Tai Chi Village - Issue 6 - 26th April 2020

Discover Tai Chi

Tai Chi Village - Issue 6 - 25th April 2020

Welcome to issue 6 of the Tai Chi Village. In this weeks newsletter, we focus on balance. We'll explore all aspects that form balance and some of the movements we can practice to improve our balance.

Our featured image, across Baildon Moor, comes from Irene who joins us at our St Hughs Class.

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Tai Chi Science We love getting feedback in our classes. One of the things that we hear time and again is the improvements that people feel in their balance. Balance is one of those skills that we can take for granted until we begin to lose it for a variety of reasons. Being out of balance is something that can affect us emotionally as well as physically. Tai Chi is a complex activity and as such it improves balance in several different ways. It strengthens our legs and improves ankle flexibility creating a more stable stance. It helps us to distribute movement more evenly among the ankle, knee, and hip joints, enabling faster and smoother walking. It can improve proprioception (the sensory input received by the brain from touch sensors in the muscles and joints. All these lead to better neuromuscular coordination and reaction time which can mean we feel more confident on our feet. We sometimes practice seated Tai Chi in class and people are surprised to feel many muscles through the trunk and shoulders working. It has been found that seated Tai Chi provides many benefits and so it's good to know we don't always need to do our practice standing to get then benefits. If you enjoy the science bit and want to look at the research please click on the links below: Tai Chi as a Balance Improvement Exercise for Older Adults:... : Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy The impact of Tai Chi and Qigong mind-body exercises on motor and non-motor function and quality of life in Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis The effects of practicing sitting Tai Chi on balance control and eye-hand coordination in the older adults: a randomized controlled trial

Tai Chi Buddies Penny from our Bingley class has told us she has been hard at work on her allotment, as have others who come to our classes, and with all the warm weather has been carrying a lot of watering cans. Penny was keen to know if this exempted her from the shopping bag challenge. We said 'Absolutely!' Norma from our Skipton class called us to say that she has used the exercise sheet that we attached with our previous newsletter and she had found it very helpful. Good work Norma, keep it up! Maureen also from our Bingley class has been in touch to let us know how much she is enjoying the lovely weather and is blessed to have a beautiful wild cherry tree showering her with blossom while in her garden. We hope Maureen and everyone else has been enjoying the sunshine this weekend. © Copyright Discover Tai Chi 2020.

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Tai Chi Quotes We hope these quotes inspire but also give you pause for thought and reflection during your practice. This week's quote is attributed to Chang Sanfeng (est. 1279 -1386), the interpretation and commentary by Graham Barlow. Full and empty should be clearly differentiated. At any place where there is emptiness, there must be fullness; Every place has both emptiness and fullness. Graham Barlow in his commentary says, 'In Taijiquan, you need to have your weight more on one leg than the other at all times. If your weight settles in an equal position then your Taiji (YinYang) symbol has stopped ‘moving’ and is now flat – it has become two separate halves, not a spiralling mix of energy. But again, you must stay in balance.' If this has got you interest you can read more here: The Tai Chi Classic [Part 2] – a new interpretation If you still have an appetite to learn more about Tai Chi but would like to give your eyes a rest you may want to listen to try this podcast with Dr Peter Wayne: Harvard Medical School Guide To Tai Chi (Moving Meditation)

Tai Chi Foundations Start your online journey into tai chi here: Tai Chi Foundations. We've received lovely feedback from members saying how much they enjoy our online learning space. If you are worried about using online lessons please do give us a call, we have managed to give a little bit of technical help to those people who were a bit unsure about using our online classes. If you have any problems using the site please don't hesitate to call, we will do our best to help.

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Tai Chi Principles In class, we take time to time practise our stances and steps as a fundamental part of Tai Chi. We learn to step in a tai chi way by using a principle called Xushi, or empty-full. It is sometimes described as walking like a cat where the foot is put down before any weight is put on it. It can take a little while to get the hang of this form of movement compared to our everyday walking. We spend time in class stepping in all directions or going 'Round the Clock', however traditionally this form of stepping practise followed the compass directions. Xushi stepping will build strength and balance as we stand with all our weight on one leg while placing the other foot flat. We covered Strength in our last newsletter and we hope you are carrying on with your sit to stands or the 'shopping bag challenge, to keep your leg strength up. We also practice Crane Steps in our classes by gradually bringing all our weight onto one foot and lifting the other foot carefully and slowly from the floor. These are great exercises to practice at home. You can make good use of a kitchen worktop for a bit of extra balance. Xushi is an easy principle to practice at home and we hope you will put the kettle on and enjoy your practice!

Facebook Live Streams We are continuing with our two Facebook live streams each week. You can access these in the Discover Tai Chi group on Facebook. When you go to the group for the first time you will need to join. ● Tuesday's from 11:00am Tai Chi and Tea and ● Thursday's from 7:00 pm from the Tai Chi Kitchen In each live stream, we talk about the tai chi we teach in our classes and workshops as well as keep you up to date on the work we're doing online. We'll review one of our favourite books or films that we think you might like to read, it might focus on tai chi or on the culture and philosophy from which modern-day tai chi practise draws inspiration. The live stream offers a great opportunity for us to answer some of your questions which we don't always have the time in an hours class to do. We've had some fab questions so far, keep them coming. To finish we'll offer a few movements familiar to you from our classes that you can follow along to or simply enjoy watching. © Copyright Discover Tai Chi 2020.

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Enjoy Your Tai Chi - Infographic We have crafted a beautiful infographic with our favourite essential tips for you to get the most from your tai chi practise. Our subscribers on Patreon have already received this. If are not a subscriber and would like a copy, it's available from our online store for just 99p. Take a look: https://gum.co/RqEfi We hope you like it, let us know. Phil & Helen ☺ Thanks for reading our newsletter. Please send us your thoughts, ideas, stories, long or short and we will try to include as much as possible in our next newsletter. If you prefer not to receive this newsletter please do let us know. All the best Helen and Phil KEEP IN TOUCH T: 07528 959091 (Text or WhatsApp) E: huntunwellbeing@gmail.com Facebook: @discovertaichi Twitter: @discovertaichi Instagram: @discovertaichi

Featured image on page 4 by C asey Horner on U nsplash

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