Tai Chi

Pain and Mindfulness (10/28/24)

This week, James has prepared a Tai Chi class to practice mindful observation of our body, our movement, and our pain.

Tai Chi is an ideal “movement medium” to explore and transform the pain experience. Mindfulness is ingrained into Tai Chi practice and has helped people manage pain for millennia.

Posture and Mood (8/19/24)

This week, we will use Tai Chi movements and other mindful exercises to explore the effects of posture on our mood and our movement.

Remember, posture can be both physical and mental, and we’ll explore both in this week’s class.

Community and Movement (6/3/24)

Have you ever seen a group of people practicing Tai Chi at the park? This week’s class will hope to re-create that environment on Zoom – a community of people moving slowly, calmly, and continuously together!

Expect a review of previously learned moves, as well as a thought-provoking exploration of new movements and sequences.

Balance, Coordination, Dual Tasking (4/15/24)

James returns for a Tai Chi session to practice the balance, coordination, and mindset required for walking.

Walking is a wonderful exercise to perform in the style of Tai Chi (slow, controlled, & mindful). Better yet, we can add arm movements and cognitive tasks to further challenge balance and coordination.

We will practice various exercises – including some with walking sticks or a cane (if you have them) – and add some movements from larger Tai Chi sequences that we’ve done in the past.

Foundations (1/29/24)

James will re-introduce the basic elements of Tai Chi practice, using exercises in sitting, standing, and kneeling.

🌲 Roots (Lower Body): Maintaining a stable connection to the earth

⚡️ Power (Core): Using as little energy as possible, but as much as necessary

🕺 Expression (Upper Body): Staying upright and fluid

🌬 Breath (Diaphragm / Belly): Breathing calmly and mindfully

Yang Style 24 Form (11/27/23)

James will lead a class centered around the Yang Style 24 Form, one of the most popular forms in modern Tai Chi practice.

The sequence contains 24 moves in total, but we will focus on the first 12 – all of which we’ve learned in previous classes.

Mindful Movement & Pain Awareness (10/2/23)

We’ll practice the slow, smooth, and continuous movements involved in Tai Chi practice, reviewing the Yang Style 10 Form and learning an additional move in the 24 Form - High Pat on Horse.

We’ll also warm up with some boxing to compare & contrast it with Tai Chi. We’ll go over the six main punches (for reference) covered in a previous Tai Chi class with James.

Physiological Sigh (7/24/23)

Breathing – a fundamental element in Tai Chi and other mindful movement practices – allows us to access and affect our nervous system in fascinating ways. Let’s keep practicing together.

This week, James highlights one of the most effective breath techniques for stress relief – the physiological sigh.

Contrast(5/29/23)

Tai Chi is a great practice to not only promote joint stability and mobility but also mindful awareness & control. We will practice some “soft & yielding” postures & movements alongside others that are “firm & unyielding", to experience the contrast between them.

Slow and Fast (4/17/23)

James returns for a Tai Chi session to practice the balance, coordination, and mindset required for walking. We will practice a variety of exercises – including some with walking sticks or other assistive devices (if you have them) – in conjunction with the larger Tai Chi sequences we’ve practiced in the past.

Heart Strong (2/6/23)

The heart is an essential organ that, like all organs in the body, will eventually develop signs of aging. Unfortunately, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death globally.

An antidote: Exercise has been shown to be a powerful antidote against age-related tissue changes in the heart, brain, muscles, and joints. Exercise helps us AgeProof.

Slow & Controlled (12/5/22)

Tai Chi emphasizes slowness of movement, allowing for present-moment awareness, curiosity, and appreciation.

We will practice the “5 form”, an abbreviated version of the Yang Style 10 Form that James has used in previous classes, while adding different stepping modifications.

Boxing (10/24/22)

This class introduces a new martial art to compare and contrast with Tai Chi – Boxing. Similar to Tai Chi, boxing incorporates coordinated full-body movements; however, boxing carries a different intention that can be usefully contrasted with tai chi practice.

Breath (7/4/22)

In this class, we will practice and experience the positive neurophysiological effects of slow & controlled breathing, and link our breaths to familiar general movements and to full-body Tai Chi movements.

Strength & Softness (5/9/22)

This week’s class will explore the dynamic balance between strength and softness as it relates to coordination of individual joint movement and full body movement.

Strength: Think resilience, firmness, assertiveness. Softness: Think acceptance, yielding, surrendering.

Why not both? Both strength and softness are required in different amounts and at different times in order to produce movement.

Visualize (3/14/22)

James leads a Tai Chi session focused on neuroplasticity and learning. Our nervous systems are capable of change at any age, and we can prime ourselves for this change using deliberate movements and mindset exercises. 

We will continue practicing the 10 Form with new cues and imagery to further develop mastery with these basic movements. James will also introduce Qi Gong, a meditative practice related to Tai Chi that revolves around the cultivation (“gong”) of life force energy (“qi”) in our bodies.

Review (1/3/22)

This week, James will review the foundational principles of Tai Chi movements and explain their usefulness to promote overall health. We will continue practicing the Yang Style 10 Form, a common sequence in Tai Chi.

White Crane (11/8/21)

This week's class will introduce a new movement – White Crane Spreads Its Wings. We will also practice the Yang Style 10 Form first introduced during our last Tai Chi class in September. James will also cover optimal health-lift form in the style of Tai Chi – slow, controlled, and mindful.

10 Form (9/13/21)

This class will cover the Yang Style 10 Form, a series of 10 standardized movements in the Yang style of Tai Chi, the most widely practiced style in the world! Most of these movements may already be familiar having been covered in previous classes, but the challenge will be combining them together in sequence to complete our practice.

Sports (7/19/21)

Join us for a fun fusion of Tai Chi and specific sports movements. James and John explore golf, tennis, and bowling with mindful movement patterns that might help you improve your game. Have fun with this one!

Breath (6/21/21)

Today's class will focus on breathing. Tai chi breaths are intimately coordinated the movement of our body & our body's energy, or qi, as it moves in the environment. Join us for a relaxing session to learn and practice breath awareness and control.

Expression (4/26/21)

James will build off of previous lessons (Roots, Power), while adding a special focus on how we express movement. Join us with an open space and an open mind!

Power & Responsibility (1/18/21)

In this Tai Chi inspired class, James offers a review of basic breathing and rooting principles, and covers new topics and movements related to power & energy.

Roots (11/23/20)

In this class, James leads us in exploring the ROOTS of our movement – how to use grounding principles and footwork to promote balance and control.

Introduction (9/14/20)

James introduces you to Tai Chi practice with several easy-to-learn movements performed with a calm and mindful focus.

Primer

Special guests Tom & Jan join the MX team for a fun and informative discussion about the basic principles and benefits of Tai Chi practice.