Meditation in motion

Taijiquan or Tai Chi Chuan (Yin Yang boxing, sometimes translated as Great Ultimate boxing) is the best-known style of the Internal Martial Arts.
The most famous part of Taijiquan is the moving exercises, known as the Taiji Form, which is a series of slow, continuous and flowing movements with unhurried breathing.  All movements are done with calm concentration, which is why it is often called meditation in motion. When done correctly, the practitioner's body can develop as a whole without any parts being ignored or exhausted - in other words: the practice of Taijiquan reaches parts other exercises do not reach.

The essence of Taijiquan and Chi Gong is to integrate the mind, body  and spirit with neither having preference over the other. With continued practice of Tai Chi, one's health inevitably improves.  

All of the internal martial arts rely for their effectiveness on internal power - the power cultivated by the alignment and coordination of the whole body and will. Essentially martial in nature, these arts are practised by most people for their health-giving properties rather than just for self-defence. Ultimately, each of us has our own path in life and the practice of Internal Martial Arts can help us find this path and give us the ability and health to travel it to its fullest.

Our Tai Chi and Chi Gong classes will enable you to experience first-hand the energy and vitality of Tai Chi. 

Chen Style is the original style of Taijiquan from which the Yang style and all the other styles developed. While the other Taijiquan styles enjoyed ever-increasing popularity with the inevitable shift away from the martial side, the Chen style was practised in relative obscurity in Chen village and thus retained more of the original flavour. It contains a wide range of movements - from the slow and graceful to the explosively fast. The martial aspects of this form are more recognisable and it contains many techniques and moves not found in other styles. 

Qigong or Chi Gong is a system of exercises for the cultivation of Qi. Qi can be translated into energy and Gong as practice. A common thread in all these practices is the emphasis on using mind. Most exercises are done with a great deal of (relaxed) concentration and very little of physical movement. But movement is present all the time - even when the practitioner seems perfectly still. In Chen Style Tai Chi we concentrate on the silk reeling Chi Gong with its fine smooth movement, gentle and yet powerful  set of movement with its mediative and healing results.

Standing meditation

Standing meditation or 'Zhan zhuang' ( pronounced Jam Jong) increases vitality, internal strength and fitness as well as overall body power. Developed in China by masters of meditation and acupuncture, Zhan zhuang is a form of medical meditation. This form of meditation also increases physical strength and power.

Tai Chi health benefits

Tai Chi is a traditional Chinese wellness practice that is suitable for all ages and fitness levels which complements modern mindfulness philosophies to the benefit of all participants. The essence of Tai Chi is to harmoniously integrate the mind, body and spirit to improve holistic health through continued, gentle, movement.  

Students report feeling physically stronger, enhanced alertness and being more able to relax. Medical observations often include improved blood pressure, reduction in chronic pain, such as arthritis, and better flexibility. 

Tai Chi itself consists of slow flowing, meditative movements with poetic names that evoke the natural world. These movements, which are easy and fun to do, create focus in the mind, body and breath, encouraging the flow of 'Qi', the balance of energy in the body, which is thought to activate the body's natural self-healing systems.