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.
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Bagua 5 – Single Palm Change
The single palm change is the most famous movement in baguazhang. It is the signature move of the system. The way you do the single palm change defines you as a bagua stylist. Over time the way you do it will change as your understanding of it deepens. This is…
Bagua 4 – Gaining Power
Bagua is an internal martial art and a form of moving meditation. It teaches you how to generate and store power in your body and how to express it in different ways. This post and video teach you four new ways of developing power through the bagua circle walking practice…
Making Waves – Extraordinary power that flows through the body
Learn to move with the fluid power of an animal Relax your body and keep it relaxed as you move Use this power in a wide range of movement skills In the Jade Dragon tradition we separate yin training and yang training. Yin training teaches you to develop power inside…
Principle Two – Move from the centre
Discover why most movements we make are inherently weak and unbalanced Understand how to move your body with power and purpose Generate real power from the inside out In kung fu and tai chi, we always aim to make our movements balanced, efficient and powerful. A balanced movement is one…
Relax Deeper with Progressive Muscle Expansion
Learn to relax every part of your body more and more deeply Discover a faster version you can do anytime to keep tensions at bay As mentioned in my book ‘Stress Proof Your Body’, one of the most popular relaxation exercises is called progressive muscle relaxation. A more efficient and…
Principle One – Relax Down
Drain the tension out of your posture Stay relaxed even under stressful conditions Gain a stable root to protect you from physical or emotional pressure Everybody carries far too much tension around with them. This tension drains them ofenergy, pulls their body apart and resists every move they make. We…
Relax your tight shoulders
Release tension in your shoulders Learn to carry them so that tension doesn’t build up Connect your arms to your structure for maximum power One of the most common and debilitating places to hold onto pain and tension is in the neck and shoulders. Shoulder pain and tension is often…
Twisting power in tai chi and kung fu
Generate extraordinary power effortlessly Loosen your hips and spine Remain relaxed in mind and body There are only two main movements you can make that involve the entire body. These movements are the only ones that generate any real power. So every move in tai chi and kung fu that…
The Cat Stance
The cat stance is one of the most used stances in both tai chi and kung fu. Yet when you first start to use it you may find it unstable and unbalanced – unlike a cat! Simply put the cat stance involves having all your body weight on one foot…
Transferring weight – one of the most crucial skills
In kung fu and tai chi there are only two movements we can do that have any real power. One is transferring your weight from one leg to the other. The other one is twisting your body at the waist and hips. Transferring weight simply involves moving your weight from…
The Yin Arm Circle
In the Jade Dragon tradition arm circles are taken very seriously. They teach us to move our arms fluidly, without tension, without hesitation at any angle and at any speed. There are 8 circles to learn but only 4 of those are used in tai chi. This version of the…
Sideways Clock
This is a lovely exercise for gently restoring mobility to most of your joints. I do this several times a day. Particularly if I’ve been sitting down for a while or am feeling tired and stressed this exercise can restore balance and vitality in under a minute. Exhaustion is almost…
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…
Yin and Yang Arms
Now you understand the concept of yin and yang better you’ll realise that in tai chi we aim to create movement and energy by making different parts of the body yin or yang. Yin and yang arms mostly refers to the position of your elbow. A yin elbow is sunk…
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. Try holding each posture for a few seconds and relaxing down into it before moving onto the next Try moving continuously yet…