Tai Chi - Centre Based

This Tai Chi course will be delivered face-to-face from The Gateway in Ashford. The course has been designed by and is delivered in partnership with Barry Phelan of Wugong Academy. It is a combination of relaxation and toning exercises, promoting harmony and health, and balancing the mind, body and spirit. The movements are slow and deliberate and together can help to improve mental and physical wellbeing. At the end of the course students will be familiar with a least part of the Tai Chi Hand Form and have practiced movements to help improve their balance, strength, mobility and co-ordination. Your tutor will explain the benefits of Tai Chi and how you can apply them to your daily life.

The 4 most popular family styles of Tai Chi are Yang, Chen, Wu, and Sun. There are also Chi Gong (energy work) and Dao Yin, which is a series of Chi Gong exercises specifically for different parts of the body; the heart, lungs, kidneys as well as routines for general wellbeing. The tutor will draw on all these styles, as appropriate, during the course, so that it is suitable for both beginners and returners to Tai Chi, maximising the health and relaxation benefits this discipline has.

You will need to be able to follow verbal instructions, observe and copy physical movements and use spatial awareness within a group. Although there is no specific work set outside of the class, students will gain most benefit if Tai Chi is performed regularly and practised between classes

By the end of this course you should be able to:
• Explain the philosophy, history and terminology of Tai Chi
• Demonstrate the form using correct alignment
• Identify the benefits of regular Tai Chi practice
• Demonstrate and explain Tai Chi relaxation methods.