Programme Introduction
Hello and welcome to your 8-Week Reset Programme.
We are delighted to introduce you to this programme, which provides a foundation for your journey into Tai Chi – meditation in movement.
Throughout the programme, you will explore the skills, postures and techniques of this remarkable art form, developing the confidence to incorporate Tai Chi into your life as a regular weekly practice.
By the end of the programme, you will be able to:
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Draw yourself into the present moment and begin to develop your connection with the Tao – the moment that is all that is present and palpable.
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Quiet the mind from thoughts about the past and future, allowing yourself to become fully present during your meditation in movement and experience a break from those unrelenting thoughts.
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Develop greater awareness of how your body moves and feels, forming a deeper connection with yourself through the study and practice of each posture.
Being present in the moment can help release the tension and stress that often arise from continuous thoughts about the past and future. In Tai Chi, this allows Chi to flow more freely. I often like to think of Chi as the nectar of the gods.
Tai Chi is multifaceted. During this 8-week programme, you will learn how to release unnecessary tension while maintaining tone, one of the key principles of Tai Chi.
Programme Structure
The programme is divided into eight weeks.
Week One introduces the 7-Day Reset Programme – a series of warm-up postures designed by Dr Chi to draw the student into the present moment. I often think of this process as learning to enter the zone, a state of presence that is gradually cultivated throughout one's Tai Chi journey through regular practice of the Form.
You will then begin learning the opening postures of the Yang Style Short Form, taught through the lineage of Master Dr Chi, Master Dr Chi Chang Tao, Master John Kells, Master Verne Crawford and Master Rita Harris
I have been fortunate to attend classes with both Grand Master John Kells and my teacher, Master Rita Harris, and I continue to attend sessions with Master Verne Crawford today. Their teaching forms the foundation of my understanding and practice of Tai Chi.
Throughout the programme, you will be guided in the art of joining – joining with yourself, with the present moment, with others, and with the Tao.
Or, to put it in language we can all understand:
"Don't stress."
Whether you aim to find relief from the pressures of modern life or to learn the Yang Style Short Form in its entirety, remember that Tai Chi is a journey.
It is through the principle of "relaxation with tone" that Chi is nurtured and developed.
Please join me.
