Indians call it prana, the Greeks pneuma and so on. But what is it? Qi is an energy that…
Nose Breathing
Although it is possible to use either your nose or your mouth for breathing the nose should always be your first choice. The air that we breathe is full of pollutants which can be very damaging. Your nose has small hairs which filter the air before it reaches your lungs…
The 4 key qualities of breath and movement
Sting once sung ‘Every breath you take, every move you make’. I love that song and it reminds me of 4 qualities that will make our breathing and movement effortless and powerful in so many ways. Soft, Slow, Smooth, Sink These are the four golden rules of breathing and movement…
Squeeze and Pull Down
Squeeze and pull down is a surprisingly challenging move. This is because all your weight needs to be on your back leg throughout. From a defensive perspective it is most commonly used to seize your opponent’s arms and pull them down onto your unweighted right knee. .From an energy perspective…
Sink Weight and Crane Spreads Wings
There is no fixed way of doing any movement in tai chi. Different schools teach different variations of them and this move is a good example. In many schools that teach this form the move we call sink weight is known as shoulder barge or shoulder strike. The body is…
First section of form video
While performing the form there are many elements you can focus on. Each one will bring new insights into how to perform it in the most effective ways. There are many other elements you could focus on which you’ll learn as you progress. Just focus on one or two at…
Standing Practice 2 – Grow Yourself Younger
You are born full of life and energy but it is blocked inside you. So you grow old depleted of your vitality In the early morning and parks and woodland across China you will see people of all ages exercising. Many of them are doing the slow, rhythmic movements of…
Brush Knee Step
It has been said many times that the best way to practice tai chi is to select one movement and repeat it over and over again. Don’t do this mindlessly but focus on relaxing down, finding the connections between the parts of your body, focus on your balance, breathing and…
Parry and Punch
Tai chi developed as a martial art and most of the moves still have the potential to be used in combat if you know how to use them. Most teachers don’t but I’ve trained in the Chinese martial arts for 40 years so I know them well. None of the…
Withdraw to Embrace Tiger Return to Mountain
Some of the movements in tai chi have very poetic names. This one is called embrace tiger, return to mountain. Like all the other movements I teach it can be expressed in many different ways. The way shown in the video below is, perhaps, the most popular with the two…
Form First Section Video
This video shows you the first section of the form up to the first single whip from two different angles. Once you’ve learned each of the movements separately use this video to see how to join them together. Then work on incorporating the 4 key qualities of movement and breathing…
Form Second Section Video
As with the first section work on each movement individually first. Then put them together. You’ll notice that the moves after embrace tiger, return to mountain are the same as for the first section – rollback and press, push and single whip. You should already be becoming familiar with these…
All Parts Move
In tai chi no part of your body moves on it’s own. Every part is supported by the whole. Most of the movements you do in life only involve a small part of your body. It’s very rare that any movement involves all of your body unless you’re trying to…