These ancient movements are performed with utter slowness and attention. Practised in China for hundreds of years they are very relevant for today’s turbulent world. The movements are attractive to watch yet they are not really intended for demonstration. Indeed, they form a meditative movement exercise for the essential benefit of the practiser. Improved health, the fluidity of action, calmness and tranquillity, balance and strength come from practising T’ai Chi. Once learned it can be done anywhere where there are a few yards of space, just for two ten-minute periods each day. Anyone can learn to tune in to the quietness and inner calm the practice of T’ai Chi brings. By being performed very slowly and also because continuous mindfulness and awareness of the whole body in action is essential. T’ai Chi is the continuous interplay of “yin” and “yang” forces.

T’ai Chi lessons always start with a period of stillness and with preliminary practices that are designed to bring about a state of active watchfulness. Giving attention to preventing our misdirected psycho-physical habitual actions is inherently promoted in T’ai Chi as the movements are performed with immense care, so there is plenty of time to observe one’s use, or misuse, and prevent unwanted actions. Actually, unconsidered actions are virtually impossible in practising T’ai Chi, for as soon as you lose conscious connection to the actions you are performing, you find you make a mistake which brings you up short. The arms must always ‘follow’ the torso body actions. The continuous maintenance of a central awareness of the whole body moving in a coordinated unity in an upright, yet ‘relaxed’ manner is of primary importance in T’ai Chi. Suspension from under the head with a spine that is tending to lengthen is the way to think about uprightness.

Please note: Individual / 1-on-1 classes are also available subject to availability. Please write into info@shoonyaspace.com for more details.

Benefits of T'ai Chi

The harmonising effect of the T’ai Chi actions assists in creating a unique alert-yet-meditative quality. So when the left-hand rises the right-hand falls, when the right-hand goes forward the left comes near. Yet, as one of my T’ai Chi teachers, Dr. Chi Chiang Tao said: ‘In T’ai Chi no arm move’. So arm actions are never allowed to dominate but must always follow the whole torso in relation either to weight shift or to body rotation, or both at once.

The Teacher

Robin John Simmons has been working with T’ai Chi since 1969, and has had several teachers including John Yalenezian, Seeow Poon Shing, and especially Dr. Chi Chiang Tao among others. He has taught people of all ages and backgrounds, including well-known TV and film stars, he has run large group classes and also individual sessions