I’m aware of how much violence there is at work these days. I met up with friends I used to work with in housing and violence is very common at their work. NHS staff are increasingly under physical attack (I’ve noticed warnings in my local GP surgery). School teachers too, and transport staff.

(Karen)

Weight loss usually involves balancing out food intake and activity. Undertaking a daily qigong and tai chi regime will most certainly help your body exercise.

This must be paired with a diet that best suits the individual.

In working with some of my tai chi teachers I have the sense that at the instant their hands touched my body, they knew a great deal about my physical and emotional state. During these encounters, my teachers also seemed to convey nonverbal information intentionally; it was as if their touch and movements shared information with me. Becoming aware of their physical, energetic qualities provided me with a reference against which I could calibrate my own qualities and abilities.
 

 (Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publication, May 2009) 

A bubble of stimulation

Most people exist in a bubble. They wake in their own home, get into their car and then go to work/shops/wherever. There is seldom any time spent being calm.

Homes, cars and public places are usually filled with noise and stimulation. Visual images, flickering screens, twittering voices, gossip... Where is the peace in your life? The stillness?

 With today's round-the-clock access to news we can now receive a twenty-four-hours-a-day parade of mostly negative information about random shootings, drug wars, environmental disasters, racially motivated hate crimes, rampaging serial killers, and gruesome sex crimes. As they say in the world of television news production, "If it bleeds, it leads." The news, in fact, has become so stressful that health experts recommend 'news fasts' to improve psychological health.

(Dr Bradley Wilcox, Dr Craig Wilcox and Dr Makoto Suzuki)

Relax

The 'relaxing' aspect of tai chi is a culmination of 3 factors:

1. Emotional awareness

2. Physical ease

3. The calming of thought

Tai chi gently encourages people to slow down, take time over things and be patient. There is no pressure at all. Things are allowed to unfold in their own good time.
Ready to begin de-stressing?

Look after yourself

Our tai chi classes offer an excellent way to:

• Find balance
• Discovery new ways to cope with difficult situations
• Relax
• De-stress
• Calm down and find your own pace
• See alternatives
• Slow down
• Re-frame potential problems
• Avoid confrontation

Take it easy

Sifu Waller adopts a Taoist approach to exploring tai chi; there is no rivalry, competition, anxiety, winning or losing.

Whilst there is a detailed syllabus and a clear method of development, students are free to proceed at their own pace.

There is no consensus on what 'self defence' actually means:

1. Some people think self defence refers to tips & pointers that will enable you to handle any manner of assault

2. Martial artists often regard self defence as a weak, limited aspect of combat

3. The Police see self defence as being a reasonable, considered, appropriate response to an assault

 There was a man

who was so disturbed
by the sight of his own shadow
and so displeased
with his own footsteps,
that he determined to get rid of both.

The method he hit upon was
to run away from them.
So he got up and ran.

But every time he put his foot down
there was another step,
while his shadow kept up with him
without the slightest difficulty.

He attributed his failure
to the fact
that he was not running fast enough.
So he ran faster and faster,
without stopping,
until he finally dropped dead.

He failed to realize
that if he merely stepped into the shade,
his shadow would vanish,
and if he sat down and stayed still,
there would be no more footsteps.

 (Chuang Tzu)

 We weren't designed to sit. The body is a perpetual motion machine.

 (Dr. Joan Vernikos)

 

What is stress?

Stress is a condition of anxiety caused by the inability to cope with a situation. A person feels to be under pressure and they become upset.

They are often encouraged to see themselves as being a failure when the pressure becomes too much.

Stress is so commonplace that we treat it as normal. Yet, stress is very harmful to your health and can lead to illness, psychological problems and premature aging.

What is self defence?

Self defence is the ability to protect yourself: physically, mentally and emotionally. The aim of self defence is to incapacitate the attacker and walk away; ideally unharmed.

Symptoms of stress

Do you talk quickly? Is your body tense; particularly the neck, shoulders or lower back? Are you constantly using your phone, the web or watching TV? Do you feel worried, anxious or rushed?

Do you have difficulty getting out of bed in a morning? Are you argumentative? Do you feel frustrated, angry or irritable? Are you struggling to relax? Do you walk quickly? Do you drink too much?

Do you have difficulty slowing down? Do you comfort eat? Do you feel to have too few hours in the day? Do you know how to stop?

You may be suffering from stress.

What relevance do taijiquan fighting skills have in modern life?

Simple. Taijiquan teaches you how to defend yourself from harm.

Taijiquan self defence skills lead to less fear, greater confidence and the ability to identify (and avoid) dangerous situations.

 Most people come to our classes because they are seeking to learn tai chi properly and recognise that this is by far the best tai chi in the North East.

(Patricia)

Welcome to our tai chi school

Have fun in a calm, vibrant, training environment; free from bullying, cliques and politics. The atmosphere is friendly and stimulating. Individual progress is important to us.

We have a detailed tai chi syllabus in place in order to optimise the learning experience. Both of our instructors are registered with The Tai Chi Union for Great Britain.
The senior instructor has been practicing since 1975, teaching since 1995.

Preventative healthcare

Although many modern people seek to use tai chi as a means of curing illness, this is not where its strength lies. Tai chi is best employed whilst healthy, not sick.

When a healthy person does tai chi they are more apt to remain healthy. It takes far less effort to prevent something than to cure it...

 Tai chi is often described as "meditation in motion," but it might well be called "medication in motion." There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice has value in treating or preventing many health problems. And you can get started even if you aren't in top shape or the best of health.

(Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publication, May 2009)

Tai chi for health & fitness

Tai chi for health is a popular form of movement-based exercise. The art requires low effort. No sweating. No exertion. No taxing the body.

Tai chi for fitness involves cross-training tai chi for moderate, varied exercise. The training incorporates core strength, psoas work, leg stretches and Taoist Yoga.

 Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV, and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death. The chair is out to kill us.

(Professor James Levine, The Mayo Clinic) 

Sitting is the new smoking...

 https://www.startstanding.org/sitting-new-smoking/#extended

The perfect exercise?

University of California medical research discovered that tai chi can significantly boost the body's immune system response to virus infection.

Dr Bradley Willcox, Dr Craig Willcox and Dr Makoto Suzuki wrote a 25 year medical study (The Okinawa Program). They maintain that tai chi - with its ancient origins and incredible health benefits - is the ideal form of exercise for modern people.

 Tai chi exercise is known as one of the finest low-risk forms of physical fitness. There are millions and millions people around the world who are enjoying the significant health benefits of daily practice, helping to reduce depression and promote the feeling of serenity. The happy result is increased optimism and enhanced mental, physical and spiritual well-being.

(William CC Chen)

Qigong

Students always start by learning qigong first. The simple qigong exercises build strength, improve coordination and exercise the body. After a session you feel at ease, energised and comfortable.

Explore a variety of exercises designed to cultivate the flow of blood and oxygen around the body, as well as release tension within the muscles. Qigong helps people relax and unwind.