Tai Chi Chuan
Tai Chi Chuan (or Tai Chi) is an ancient Chinese martial art/health practice that dates back to the year 1247AD
Tai Chi Chuan translates to ‘Supreme, Ultimate’. For health it would loosely translate as Supreme Ultimate exercise or skill, Supreme and Ultimate being Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang is the symbol for Tai Chi, showing the importance of a well-rounded existence and that all sides of ourselves must work together in harmony. Yin and Yang offer the basic opposites working in unison to create balance.
The basic essence of Tai Chi movements have the Taoist principle of being ‘totally in the moment’; not thinking about the last move or the next move, but concentrating purely on where you are right now.
Despite its gentle nature, Tai Chi works profoundly with the body and energetic systems to harmonise, strengthen and maximize their functions. Qi or energy is allowed to flow freely in the body. It is an excellent form of intensive exercise and offers many physical benefits including improvements to balance and suppleness, strength and flexibility. It also provides participants with a great range of emotional and psychological benefits by helping with focus and concentration, calmness and mental fortitude.
For details of Tai Chi and Qi Gong Classes in Kilkenny, Carlow and Waterford see here
QI GONG
Qi Gong literally means Energy Work and in carrying out some simple exercises we learn to work with our energy in a way that ying and yang become more balanced resulting in enormous healing benefits.
Practising Qi Gong we learn to undo habits we have learned over our lifetime resulting in a new alignment and balance which, in effect, opens the energy gates allowing the Qi to flow. Through the practice of Qi Gong exercises, together with Dantian and whole body breathing, we can learn to release unblocked energies and strengthen weaker ones. As the practice progresses we become more aware of our energy field and that of our surroundings. We become one with our surroundings.
For details of Tai Chi and Qi Gong Classes in Kilkenny, Carlow and Waterford see here