Today our teacher was Alan, assisted by Janet.  After warm-up we started with Happy Days, then went through the stances before moving on to the Form.   Alan took our newer members and Janet led the rest of the group to 50.  We then all joined together and went up to 80 movements, before concentrating on movements 50 to 80, going through them several times.  Our newer members did very well indeed all through the Form.  After the break we did Stand Like a Pine followed by a new K'ai Men exercise which is good for the back.  Janet then led us through a further series of K'ai Men, or Chinese yoga, exercises, all varied and combined with deep breathing.   Shou Pei Fa followed, up to 16.  Finally, we did the Silks form, up to 20.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very enjoyable session.

Monica was our teacher today, and after warm-up we started with Happy Days.  This was followed by two more exercises, both good for the back.  Monica then demonstrated the Unbending Arm, which shows the power of Chi, and we all then did this in pairs.  The Form came next, with Monica taking our newest member, Alan taking an intermediate group up to 12 movements and Nina led the rest of the class up to 30.  We then all joined together and did the first three movements of the Form, Gather Celestial Energy, which is very calming.  After the break we did a sequence based on martial arts to practise fast hand movements.  We then formed a circle and revised all the stances.  Silks came next, first of all moving the silks between Leopard stances, then the Silks form, which we went through several times.  A self-defence move followed which we did in pairs, showing how to break the grip of another person.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after another very interesting session.

Our teacher today was Monica, assisted by Alan.  We started with the warm-up, then did Happy Days, followed by two K'ai Men exercises, the Archer and Stand Like a Pine.  Then, in a circle, we revised the stances before doing a line dance of scissor and cross steps, which caused much laughter!  After the break we started on a form new to us with swords!  No injuries occurred and we all did very well with moves up to 10.  After this we did mirroring moves in pairs with the swords, then with sticks.  The Sticks, or Yin, form came next with Monica taking our newer members and Alan leading the rest of the class up to 20.  This was followed by Flow Steps before moving on to Shou Pei Fa.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very energetic and enjoyable session.

Here we are again, following our first class of 2012!  Our teacher was Alan, and we were pleased to welcome two new members.  We started with the warm-up, followed by Happy Days.  Next, we practised the stances, Eagle, Monkey, Duck, Snake, Dragon, then Leopard through Riding Horse. Two K'ai Men exercises followed, both very good for the back.  We then did the Form, with Alan helping our new members and the rest of us revising the early moves, eventually going up to 50.  Then we all joined together and went through to 80 moves.  Sticks came next, first of all moving the sticks for flexibility and strengthening the wrists, then the Sticks Form to 12, which we went through several times.  Silks followed, first moving the silks between Leopard stances, then the Silks Form, finally going to 20.  Shou Pei Fa followed up to 16.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off, our new members having joined in and done really well all through a very enjoyable session. 

Monica was our teacher today, assisted by Alan.  After warm-up we formed a circle and went through all the stances, finishing with a K'ai Men exercise, Stand Like a Pine.  Monica then used a resistance exercise to demonstrate the power of Chi, and we all formed pairs to practise this.  The Form followed, with Monica taking our newer members and Alan leading the rest of the class up to 30.    After the break we did the Sticks form 20 to 30, as these movements are still quite new to us and we went through the sequence several times.  We then moved on to the Staffs form, once more splitting the class, before joining together again to revise movements 20 to 30 of that form.  The Silks form followed, and Monica demonstrated the ward-off movements at the beginning of this form before we once more formed pairs to do the ward-off movements against each other.  We finished with the Chi cut off after another very good session.

Please note: - No class on the 28th December

Today our teacher was Alan, and after warm-up we started with Happy Days.  In order to gather more Chi we did Leopard stances, then stances from Eagle through to Dragon.  The Form came next, first of all going up to 80, then Alan took our newer members and Janet led the rest of the group to 60.  We all then joined together to go from 60 to 80, these movements being fairly new to all of us.  After the break we moved on to sticks, starting with several wrist strengthening exercises, before moving on to the Sticks form.  We have not done this for a while so Alan broke the form into short sections and we finally made it through to 20!  Next we went on to silks, first moving the silks through Leopard stances, then the Silks form to 30, which we did several times.  Our newer members are doing very well indeed, and we had a very informative and enjoyable session.

Today our teacher was Alan, and after warm-up we started with Happy Days.  Following this we revised our stances, both forwards from Eagle through to Dragon, and sideways, Left and Right Leopard through Riding Horse.  Shou Pei Fa was next, up to 16, then we moved on to the Form.  We went right through to 80, then concentrated on the last 20 moves, before going through to 80 again.  We all got to 80 - eventually!  During the break we had a meeting to discuss group matters, everyone giving their point of view, and agreements reached.  After that we moved on to the  Dance.  We revised this several times, going up to 30.  Finally we finished with the Chi Cut Off after another anjoyable session.

Monica was our teacher today, assisted by Alan who took us through the warm-up.  We started by forming a circle then each naming a stance, going from well known ones to obscure, passing through highly unusual!  We all had a laugh and no-one fell over!  Poor Peasant followed, forward and backwards.  The Form came next, up to 30, revising it several times.  After the break we did the  Dance with Alan taking our newer members and Monica leading the rest of the class.  The later moves were new to us so we went through these in sections.  Staffs followed, again dividing the class as before and we went through our respective segments several times.  Once again our newer members did really well, and we all made good progress.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after another enjoyable session.

Today Janet took the whole class due to Alan's illness, and a very good job she did too!  We started with the warm-up, then did Happy Days.  A series of K'ai Men exercises followed, the first three being very good for the back.  After this we did the Form, first of all up to 20, concentrating on co-ordinating our breathing with the movements, then we did the Form to 50, our newer members following very well.  Next came Poor Peasant, Janet first of all demonstrating the arm movements which we all did well, then we incorporated the leg movements and the exercise went much better than previously!  After the break we did two more K'ai Men exercises, using sticks for the "weight-lifting" one.  Then we moved on to the  Sticks form.  We went through this several times, and everyone made good progress.  Moving the silks came next, working hard on the arm movements, then we did the Silks form.  Margaret assisted Janet in this, and we went up to 20 movements.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very enjoyable session.

Our teacher today was Monica, and after warm-up we started with Happy  Days.  A series of K'ai Men exercises followed, finishing with Stand Like a Pine, before moving on to the Form.  We went through the Form twice, up to 30.  We then formed pairs to do varied exercises which demonstrated how correct movements can influence Chi.  After the break we started with moving the silks, then did the Silks form up to 30.  We went through it several times, still getting used to the last 10 moves.  Next came sticks, and we did both the Staffs and Sticks form today.  After this we formed a circle to go through all the stances, following on with flow steps.  Lastly we did cross and scissor steps in pairs, then in a line, all finding our rhythm and causing much laughter!  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after an enjoyable and varied session.

Our teacher today was Monica, who has recently returned from a "Tai Chi" visit to China.  After the warm-up we started with Happy Days, then did three K'ai Men, or Chinese Yoga exercises.  A demonstration of correct balance when standing, and its effectiveness came next, then the Unbending Arm.  The Form, up to 30, followed, both right and left sides.  Next, we formed a circle to do cross steps, scissor steps, then flow steps, followed by the first movements of the Flow  Steps form.  After that we did the Clock Face, then in pairs, incorporated it with the first movements of Shou Pei Fa as an avoidance exercise.  We then did the  Shou Pei Fa form, with Monica demonstrating what the movements mean.  The Dance was the last form today, up to 30, before the Chi Cut Off.  A very varied and enjoyable session.

Our teacher today was Alan, assisted by Janet.  After a good warm-up on a cold day, we started with Happy Days, then two K'ai Men exercises, both good for the back.  Revision of stances followed, Leopard through  Riding Horse, then Monkey, Duck, Snake and Dragon, and the move turning sideways into a Dragon.  Then we did Silks, first of all moving the silks between Leopard stances, then the Silks form.  First we went up to 30, then Alan took our newer members and Janet led everyone else up to 20.  After the break Janet took us through five Tao Yin and K'ai Men exercises, all good for breathing and balance.  The form followed, first of all going up to 10 movements ensuring we were all doing the stances and arm movements correctly, then Alan took our beginners and Janet led the rest of the class up to 50.  Eventually we all joined together to go up to 80 movements, and we all arrived at the end in one way or another!!!  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very enjoyable session.

Due to Alan being indisposed, Janet took the whole session today, and a very good job she did too!  We also had another new member who did very well indeed on her first session.  We were in a different room today due to maintenance works and when everyone had found the right place we started off with the warm-up!  Happy Days followed, then we moved on to stances.  We formed a circle and went through all the "sideways" stances, then did the "forward" stances, practising them by doing Poor Peasant.  After the break we did four Tao Yin and K'ai Men exercises, all good for breathing and balance.  The Form came next, starting slowly with the first few movements, eventually going up to 20.  We then went up to 20 whilst concentrating on breathing on the appropriate movements.  After this we moved on to sticks, first twirling the sticks in various directions, without mishap!  Next we did the Staffs form, gradually going up to 20.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after another very enjoyable session.

Today we said goodbye to  Eileen, who has been the group's Treasurer for 11 years.  We thanked her for all she has done in that time and wish her well in her new life in Wales. 

Our teacher today was Alan, assisted by Janet.  After warm-up we started with Happy Days, then moved on to the Form.  Alan took our newer members and Janet led the rest of the group to 50.  We then all joined together to learn moves 70 to 80, then did the Form all the way through, our newer members keeping up very well indeed.  After the break Janet led us through a series of Tao Yin, or breathing exercises, all also good for the back, finishing with a breathing and balance exercise called Stamp the Foot.  Silks came next, first of all moving the silks between Leopard stances, then the Silks Form, with Alan again taking newer members and Janet leading the rest up to 20.  We went through this several times, then all joined together to go up to 30, the last 10 moves still needing some work!!!  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very enjoyable session, before tea and cakes in honour of Eileen, the delicious cakes being provided by Maria, Janet and Margaret.

Monica was our teacher today, and after warm-up we started with three Tao Yin exercises, Happy Days, Stamp the Foot and Growing Pine.  One K'ai Men exercise followed, before we moved on to the Form.  Monica took our new members and Alan led the rest of the group up to 80.  We then all joined together, going up to 30, our new members following very well.  After the break we started with silks, first of all moving them between leopard stances, then the Silks form up to 30, the last movements still quite new to us.  After this came the Staffs form, using sticks, all of us giving each other a wide berth!  Next we formed a circle to practise scissor and flow steps, eventually getting quite rhythmical!  Shou Pei Fa followed, then finally the Chi Cut Off after a varied and enjoyable session.

Our teacher today was Alan, assisted by Janet, and we were very pleased to welcome three new members!  We started with the warm-up, then moved on to Happy Days.  Next we revised stances and Alan demonstrated the importance of placing the feet correctly.  We then did the Form, firstly all together, then split the class into three according to experience.  After this we all joined together to do the the Form up to 80, with our newer members following really well.  After the break Janet led us through four K'ai Men, or Chinese Yoga, exercises, all very good for improving breathing and strengthening the back.  Silks came next, first moving the silks between Leopard stances, then we did the Silks form.  We went through this several times, all doing well at first, but things fell apart somewhat during the later moves!  Shou Pei Fa came next, up to 16.  This is based on self-defence moves and is done quite fast (after practising slowly first!).  The Dance, also known as Flying Hands, followed, which we have not done for a while.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a varied and enjoyable session.

Monica was our teacher today, with Alan taking the warm-up.  We started with the Growing Pine exercise, which is reputed to actually make us grow!  We shall see!  The Form was next, up to 30, trying to retain the feeling of the  Growing Pine during the movements.  Poor Peasant followed, forward and backwards, then we did the Dance, or Flying Hands.  After the break we started with Flow Steps, to 20.  Following this we did the Staffs form, then the Sticks form, both to 30.  We then moved on to Shou Pei Fa, which is based on martial arts.  Monica demonstrated very thoroughly what the movements represented on members of the class!  To calm us down, we did Stamp the Foot, a breathing and balance exercise.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a varied and interesting session!

Please note:  There will be no class on Wednesday 14th September.

Our teacher today was Alan, assisted by Janet.  We started with the warm-up, then did Happy Days, followed by two Kai Men exercises, both good for the back.  After this we did the Clockface, which is based on Leopard stances, then with a partner using a stick and moving between Cat and Dragon stances.  No injuries were incurred!  The Form was next, up to 80.  After the break we did five different Kai Men exercises with Janet, all incorporating deep breathing with movement.  We then went back to the Form, 70 to 80, going over this several times.  The Sticks form came next, with Alan taking our newer members and Janet leading the rest of the group to 12.  Silks followed, first to 12, then to 20.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after another varied and very enjoyable session.

Today our teacher was Alan, assisted by Janet.  After the warm-up and three-sectional breathing, we did Happy Days, then revised the stances.  The Form came next, Alan taking our newer members and Janet leading the rest of the group to 60.  After the break Janet led everyone through a series of five Tao Yin (breathing) and K'ai Men (Chinese yoga) exercises.  We then went back to the Form, going to 80 movements, then concentrating on 60 to 70, then 70 to 80, our newer members doing very well indeed.  Silks followed, first moving the silks between stances, then the Silks form to 20, going through this several times.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very enjoyable session.

Today our teacher was Monica, and we started off as usual with the warm-up.  Happy Days was next followed by two more Tao Yin exercises, Stamp the Foot and Stand like a Pine Tree, which is more difficult than it sounds!  After this we did the  Form to 30, trying to incorporate the upright posture of the previous exercise.  We then did a pushing exercise in pairs to demonstrate the power of correct breathing in using the Chi.  After the break we did the Silks form, eventually going up to 20 moves.  Then came Sticks, starting with some stick twirling!  The Sticks forms, both Yin and Yang, or Sticks and Staffs followed.  We started with the Staffs form, revising it several times, then moved on to the Sticks form.  Eventually we did this up to 30.   We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very enjoyable session.

Today our teacher was Alan, and for the first time there were more "new" people than "old" people in the class!  After the warm-up we started with Happy  Days, a Tao Yin, or breathing, exercise.  This was followed by four more Tao Yin exercises, all good for different parts of the body as well as the breathing element.  We then went through the stances, a major part of all the forms.  Next came the Form itself, with Alan taking everyone carefully through to 12 movements.  After the break we went on to Silks, first of all moving the silks between right and left Leopard stances.  Following this we did the Silks form, once again going slowly through, section by section, to 12 movements, with all the class doing very well indeed.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very good and informative session!

Today our teacher was Monica, and after warm-up we started with Happy Days, then a K'ai Men exercise called Stand Like a Pine Tree.  The Unbending Arm was next, which demonstrates the power of Chi.  Following this we did the Form up to 30, with Monica demonstrating how to use Chi during the movements.  After the break we went on to Sticks, first of all moving the sticks, then, with partners, practising defensive moves.   The Sticks form came next, up to 30.  As the last moves were new to us we repeated them several times.  We followed this with Silks, starting by moving the silks, then the Silks form to 30.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after an interesting and enjoyable session.

Our teacher today was Alan, assisted by Janet.  After warm-up we started with Happy Days.  Next we revised the stances, then Alan showed us how keeping the feet parallel conserves Chi, or energy, and this is also why the fingers should be closed during Tai Chi.  Keeping the feet parallel also engages the correct muscles during many of the stances.  We followed this with the Form, Alan taking our beginners and Janet leading the rest of the group up to 60 - well done Janet!  Following the break Alan taught all of us movements 72 to 82, going through this several times.  Sticks followed, first a bit of stick twirling! - then on to the Staffs form with Alan taking our beginners once more and Janet leading the rest.  K'ai Men came next, with Janet taking us through five different exercises.  We then had a quick burst of Shou Pei Fa, before the Chi Cut Off after a very enjoyable session.

Today our teacher was Monica, with Alan leading the warm-up.  We started with two Tao Yin exercises, the second one being a twist to each side.  Monica then demonstrated the benefit of turning from the waist rather than the hips.  The Form came next, up to 30, followed by the Dance up to 20.  We then formed a circle to do flow steps and followed this with the Flow Steps form, which must have been very interesting for an onlooker!  After the break we started with Shou Pei Fa then went on to sticks, doing both Sticks and Staffs, or Yin and Yang, forms.  Lastly we did the Silks Form, including a final section which is still new to us.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very varied session!

We were very pleased to welcome another new member to our group today!  Alan was our teacher, assisted by Janet.  After the warm-up exercises we started with Happy Days.  Then we practised Leopard stances, from right to left, moving through Riding Horse, then Dragon stances, moving through Monkey, Duck, Snake to Dragon.  Alan then demonstrated how important the correct stances are and how much Chi we had gathered!  The Form came next with Alan taking our beginners and Janet leading the rest of the group, then we all joined together to go through to 72 and once again our new members did very well.  Poor Peasant came next to help all of us revise the stances.   After the break Janet took us through six Tao Yin, or breathing and balance exercises, all designed to stretch the body as well.  We then did the Form again before moving on to Shou Pei Fa, which is based on self-defence movements.  Finally we did the Dance to 12 before the Chi Cut Off.  Another very good and enjoyable session!

Today our teacher was Alan and after a good warm-up we started with a new breathing exercise called Frog, then went on to Happy Days.  We then revised stances to help our newer members, and for everyone's benefit!  The Form came next, with Alan taking our beginners and Janet leading the rest of the group.  Following this we all joined together for Alan to show us moves from 72 to 76 which were new to all of us, then we did the Form all the way through, our newer members making excellent progress!  After this we moved on to Sticks, first of all warming up the sticks, then doing the Staffs form, Alan once more taking our beginners and Janet the rest of us before finally doing the Staffs form all together.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after another very enjoyable session!

Our teacher today was Monica and after warm-up we started off with two Tao Yin, or breathing exercises, both new to us.  Following this we did the Form with Monica taking our new members and Alan leading the rest of the group.  Then we all joined together to do the Form to 22, with our new members making good progress.  After the break we moved on to Silks, first of all moving the silks between right and left Leopard stances, then between Cat and Dragon stances.  We then did the Silks form up to 33, the last few moves still causing consternation to all!  The Sticks form came next, going through several times as it's a while since we did it.  We then revised all the stances, including ones which are rarely used.  Finally we did Shou Pei Fa, which is based on self-defence moves, before the Chi Cut Off after a varied and enjoyable session.

We were very pleased to welcome four new members today!  Monica was our teacher and after warm-up she explained three-sectional breathing, then we started off with Happy Days.  Stances came next and we formed a circle to name each stance.  We followed this with Poor Peasant to revise the basic stances.  The Form was next with Monica taking the beginners and Alan taking the rest of the group.  After the break we did Flow Steps, which are quite new to everyone.  We then did three short forms, all based on self-defence moves, their purpose made clearer when Monica demonstrated the effect of them on Alan!  Sticks followed, first of all moving the sticks between Cat and Dragon stances, then we did the Staffs form, going through it several times.  We finished with the Chi  Cut Off after a very varied session which we hope gave our new members a taste of Tai Chi which they will want to return to and enjoy!

Our teacher today was Alan, assisted by Janet.  We started with our usual warm-up, then did Happy Days to gather more Chi.  Alan then demonstrated the importance of keeping the feet parallel and the fingers of the hands closed during all exercises to enhance the power of Chi!  Next we went through the stances before moving on to the Form.  The group then split with the newer members going with Alan and the rest of the class with Janet.  When we all joined together again we concentrated on the Form from 50 to 72, which we went through several times.  After the break Janet led us through four Dao Yin exercises which combined breathing and balance.  Silks came next, starting with moving the silks between Leopard stances.  Then we did the Silks Form, with the class split in two as before, and the longer standing members did very well under Janet's guidance!   We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very enjoyable and informative session.

Monica was our teacher today and before we started we were pleased to welcome another new member.  After warm-up we started with two Tao Yin exercises, Happy Days and Stamp the Foot.  Next we formed a circle and went through all the stances, then did a K'ai Men, or Chinese Yoga, exercise.  Step Flow came next, which is quite new to us, but we are gradually improving!  This was followed by the Form up to 30.  We went through it several times, concentrating on footwork, expecially Dragons!  We then moved on to Shou Pei Fa, which is based on martial arts movements.  Moving the Silks came next, incorporating Leopard stances then Cat and Dragon stances and this was followed by the Silks Form up to 30.  We are still getting to grips with the last 10 movements of this form!  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after an interesting and enjoyable session.

Our teacher today was Alan, and after a good warm-up we started with Happy Days.  We followed this with two more Tao Yin exercises, both very good for the back.  The Form came next, first of all up to 20, then we concentrated on movements 60 to 72.  Eventually we did the complete Form, going through it several times, our newer members making really good progress.  After the break we started with moving the silks between Leopard stances, then went on to the Silks form up to 30.  The last few movements usually cause problems but after a lot of laughter we finally sorted them out.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very satisfying session.

Today our teacher was Monica and we started off with our usual warm-up.  Happy Days followed, then several K'ai Men, or Chinese Yoga, exercises, the first one called Six Rabbits.  This is done sitting on the floor, and whilst we were down there, we did more exercises, some of which were quite surprising!!!   We then formed a circle and went through all the stances including Scissor Steps, Step Flow and laughter.  Forward and backward stances came next, the object being to finish where we started!  After the break we did the Form up to 30, then did it the opposite way to the usual, causing quite a bit of confusion!  The Dance, or Flying Hands, followed, then we did it with silks, keeping the silks moving throughout.  Lastly we did the Silks form up to 30, the last 10 of which we are still learning.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very interesting and enjoyable session.

Our teacher today was Monica, and we were very pleased to welcome another new member to our group!  After warm-up we did two Tao Yin exercises, Happy Days and Stamp the Foot, followed by a K'ai Men, or Chinese yoga, exercise.  We formed  a circle to go through all the stances then practised Poor Peasant forwards and backwards, paying attention to correct foot placement.  The Form came next, up to 30.  After the break we did Flow Steps, which we are still learning!  The Dance came next, then we did the Dance with silks.  We followed this with moving the silks between stances, then did the Silks form up to 30, the last 10 movements being new to us.  We finished with the Staffs form before the Chi Cut Off and the end of a varied and enjoyable session.

Our teacher today was Alan, and after the warm-up we did four different Tao Yin, or breathing, exercises starting with Happy Days.  The Form came next, up to 72.  We then concentrated on movements 50 to 60, then 60 to 72, revising these sets several times.  Silks came next, first of all moving the silks between various stances, followed by the Silks Form.  This seemed to be going well until we tried it without Alan leading!!!  After this we did the Dance, which is quite a fast form, and here we made good progress.  We finished another very enjoyable session with the Chi Cut Off.

Our teacher today was Monica, and we were also pleased to welcome another new member!  We started off with the usual warm-up, then did Happy Days.  Following on from this we did two more Dao Yin exercises, the last one called Six Rabbits!  We then went through the stances, before doing the Form up to 25, going through it several times.  After the break we formed a circle and did cross steps and scissor steps to each side, then flow steps, a good exercise to open up the hips.  We then did Step Flow, which was new to us, and involved the flow steps and riding horse, then a sliding dragon step to go backwards!!  Sticks came next, first moving the sticks, then the Staffs, or Yang, Form.  Then we did the Sticks, or Yin, Form, which we had not done for a while.  The last exercise was moving the Silks, using various stances.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very good and varied session.

Our teacher today was Alan, assisted by Janet.  After our usual warm-up Alan gave a demonstration of the Chi we had gathered so far.  Stances came next, and the importance of foot placement to maintain correct balance during the forms.  Following this we did the Form, first of all to 20, then all the way to 72, then revising from 20 onwards.  After the break we did a series of breathing exercises with Janet, finishing with one combining breathing and balance.  Following this we went back to the Form with Alan taking our new member and Janet leading the rest of us to 50, going through this several times.  Then we all joined together to go to 72.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very enjoyable session.

Monica was our teacher today, and after warm-up we started with a Tao Yin balance and breathing exercise.  Next, Monica demonstrated how strong heel and toe movements on the stances can enhance Chi and showed how much stronger a 'push' could be this way.  We all then formed pairs to practise this ourselves.  The Form followed, concentrating on the stronger foot technique.  After the break we did Shou Pei Fa, adding movements which were new to us.  The Clockface came next, improving leopard stances, then Active Mist.  In pairs again we combined the last two exercises, one against the other.  The last exercise was the Staffs form, which we did several times before finishing with the Chi Cut Off.  Another enjoyable and varied session!

Today our teacher was Alan, assisted by Janet.  After warm-up we started with Happy Days.  Next we went over all the stances, including the ones more rarely used such as Crane, Dog and Archer.  Next we moved on to the Form with Alan taking our newer members and the rest of us going with Janet up to 50.  Then we all joined together and went up to 72 movements, our new members joining in really well.  We then concentrated on movements 50 to 72 with Alan carefully explaining the sequence.  Following the break Janet led us for Tao Yin, or breathing exercises, finishing with a breathing and balance exercise.  Staffs came next, which we went through several times.  We finished as usual with the Chi Cut Off after another very enjoyable session.

Monica was our teacher today, and after warm-up we started with Happy Days, a Tao Yin, or breathing exercise, and a K'ai Men, or Chinese yoga, exercise.  Then came Poor Peasant, both forward and backward, and getting better at finishing where we started!  The Form followed, up to 30 movements.  After the break we started with Active Mist, which is a series of defensive movements, then we did the opposing attacking movements.  The Clockface came next, which is Leopard stances at various angles.  We then did this with a partner, going against the attacking movements we had just done.  Shou Pei Fa followed, which we did up to 30.  The Staffs Form was the last exercise today and we revised it several times.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a varied and enjoyable session.

We were pleased to welcome another new member to our group today!  Alan was our teacher and we started with the warm-up.  This is a series of exercises for the whole body to ensure there will be no pulled muscles during the class.  We started with Happy Days, a breathing and stretching exercise, then Alan gave a demonstration to show how much Chi, or energy, we had gathered.  The Form came next, and we started with the first three movemenets, Gather Celestial Energy, then progressed to 12 movements.  Alan then concentrated on our newer members, going over the 12 movements and stressing the importance of correct stances.  We then all went through to 72 movements, with Alan giving the name of each stance as we went along.  Then we went through from 40 to 72 before going through the complete Form twice up to 72.  Finally we did the Chi Cut Off after an enjoyable session with all our newer members making excellent progress!

Monica was our teacher today, also, we were pleased to welcome a new member to the group. We started off with warm-up exercises, then moved on to Happy Days.  Two Tao Yin, or breathing exercises, came next.  We then did Active Mist, which is based on defensive martial arts movements, followed by the opposing attacking movements.  Following on, we did a series of martial arts based movements up to 30.  Poor Peasant came next in left and right directions.  The Form followed up to 20, then the Dance up to 10.  After the break came sticks, first of all moving sticks around our bodies, then the Yang, or Staffs, Form.  We went through this several times, our new members making really good progress.  The last exercise was silks with stances.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a varied and enjoyable session!

Our teacher today was Alan, assisted by Janet and after warm-up, we started with Happy Days.  Revision of stances came next, concentrating on perfecting our Dragons!  The Form followed, first of all up to 20, using our best footwork!  Alan then took our newer members and Janet led the rest of the group up to 60.  After the break we all joined together to do the  Form, going up up to 70, Alan saying each stance as we went along for the benefit of our new members.  We then revised movements 50 to 70 several times.  Following this we did the Dance, first of all going right through, to the consternation of all!  We then practised the first 12 moves several times for everyone's benefit.  Alan then demonstrated a shoulder and back massage technique which we all tried with partners.  Lastly came the Chi Cut Off after another very enjoyable session.

Monica was our teacher today, and after warm-up we started with a Kai Men, or Chinese Yoga, exercise.  Two Tao Yin exercises followed, Happy  Days and Stamp the Foot.  Monica then demonstrated how Chi can be channelled by using the breath, and we all tried this for ourselves.  Poor Peasant came next, done in a square, backwards and trying to finish at the same place as starting!  After the break we did the Form to 20, then the Dance to 10, paying particular attention to placing the hands to gather Chi from below and above.  Next was the Sticks, or Yin, Form, then the Staffs, or Yang, Form, both of which we revised several times.  Shou Pei Fa was the last exercise, and we are still trying to master this!  Lastly we did the Chi Cut Off after a varied and stimulating session.

Today we were pleased to welcome two new members to our group!  Alan was our teacher, assisted by Janet.  We started with the usual warm-up, then did Happy Days.  Stances came next, going through them for the benefit of new members, and emphasising the need for correct foot placement to get full benefit from the exercises.  Then we did three exercises to demonstrate the power of Chi.  The Form came next with Alan taking the new members and Janet leading the rest of the group.  After the break we did Tao Yin breathing and balance exercises with Janet.  Following this we did the Staffs form, splitting the group between Alan and Janet again.  Lastly we did the Chi Cut Off to finish a varied and enjoyable session.

Today our teacher was Monica and after warm-up we did some stretching floor exercises which were new to us.  Then came Happy Days.  After this we did Poor Peasant, forward and backward, concentrating on getting our foot placements right.  The Form came  next, up to 20, achieving better stances throughout!  After the break we did resistance exercises in pairs, then we did a massage on each other, which was also new to us, and very relaxing.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after an interesting and enjoyable session.

Here we are again after our first session of 2011!  Monica was our teacher and we started off with the usual warm-up, which we needed on a cold day.  Two Tao Yin, or breathing exercises, followed, then the Clock Face to practice the Leopard stance, then Poor Peasant to practice forward and backward stances.  The Form came next, which we did up to 20, then the Dance, also up to 20.  After the break we started on sticks, first of all spinning and moving the sticks, then doing the Staffs Form, revising it several times.  Silks came next, first of all moving the silks between Cat and Dragon stances, then left and right Leopard stances.  Then we did the Silks Form, going over the moves carefully as it's a while since we did this.  We finished with Shou Pei Fa, based on self-defence moves, up to 30.  The Chi Cut Off ended a stimulating and enjoyable session.

Today our teacher was Monica, and after warm-up we started with Happy Days which is a Tao Yin, or breathing, exercise.  A yoga exercise, or K'ai Men, came next, incorporating breathing, balance and stretching.  Poor Peasant followed, which is stances together with arm movements and is performed forward, backwards and then in a square, some of us managing to finish where we started!  Monica then gave two demonstrations of the power of Chi, following which we did the exercises ourselves.  After this we moved on to the Form up to 20, which we did several times.  Silks came next, moving the silks through Right Leopard, Horse, then Left Leopard.  Then we did a series of arm movements up to 10 whilst moving between Cat and Dragon stances.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after another good session. 

Please note this was the last session this year.  We will meet again on Wednesday 5th January 2011!

We had a class this week, after being snowed off last week, and were pleased to welcome another new member.  Alan was our teacher, assisted by Janet.  We really needed the warm-up this week as the room was quite cold, but soon everyone had gathered their Chi and we started off with Happy Days.  Practice of all the stances came next, which we did in a circle with everyone naming a difference stance.  The Form followed with Alan helping our new member and Janet leading the rest of us.  Eventually we joined all together and went up to 72 moves, after revising from 50 onwards.  Janet then took us through four breathing exercises and one breathing and balance exercise.  After that we did the sticks warm-up, then the Staffs form, eventually going all the way through.  Lastly we did Shou Pei Fa, which is based on self-defence moves.  We finished (much warmer) with the Chi Cut Off after a very enjoyable session.

Today our teacher was Monica and after warm-up we started with a "weight lifting" breathing exercise.  Poor Peasant came next, forward and backwards, the aim being to start and finish in the same spot, which was achieved with varying degrees of success!  After this we did the Dance up to 20, then the Form also up to 20.  This illustrated the different energies gained from the two forms.  After the break we did the Clock Face, which is the Leopard stance at various angles to form a circle, then with an opposing partner using Cat and Dragon stances and a stick!  This passed without mishap.  The Staffs form followed, which we revised several times.  Lastly we did Shou Pei Fa, based on self-defence moves, up to 32.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a varied and interesting session.

Monica was our teacher today, and after warm-up we started with Happy Days.  A K'ai Men exercise came next, followed by Poor Peasant to revise stances.  Monica then demonstrated the power of Chi with the Unbending Arm exercise, which we all did in pairs.  We went on to do the Form up to 20, giving each section its name.   Some stick twirling came next, which happily took place without accident!  This was followed by the Staffs form which we did several times, and have made real progress here!  Silks came next, moving the Silks in time with stances.  Then we did a four directional exercise based on self-defence called Active Mist and this went up to 30 movements.   We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very good and enjoyable session.

Today we were pleased to welcome a new member to our group, and she did really well for her first time when all the moves and the names are strange!  Alan was our teacher, and after warm-up we started with Happy Days.  Next we practised stances before forming pairs to demonstrate the power of Chi.  The Form came next with Alan giving our new member one to one tuition and Janet taking the rest of the group through the Form to 50.  We then joined all together again to revise various parts of the Form which we eventually did up to 72.  The Staffs form followed, with Janet demonstrating how the stick twirls during the exercise.  Finally we did a faster paced form which is based on self-defence.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very enjoyable session.

Today our teacher was Janet and after warm-up exercises we started with Happy Days.  A breathing exercise came next, then  a K'ai Men, or Chinese Yoga, exercise, with extension, which means taking the movements as far as each person can comfortably go.  Following this we did the Form up to 50, concentrating on 30 - 50, then revising the Form several times.  After the break we did two  more short exercises, the first one simulating lifting weights and the second a balance and breathing exercise.  Next we moved on to Staffs, which we did several times, with Janet demonstrating how the stick turns during the form.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very enjoyable session.

Today our teacher was Alan, assisted by Janet.  We started with our usual warm-up and deep breathing exercises to gather our Chi, followed by  Happy Days.  Next we revised stances, with Alan emphasising the importance of doing these properly in order to get full benefit from the movements.  After that we moved on to the Form, first of all going right through the 72 movements, then concentrating on 50 to 72.  Alan then helped our new member with the Form and Janet led the rest of us through to 50.  After the break Janet took us through five breathing and balance exercises.  This was followed by moving the Silks and then the Silks Form, which we did several times.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very enjoyable session.

Today Monica was our teacher.  First of all came the warm-up, then we practised three-sectional breathing .  Following this we did Happy Days.  We then did a Kai Men exercise, or Chinese Yoga, which involves three-sectional breathing and stances, eventually doing the extension of this exercise which really works all the body.  Following on came stances with arm movements using Silks, and incorporating the breathing we had practised.  The Clock exercise was next, which is a defensive move using the Leopard stance, then in pairs using Cat and Dragon stances to oppose the Clock exercise.  We then moved on to Shou Pei for further practice of stances.  Lastly we did the Form up to 20 before the Chi Cut Off.  A very interesting and beneficial session! 

Today our teacher was Monica and after warm-up we did a new Tao Yin, or breathing, exercise.  Stances came next, moving forward and back, and incorporating arm movements.  We then did the Form up to 20, then to 20 again but the opposite way, which took us up to the break.   Twirling sticks followed, then moving sticks with stances, and finally the Staffs form, which we did several times.  We then did two self-defence exercises, one attacking, done at different speeds, and one defensive.  Following on, we did Active Mist up to 30.  Lastly we did the Dance, then the Chi Cut Off.  A very enjoyable session!

Monica was our teacher today, having returned from her Tai Chi visit to China which she had really enjoyed.  We started with our usual warm-up, then went on to several Kai Men, or Chinese Yoga, exercises which Monica introduced to us and which, being floor exercises, caused much laughter.  Happy Days came next followed by Stamping the Foot, which is a breathing and balance exercise.  After this we did the Form up to 20, which took us up to the break.  Stick twirling followed, then the Staff Form which we revised several times.  Next came two exercises based on self-defence which act in opposition to each other, one attacking and one warding off!  Then we went on to the Dance up to 20, followed by Slks, which we also did up to 20, paying particular attention to the last few moves.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very busy and beneficial session.

Alan was our teacher today, with assistance from Janet.  We started off with our usual warm-up, then went on to Happy Days.  The Form came next, concentrating particularly on movements 50 to 72. After the break Janet took us through several breathing and balance exercises, including a new one which is done seated and is good for the digestion!  Following this we did the Staffs form, revising it several times, and then did the Sticks form.  Silks came next, starting with moving the silks, then the Silks form.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a varied and enjoyable session.  If you would like to try a different type of exercise, in a friendly atmosphere, then come and join us!

Our teacher today was Alan, with assistance from Janet.  After warm-up we did the Six Rabbits breathing exercise, followed  by Happy Days.  Janet then took us through a series of Tao Yin and K'ai Men, or breathing and Chinese yoga exercises, which all  help with control of movement and balance.  Silks came next, first of all moving the silks between Cat and Dragon stances, and then the Silks Form, which we went through several times.  Following the break we did the Dance, and went through it until we had thoroughly tested Alan's patience!  We did, however, make progress.  Then came the Form which we did up to 72.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a varied and enjoyable session!

Today we were pleased to welcome two new members to our group!  Alan was our teacher today, assisted  by Janet.  First of all we did the warm-up and our usual deep breathing exercise to gather our Chi, and this was followed by Happy Days.  We revised the stances next to show our new members what all the strange names mean and for general benefit.  Janet then took us through several breathing exercises, finishing with one which also improves balance.  The Form came next with Alan helping the new members and Janet leading the rest of the class.  Eventually we did the Form all together up to 72.  We went on to the Staffs form next, first breaking it into segments, then doing the complete form.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after another good session!

Monica was our teacher today, and we started with our usual warm-up.  First of all we did Tao Yin, or breathing exercises.  After this we did the Form up to 20, then repeated the Form but opposite to the usual way, left instead of right, etc.  The Dance came next, concentrating on keeping the movements low.  After the break we did "stick twirling", which causes us all to be well spaced from each other!  Staffs followed, revising especially movements from 10 onwards.  Next came several exercises based on self-defence, starting with Active Mist and finishing with the one with movements at different speeds which always makes the pulses race!    Last of all we did the Chi Cut Off, which is very calming.  A varied and beneficial session.

Today our teacher was Janet, the first time she has taken the class and she did really well!  We started with Happy Days, then moved on to the  Tai Chi Walk which took us through all the forward and backwards steps.  After this we did the Form up to 50, which we practised several times.  Breathing exercises came next, all with lovely names - Eagle Stretches its Wings, Supporting Clouds, Salute with Hands, Flying Fox - then we did a good breathing and balance exercise to finish that section.  After the break we did the Dance up to 20, then moving the silks with stances.  Finally we did the Silks  Form before the Chi Cut Off.  A very enjoyable session!

Monica was our teacher today, and after warm-up  we practised steps, with the emphasis on keeping movements low.  This really works the muscles of the legs and ensures that full benefit is made of all the exercises.  We then did the Form up to 20 and put into practice the low movements.  After this we did a breathing exercise called Drinking Horse which really worked the lungs!  Stances with silks came next, moving from Cat into Dragon.  After the break we moved on to sticks, starting off with arm movements, spinning and twisting the sticks, then we did the Staffs form.  A series of self-defence based moves came next, starting with Shou Pei Fa, followed by Active Mist, then Poison Hands which was done slowly, then medium paced, then fast!  Finally we did the Dance up to 20 before Chi Cut Off.  Another beneficial and varied session!

Monica was our teacher today, with Alan taking us through the warm-up.  We then did the Tai Chi Walk, which took us through all the forward movements, Hawk, Crane, Dog, Duck, Snake and Dragon, together with great amusement!  The Form came next, up to 20, and then the Dance up to 10.  Then we moved onto sticks, starting with spinning sticks by hand, resulting in your blogger managing to hit herself over the head!  The  Staffs form followed, up to 20, concentrating on the middle section. Our new members had a practice session with Alan covering stances, then we all did stances forward and back, eventually with arm movements.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after another very enjoyable session.

Today we were pleased to welcome another new member!  Monica was our teacher with Alan taking us through the warm-up.  First of all we practised foot movements, keeping the feet in contact with the floor, moving in all directions and keeping the weight on the heel.  The first part of the Form came next, up to 10.  We then moved on to Staffs, first doing co-ordinated stances and arm movements before the actual Staffs Form, which we did several times.  Silks came next, first getting the Silks moving together with stances, then the Silks Form up to 20.  The final exercise was based on self-defence, and concentrated especially on the leopard stance.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very enjoyable and beneficial session!

We were pleased to see three new members today, who were most welcome!  Monica was our teacher and we started off with the warm-up routine.  Then we moved on to Happy Days, to demonstrate three sectional breathing, and followed this by practice of stances and arm movements using silks.  Staffs came next, which we went through several times, then we did the Form up to 20.  An exercise called Active Mist came next, which we did up to 30.  This was followed by Tao Yin, or breathing exercises.  After this we did an exercise based on self-defence movements, the middle section of which is done slowly at first, then more quickly, and finally fast, which always raises a smile!  The Dance came next, up to 17, and finally the Chi Cut Off.  Our new members did really well in an enjoyable and varied session.

Our teacher today was Alan, and after warm-up we started with Happy Days.  The Form came next, 50 to 72, which we practised several times, before doing the complete Form.  Revision of stances came next before the Form once more.  We then went on to four breathing and balance exercises, the first one called Eagle Stretches Its Wings, followed by the Dolphin Roll!  A balancing exercise came next, followed by Flying Fox.  This was followed by Staffs up to 13, which again, we practised several times.  Finally we did the Dance before Chi Cut Off at the end of a very enjoyable and varied session.  New members would be most welcome, so if you want to try out these deceptively slow and simple movements with the strange names, and be surprised by the beneficial effect, do come and join us!

Today our teacher was Monica, and after warm-up we moved on to a series of new movements with Silks to improve our leopard stance.  The Silks form came next, up to 20.  This was followed by the Sticks form, then the Staffs form, which we practised several times.  We then did the Form itself up to 20 and then the  Dance, into which we tried to incorporate the flowing actions required.  Two self-defence sequences followed, the first with movements which were new to us, and in the second, "Active Mist", we went up to 30.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very enjoyable and varied session.

Alan was our teacher today, assisted by Janet.  First of all we did the warm-up where we exercise the whole body gradually from the head to the ankles!  This was followed by Happy Days, then we moved on to the Form.  We revised movements 50 to 72 before practising the Form from the beginning, then went over different sections as required by members of the group.  After the break Janet took us through several Tao Yin, or breathing exercises, which incorporated resistance movements to enhance the effect of the deep breathing.  Staffs came next, up to 10, then Sticks up to 17, both of which we repeated in order to improve!  Finally we did Silks before the Chi Cut Off.  A good session on a very hot day!

Today our teacher was Alan, assisted by Janet.  During warm-up Alan demonstrated a good exercise for the back which was easy to do and most beneficial!  We started with Happy Days to get our Chi moving, then a series of exercises based on self-defence which incorporate both defensive and attacking moves.  This was followed by the Silks Form.  We practised several times up to 16, concentrating especially on the last few movements for those of us (me) who kept getting it wrong!  Then came breathing and balance exercises with Janet and we all seem to be making progress with these.  The Clock Face came next, which is a good exercise to improve stances.  We finished with the Form, revising several of the sections, then did the complete Form up to 72.  Another very enjoyable session!

Our teacher today was Monica and we started with our usual warm-up, followed by a three sectional breathing exercise to gather our Chi.  First of all we did the Staffs Form, starting with 10 then up to 13.  Revision of the Poor Peasant came next, to practice correct movements whilst keeping the  body upright.  We then moved on to Silks, getting the Silks moving by alternating between Cat and Dragon stances and incorporating arm actions.  The Silks Form itself came next, up to 16.  We followed this with the Form, up to 20.  Lastly we did the Dance, followed by the Chi Cut Off.  A varied and satisfying session!

Monica was our teacher today, and after warm-up we moved onto Happy Days.  We then did the Unbending Arm, which is an exercise to demonstrate Chi.  The Staff Form came next, starting with the first 10 movements and eventually completing 13.  This form demonstrates actions to ward off an aggressor.  Following on from that, we did the Stick Form, practising several times, and finally going up to 17 movements.  During the break we sang Happy Birthday to Dinni who is one of our long time members!  After that we  did Tao Yin, or breathing exercises, and a yoga movement which promotes balance and breathing.  Next we went on to the Form, revising the first 20 movements.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a beneficial and enjoyable session!

Over the last two weeks we have been pleased to welcome two new members to our group!  Today our teacher was Alan, assisted by Janet, who took us through the warm-up.  This was followed by Happy Days, after which we did the Unbending Arm exercise plus two further exercises demonstrated by Alan to show the power of Chi to our new members.  We then revised the main stances to ensure that we all get full benefit from them.  The first part of the Form came next up to 6.  After the break Janet took us through several Tao Yin, or breathing exercises, always good to do.  We then went back to the Form, our new members concentrating on the first 10 under Alan's guidance, and Janet took the rest of the class up to 60.   Silks came next, first of all energising the Silks then the Silks Form, with varying degrees of success!!!  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very enjoyable session.

Monica was our teacher today, and after warm-up we moved straight on to the form of Staffs.  We concentrated on movements up to 10 until we were all proficient!  A good breathing and balance exercise came next, followed by Happy Days.  Then came stances with silks in order to warm up the silks and ourselves!  After that came practice of the Dragon stance to ensure that we were using the correct foot positions to move through all the forms.  The Silks form came next, up to 16, Monica reminding us of the foot positions, which gave better balance and easier movement.  Another good and benefitical session.  We hope that more new members will join us for our beginners session next week, the 19th May!

Today our teacher was Alan, assisted by Janet.  Following warm-up we did Happy Days, which is a good breathing exercise.  After that we practised stances, something which we do regularly for our beginners and to ensure that we all get the maximum benefit by doing them correctly.  We then moved on to the Dance which Alan took us through slowly and carefully, first of all up to the first 20 movements, and eventually going up to 50.  After the break Janet took us through four breathing and balance exercises, each of which we repeated several times.  Then came the Form, first of all concentrating on movements 50 to 60 then going from the beginning to 72.  We then did an exercise based on self-defence before finishing with Chi Cut Off.  A stimulating and enjoyable session.

Today, Monica was the tutor. Following the warm up we concentrated on the 'Staff Form' untill the break.

Silk Form and the Dance, both up to 20 completed a most enjoyable and beneficial session

Our teacher today was Alan, assisted by Janet.  After warm-up we moved on to Happy Days, and this was followed by the Dance.  We went up to 50 but were all quite rusty so spent some time revising the later movements and eventually were much improved so did the complete Dance up to 50.  Janet then led us through a series of four exercises which co-ordinated breathing and balance with stretching.  The Form came next and we concentrated first of all on movements 60 to 72 as we had not done these for a while, then 30 to 72, eventually performing the Form from the beginning up to 72.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very enjoyable session.

The first week back after the Easter break and our teacher was Monica, assisted by  Janet.  After warm-up we moved on to Staffs, which was new to us, and we eventually progressed to movements up to 10.  Sticks came next, up to 20, concentrating on movements 12 to 20.  We then practised two self-defence moves, the first at different speeds and the second done in four directions.  We then did an exercise co-ordinating leg and arm movements with the Silks, then moved on to the Silks Form up to 20.  This was followed by the Dance up to 17, which we went through several times.  Lastly we did the Form up to 20 with Monica giving the names of the groups of movements this time from Gather Celestial Energy to Drive the Tiger Away.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off breathing exercise Five Lotus Petals to close a varied and enjoyable session.

Our teacher today was Monica and after warm-up and breathing exercises to gather our energy, we started with Sticks.  We did the movements up to 20 then Alan took our newer members up to 12 and Monica took the rest of us up to 20.  This included the Flying Riding Horse, which is proving difficult to master!  We then revised the movements up to 12 together.  Silks came next starting with the stances Cat and Dragon and arm movements to get the silks flowing.  We also did the Silks form up to 22, repeating it several times to help our proficiency.  After that we moved on to a self-defence exercise which we have done before, and is done at different speeds.  After the break we concentrated on two  more self-defence exercises with Monica demonstrating the uses of the movements with the assistance of Janet.  In the first one we went up to 17 and the second exercise incorporated the opposing movements to the first self-defence exercise we did today.  Finally, we did the Dance up to 17.  We finished off with the Chi Cut Off breathing exercise after a full and interesting session.

Today our teacher was Alan, and we started with warm-up and breathing exercises to gather our Chi!  We then moved on to Happy Days, which is a good resistance breathing exercise.  Practice of the Form 60 - 72 came next, followed by the complete Form.  After that we revised moves 30 to 50, in particular 33 - 36, The Cobra Unwinds.  Janet then took us through several Tao Yin - breathing and balance - exercises.  After the break we concentrated on Silks, stretching Alan's patience by making moves more complicated than they are!  However, no-one tied themselves in a knot and that was a big plus!!  We finished with the Chi cut-off to complete an enjoyable session.

Today our teacher was Monica and we started off with the warm-up, including floor exercises, which caused much laughter!  We then revised stances for the benefit of our newer members, followed by breathing exercises to improve our Chi!  A martial art type exercise came next, done slowly, then medium pace and finally quickly, which certainly meant that everyone had a thorough warm-up!  Sticks followed with Alan taking beginners and Monica showing the rest of us new moves, including a Flying Horse, which was very interesting!  Stances and arm movements using Silks came next, followed by the form of Silks itself practised several times.  After that we did the Form up to 20, then the Dance, building up to 17.  A very enjoyable session with much variety!

Today we were pleased to welcome four new members!  Our teacher was Alan, assisted by Janet.  After warm-up we moved on to breathing exercises, starting with Happy Days, then an interesting and powerful one called Six Rabbits!  To follow we did the first sequence of the Form called Gather Celestial Energy.  Then came demonstrations of how we had gathered Chi, or energy, which are fascinating, especially to new members.  We then did the Form up to 20 together, then Alan took the new members to learn more precisely the beginning of the Form and Janet took the rest of the class to do the Form up to 50.  Practice of stances came next, with Alan stressing the importance of doing these properly to work the ankles, knees and hips, and the muscles in between!  Janet then took us through a sequence of Tao Yin - breathing exercises - which also stretched the waist, sides and back.  Following this we did the Form 60 to 72 several times to practice the stances and hand movements involved, after which we did the Form from 1 to 72, our new members joining in and doing very well indeed.  We finished off with the Dance up to 12, then the Chi Cut Off.  A varied and stimulating session enjoyed by all!

We welcomed Sue, a new member, today!  Our teacher today was Monica.  After warm-up, we concentrated on three sectional breathing and did various exercises with a partner, first to demonstrate the three sections of the body involved, then resistance exercises to feel the effect of pushing out the breath.  Next we moved on to stances.  It may feel intimidating to new members to hear words like "dragon", "duck", "snake", but these are just names of some of the different stances, which at first may not look too different from each other.  With practice however, the differences become more apparent and you can feel the different muscles involved which you have worked on and feel the benefit in your whole body!   These are also the stances used in the Form, the Dance, and other forms of Tai Chi which we practice regularly.  We finished off this week with the Form up to 20 and then the Chi Cut Off.

Today our teacher was Alan and we started off with warm-up exercises which work on all the  body from head to ankles!  Happy Days came next, a good breathing, balance and stretching exercise. We then formed a circle and each member gave the name of a stance for us all to do, an informal way of practising stances and causing much hilarity!  The Form followed, up to 20, our new members learning quickly.  After the break we did the Form up to 72 followed by Sticks up to 20, which passed without mishap!  The Dance came next which  Alan guided us through carefully up to 12.  After a busy and enjoyable session we finished with the Chi Cut Off.

We had a new member today, so welcome to David!  Our teacher was Monica, and we started off with warm-up exercises, including some interesting floor exercises!  Next came Tao Yin - breathing exercises - followed by Chinese Yoga movements.  We practised stances next, moving through Cat, Duck, Snake to Dragon, then reprised the Unbending Arm and other exercises to demonstrate the power of Chi.  The Form came next, up to 20, Drive the Tiger Away, followed by the Dance up to 10.  A good session, interspersed with laughter, then the Chi Cut Off to finish.

Please remember that the next session on Wednesday 24th February will be at 3 pm until 4.30 pm to allow the funeral cortege of  Corporal Liam Riley to pass through Killamarsh.

Our teacher today was Alan and after warm-up exercises we went on to practise The Archer arm movement.  This movement is to be incorporated into Poor Peasant and has been causing some consternation!   At Alan's suggestion we practised it with silks in order to regulate the movement, then we did Poor Peasant with The Archer, with more success than previously.  We then moved on to  Sticks 1 - 12 and could clearly see how this is derived from self-defence.  Tao Yin breathing exercises came next, led by Janet to work on, and improve, three sectional breathing.  Finally we revised the Form from 60 to 72, then the complete Form, refining movements 36 to 40, before going through the complete Form again.  Another varied and enjoyable session.

Today we were pleased to see two new lady members of our group!  Our teacher today was Monica and after the warm-up and breathing exercises, including Happy Days, we did three demonstrations of the power of Chi.  We then moved on to the first movements of  Sticks, up to 12, which were accomplished without mishap!  Movements based on self-defence came next, the first performed at three speeds, slow, medium and fast, to the accompaniment of much laughter!  The Dance came next, up to 17, which we practised several times.  To work on stances we then did Poor Peasant, without arm movements before doing the Form up to 20, Drive the Tiger Away.  We finished an interesting and varied session with the Chi Cut Off.

Today we were pleased to welcome four new members to our group!  After the warm-up exercises we did Happy Days then the first exercises of the Form, Gather Celestial Energy to build up our Chi.  We then revised the Unbending Arm to demonstrate the power of Chi, which never fails to impress all of us!  Janet then took us through four different breathing exercises, one of which is designed to work on balance as well as breathing.  We then had a break, after which we went right through the Form up to 72.  The class then split into two with Alan working with our new members and Janet leading the rest of the group up to 50, which took us up to the Chi Cut Off and the end of an enjoyable session.

We then had our Annual General Meeting.  Margaret read out the minutes from last year, which were approved.  There was some discussion regarding finances and funding for our teacher and Margaret is to make one or two final checks but everything is satisfactory.  Gifforde has decided to stand down as Chairman and he was warmly thanked for his contribution.  Margaret and Eileen were thanked for all their hard work as Secretary and Treasurer and Alan for his voluntary work as teacher.  Without the three of them our group would not have been able to continue.  Sandra will replace Gifforde as Chairperson, and as there was no other business the Meeting ended there.

Don't forget this week we are having our AGM. If you have something to say, now's your chance. The meeting will take place during the break, and the class will over run past the normal 2.45pm finnish.. This will give anyone the chance to bow out before the end without missing the meeting.

Our new teacher, Monica, came today.  She is very enthusiastic and seemed to go down well with everyone.  The next time she will be with us is in two weeks and she asks that as well as silks, we bring sticks.  Helmets are optional!  After warm-up we revised three sectional breathing with several exercises, some new to us.  Next came Poor Peasant which we went over thoroughly and incorporated arm movements, which caused some confusion in co-ordinating arms with the stances, but we did make progress!  During the break we had our photograph taken and hope to see it soon in the Leader!  We then did Silks, which was different from the form we have done before, but we achieved the new form up to seven.  After that we did the Dance, concentrating on the first 17 movements, then the first movements of the Form, Gather Celestial Energy.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off as usual.  Everyone felt that they had worked hard and enjoyed the session!

Please note, a new lady, instuctor will be taking the class this coming week. Due to her commitments she may be late, therefore Alan will start the class as per normal and hand over, this means we may finish at 3.00pm.

The first session of Tai Chi in 2010 after being snowed off last week.  We had a new member this week, Eric, who was most welcome.  We started with warm-up exercises, which were much needed after the Christmas break!  Alan took the class and we started off with Happy Days.  We then did exercises 1 - 3 Gather Celestial Energy, then progressed to the first 10 movements of the form.  After practising various stances we did the whole of the Form.  After the  break, Janet took us through several breathing exercises, then we split the class with Alan giving our new member one to one tuition of the first movements of the Form and Janet led the rest of us through the Form up to 60.  We then revised the Form from 60 to 72 with Alan and then did the complete Form, finishing off with the Chi Cut Off.  A most enjoyable session which everyone felt had been beneficial!

Wishing a Happy New Year to all the class.

See you all on the 6th

As it was the last class before Christmas there were only eight of us today, but an enjoyable session covering our usual warm-up, then several breathing exercises (Tao Yin), some Chinese yoga (K'ai Men), then we  revisited the Form,  numbers 60 to 72, then 30 to 40 of the Dance, followed by the complete Dance.  We then finished with the Chi cut off breathing exercises.  We have a break now until the next session on Wednesday 6th January 2010.