Daoist Dynamic Tai Chi - Thursday mornings

Daoist Dynamic Tai Chi - Thursday mornings

Feel rejuvenated, lighter and more grounded with Daoist Tai Chi every Thursday morning at Hackney Showroom!

I call it tai chi but actually it's incredibly broad and encompasses loads of different Daoist Arts. The class is generally split into two where we have the Yin arts and the Yang arts.

Yin arts you can think of as 'internal self-defence' - it's about learning how to breath so deeply that you naturally feel more energised, it's learning how to root so that you can stand strong (in both the exercises in class but it also seeps into life), it's learning how to start to feel your qi (energy) and utilise it.

Then you've got the Yang arts - more 'external self defence' which is learning how to "not get touched" - if there's a leg or an arm or a bus coming towards you, through the exercises in the yang arts, you learn how to move away from this into a more advantageous position.

I have been training in these Daoist Arts for more than ten years and even after my first class I remember feeling pretty good... it seems miraculous but it's just got better and better since then! Over time, you can get deeper into the exercises and access different parts of yourself learning more about your body, mind and spirit.

It's great. Any questions, I would be happy to try and answer!

Come and learn the Yin and Yang arts of Lishi!

These one hour early morning classes are the perfect way to start the day! Move the body and breathe deeper to feel lighter, more energised and, at the same time calm and grounded.

The class:

15 mins Warm Up - using circular movements we warm up all the major muscle groups, tendons and ligaments to get more heat, and blood to the whole body. We then warm up our breath with breathing exercises.

30 mins Yin Arts - the Yin Arts is like 'internal self defence' - it's the exercises to help us get in touch with our breath (Dao Yin), move our body in flowing movements (Kai Men), learn to harness and direct our qi (Qi Gong) and follow beautiful flowing sequences of movements to feel lighter, more energised and calm (Tai Chi).

15 mins Yang Arts - the Yang Arts is more like 'external self defence' - it's learning how to flow out of the way of an arm or leg coming towards you, to move into a better position so that you have the advantage. All the exercises are playing with the give and take of energy and, when practiced, it becomes a kind of dance - learning how to soften even more, how to move away from pressure and it's generally pretty fun...!

These classes are open to complete beginners - no prior experience in any movement practice is needed. The classes are fun and joyful and are a place to leave the day's stresses behind and come back into the body and breath and feel better for it.

Host or Publisher Helen Wilson