As a community interest company, Tai Chi for Better Health has always been committed to improving people’s health and quality of life through training Instructors to deliver Tai Chi Qigong Shibashi sets in their local communities.   These contemporary Qigong sequences are largely adapted from traditional forms. While several of the exercises are drawn directly from Yang Family Style Tai Chi, roots of other forms can be discerned, such as in the eight movements or brocades of Ba Duan Jin (see TCfBH Blog Unravelling the Silk Brocades, 31 Jan 2023).   Likewise, Yi Jin Jing is ro ..read more

In Traditional Chinese medical theory there are three things that are essential to sustaining health and life: Shen, Qi and Jing. They are known as The Three Treasures, and each one contributes to the health and well-being of the body, mind and spirit.   The Spirit of Shen Shen is usually translated as Spirit or Mind but neither of these words give us an understanding of the true meaning of this treasure. The Yellow Emperor’s Classic states that the Heart houses the Shen/Mind. In TCM Shen is used in two main contexts. Firstly, Shen relates to the complex array of mental faculties includi ..read more

At the beginning and end of our Shibashi we stand in Wuji. But what does this really mean? Wuji can be translated as “utter formlessness” and is likened to the moment before the Big Bang. In that moment nothing existed, there was just emptiness, but that emptiness was filled to the brim with potentiality. It held the potential for the creation of everything in the universe, including you and me! When we stand in Wuji, we are seeking to mimic that “emptiness filled with potentiality.” My Tai Chi teacher told us that we should stand completely still and let that stillness pervade all of our bei ..read more

The many benefits of Qigong practice are greatly enhanced when the mind is part of the process because Qigong is an exercise for mind and body together. Certainly just doing the exercises regularly brings lots of benefits, but it is when the mind becomes part of the process that the true magic happens. When explaining the role of the mind, some teachers talk about the power of intent. Intent means to intentionally orientate the mind in a direction. For beginners this often means using the mind to allow the movements to follow the breath. It can also mean setting an intent to allow thoughts to ..read more

San Jiao is interchangeably translated into English as Triple Warmer, Triple Heater, Triple Energizer and Triple Burner. This bilateral Yang meridian is so named because of its three parts, known as the upper, middle and lower Jiao or burners respectively. The Triple Burner is extraordinary in that is does not correspond to a specific organ. Rather it helps to regulate all the organs and energy in the body by opening passageways and facilitating free and proper flow. Because of this, it is sometimes referred to in the West as Metabolism. It is paired with the Yin Pericardium channel (see The ..read more

At last the clouds have cleared, and we are experiencing days when the sky is blue and the radiant sun is shining down on us. Seeing a clear, blue sky invariably makes us feel at ease and expansive. We tend to feel lighter and brighter. In meditation, the blue sky is sometimes used as a metaphor for the true mind; the mind that is calm, clear and expansive. Thoughts, feelings and experiences are like the clouds that move across the sky. When the thoughts are light, the feelings pleasant and the experiences joyful, we don’t tend to notice the clouds. However, there are times when there are so ..read more

Mountain Top is a lovely short Qigong routine that opens the Qi channels and promotes deep relaxation. It allows the practitioner to focus on gratitude and receive good energy into their life circle. The original version was devised by Tai Chi Master Angus Clark. ,Mountain Top Qigong To start, stand in Wuji and engage Qigong breathing: 1. Raising 2. Opening 3. Gathering 4. Receiving 5. Centering 6. Circle of Life 7. Bringing good Qi into your life circle 8. Raising to the Heavens 9. Centering and Gathering 1. Raising As you breath in raise your arms with palms facing down to shoulder height ..read more