A vital life force (chi) lies dormant within each of us until it is awakened and developed.

CHI GONG

Chi Gong, a practice deeply rooted in ancient Chinese tradition, is a harmonious blend of movement, meditation, and breath regulation. It offers a multitude of physical benefits that extend beyond the surface, nurturing the body from within.

At its core, Chi Gong helps to enhance the flow of life force, or "chi," throughout the body. This energy flow can lead to improved physical vitality and resilience. Practicing qigong regularly can help increase flexibility and balance, supporting the body's structural integrity.

“Markings in dry clay disappear
Only when the clay is soft again.
Scars upon the self disappear
Only when one becomes soft within.”

― Deng Ming-Dao

The gentle movements of Chi Gong promote relaxation and reduce stress, which can have a profound impact on the nervous system. This, in turn, can lead to lowered blood pressure and improved cardiovascular health. Additionally, the focus on deep, mindful breathing enhances lung capacity and oxygenation of the blood, contributing to overall well-being.

Chi Gong also supports the immune system, making the body more adept at defending against illnesses. By fostering a state of mindful awareness, it encourages a deeper connection between the mind and body, facilitating a sense of inner peace and harmony.

TAI CHI

Physically, Tai Chi improves balance, flexibility, and strength, making it particularly beneficial for people of all ages. It gently encourages the body's natural healing processes, promoting better posture and joint health. The slow, deliberate movements can also reduce stress, helping to lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health.

“As the practitioner incorporates the quality of tai chi movement into his life, he finds that he stops banging into things. The result of not falling into each step provides the opportunity to instantaneously ease back from unexpected barriers.”

- Wolfe Lowenthal

Mentally and emotionally, Tai Chi fosters a sense of calm and clarity. It encourages mindfulness and presence, allowing practitioners to connect more deeply with the present moment. This awareness can lead to reduced anxiety and improved mood, creating a sense of inner peace.

Tai Chi practice deepens the connection to self and the world through mindful movement, intentional breathing, and physical grounding. This graceful moving meditation unites body and mind to foster profound internal awareness and external harmony.

“Tai Chi Chuan, the great ultimate, strengthens the weak, raises the sick, invigorates the debilitated, and encourages the timid.”

- Cheng Man-Ching

“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.”

- Harvard Health Publishing

Inspired Perspectives

“The mind is in spinning wheels at the Navel, heart, throat, head. The connecting shaft is emptiness, Without an unobstructed route, Energy cannot flow.”

- Deng Ming-Dao, 365 Tao

“When the body and mind move harmoniously together, the human spirit soars.”

- Chungliang Al Huang, Essential Tai Ji

“If you want to be healthy and live to one hundred, do qigong.”

- Mehmet Oz

“A moving door hinge never corrodes. Flowing water never grows stagnant.”

- Ming-Dao Deng, 365 Tao: Daily Meditations

“Of all the exercises, I should say that T’ai Chi is the best. It can ward off disease, banish worry and tension, bring improved physical health and prolong life. It is a good hobby for your whole life, the older you are, the better.”

- T.T. Liang

“The concept of Tai Ji only means a way of learning how to regain balance again. It is a way to come back to yourself from all the conflicts and confusions that we feel every day in our lives. Tai Ji does not mean Oriental wisdom or something exotic. It is the wisdom of your own senses, your own body and mind together as one process.”

- Chungliang Al Huang, Embrace Tiger, Return To Mountain

“Think of the circular path of each movement, in Tai Chi, every movement is in curve or circle that has no ending or beginning.”

- Paul Lam

“When filled with qi, the body is like a tree branch filled with sap; it can bend and flow with the breeze, but it does not snap or lose its connection with the root. On the other hand, a stiff, dead branch is easily broken. Thus the adage of Lao Zi, 'Concentrate the qi and you will achieve the utmost suppleness... Suppleness is the essence of life.'”

― Kenneth S. Cohen, The Way of Qigong: The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing

“The postures of Yang style Taijiquan are expansive and open, light yet heavy, nature, centered and upright, rounded and even, simple, vigorous, and dignified,─because of this, one is able to quite naturally express an individual style that is grand and beautiful."

- Gu Liuxin, Introduction to Mastering Yang Style Taijiquan By Fu Zhongwen

“T'ai Chi Ch'uan bases itself exclusively on gentleness, softness, naturalness and bringing you back to your original nature. Daily training makes the muscles and bones become softer and more pliable, and it especially causes the breath to become natural.”

- Chen Yen-lin, Cultivating the Ch’i

“First, last, and always the student must relax. Various calisthenics aid him in achieving this. All rigidity and strength must be emptied from the upper torso and must sink to the very soles of the feet, one of which is always firmly rooted to the ground.”

- Robert W. Smith, Chinese Boxing: Masters and Methods

“No school of Chinese martial arts is as well known and popular as Taijiquan. It is suitable for both the young and the old, not only because Taijiquan possesses special features of stretching, flexing the joints, softly twining, exercising both the inside and the outside, dispelling diseases and prolonging life, but it is also the martial art that best reflects Chinese traditional philosophy....Taijiquan is becoming popular all over the world, (it) has no national boundary, is beyond the category of culture, and belongs to people everywhere."

- Fan Chun-Lei and A. Frank Shiery, Traditional Chen Style Taijiquan