Movement
Edward offers a range of classes based in the ancient practices of martial arts. These currently include Thai Chi and Qi Gong. Each have amazing health benefits for mind and body, and are accessible to all abilities.
Tai Chi Classes
The Benefits
- Strengthen your legs and structural alignment.
- Learn to move again, pain free and in a natural spontaneous way.
- Un-do your habitual hard-wired muscular and nervous tension.
- Move with efficiency and intention.
- Learn to move more gracefully with less effort using only those muscles required for a specific action.
- Rewire your euro-muscular system.
This “re-wiring” takes time but with persistence and determination the pay-off is ten-fold and the knowledge gained is for life. Learn to move freely, with a strong body and to let go of all superfluous tension in the body. This tension is at the root of so much bodily discomfort and pain.
What is Tai Chi?
Tai Chi is, simply put, an approach to martial arts and health training based on the philosophical concepts of taiji. Because of the history and evolution of Chinese martial arts and the nature of the. Existing training methods and approaches to fighting and self defence were integrated with taiji philosophy, culminating in a martial arts style that became known as taijiquan. Because of the smooth flowing training method and taken together with the history of China in the modern era, Tai Chi became popularised predominantly as a health practice.
What to expect in class
Classes will consist of foundation warm up and movement drills followed by learning the “form”. Form practice is a sequence of choreographed movements smoothly stitched together.
Intensity
The intensity level of Tai Chi practice is highly adaptable, hence why it has become so popular. You can adapt the methods to your energy levels and health. It can be very easy, smooth and light on the one hand or intensely gruelling on the other. As anything in life, given the correct method and tools, you get out what you put in.
Qi Gong
What is Qi Gong (pron. “chee gong”)?
Qigong is actually a loose umbrella term of a vast array of practices, ranging from sitting or standing still, whilst doing breathing exercises on one end of the the spectrum to martial arts based body conditioning on the other end. Yin and Yang. For more detail on this, dive in here.
Qi, pronounced ‘chee’ means breath, life-force, energy. Gong means ability and skill. There are many different types of qigong practice ranging from sitting or standing meditations on one end of the spectrum, to breathing similar to pranayama, simple flowing movements or isometric movements in the middle and to “iron shirt” or “steel jacket” methods used in Kung Fu on the other end of the scale. There is one thing that unites all methods and that is that the aim is to unify the three pillars of physical form, breath and intention. The goal is to first learn to sense and recognise the feeling of qi in your body, to nourish and cultivate it, to guard it and to move it through your body.
Below is one of the many qigong methods I offer.
About 8 Brocades/Treasures (Ba Duan Jin) Qi Gong
Ba Duan Jin belongs to the original repertoire of the Shaolin Temple. Earliest mention is around 1150 during the Song Dynasty. It is widely practiced throughout China and the world with myriad variations on these eight exercises. I have directly learned and synthesised my method of practice from various Shaolin Fung Fu, Daoist and lay interpretations of this form. Once memorised and internalised, it is yours forever.
The Benefits
- Energise and strengthen your body
- Builds stability and strength in the legs
- Develops tendons and sinews of the arms and hands
- Stretches and activates every muscle group and organ system
- Helps to Regulate the Mind and Develop Focus
- Develop body awareness and recognise the feeling of qi
Intensity
- Accessible to everyone (unless in very poor health)
- Scalable in difficulty and intensity levels
- Easy to remember, simple, relatively static movements.
- The form intensity is scalable and can be practiced in 10 minutes to 1 hour.
What to expect in Class
A Shaolin Temple Qi Gong is widely practiced through China and the world. It consists of 8 exercises that stimulate and stretch the body in a variety of ways combining changes in breath, intensity, tension and relaxation. It increases joint mobility, structural stability, focus with the aim to integrate physical body connectivity with a gentle and harmonious nourishment of qi.
Classes consist of:
- Gentle warm-up 5-10mins
- Run though of entire form about 20-25mins
- Breakdown and explanation of one or two of the movements. (25mins)
