Fall Session: Thursday, September 10 to Monday, October 26 Winter Session: Monday, November 2 to Thursday, December 17 Cost: $125 for 7 week session
Monday
Thursday
6:30pm Beginner/Intermediate Tai Chi with Ken Burgess
11:30am 16 Movement Form with Joanne Sellars
7:30pm Beginner Tai Chi with Ken Burgess
4:45pm Tai Chi for Kids drop-in class with Kate Van Frank
6:00pm Chi Kung with Ken Burgess
Tai Chi & Chi Kung Class Descriptions
Beginner Tai Chi • First section of the 103 Traditional Form • The 10 Essential Principles of Practice A student will be ready to move for the Beginner to the Intermediate class when the first sixteen postures of the form can be preformed independently and the student can name the 10 Essentials of practice. The student will learn the basic palm techniques and the basic stances in this class.
Beginner / Intermediate Tai Chi • Practice first section of the 103 Traditional Form • Learn second section of the 103 Traditional Form • Begin to integrate the 10 Essentials into practice A student will be ready to move from the Intermediate to the Advanced Class when the first fifty-four postures of the form can be preformed showing the standard palm techniques and footwork. The student should be able to practice more smoothly, comfortably and continuously.
16 Movement Form • The 10 Essential Principles of Practice • Begin to integrate the 10 Essentials into practice • Learn the Yang Family Sixteen Movement Form This course will teach a complete 16 movement form. This course is designed for students who want to learn a complete form in a relatively short period of time, for Seniors, and for students looking for a mid-day Tai Chi refresher. All levels are welcome to attend this class. Students will learn the basics of footwork, palm shapes, and stances.
Tai Chi for Kids In this course, students will have fun while learning the basics of Tai Chi movement. A shortened form based on Traditional Yang Family Tai Chi will be learned. Classroom activities will include meditative and creative applications as well as movement. For ages 7 to 11 years.
Chi Kung Chi Kung (Energy Work) is a therapeutic practice that unifies the body's three major areas of energy. The Body (Jing), Breath (Chi), and Mind (Shen). Through a holistic practice of slow, callisthenic body movements, synchronized relaxed deep breathing, and mind focusing exercises, the student learns to harness the connected power of their body and mind. In this course, we will study and practice the methods passed down from the Chinese warrior monks of the Shaolin Temple that they used to strengthen their bodies, and illuminate their minds. These eighteen exercises will focus on, body alignment to increase balance and full range of motion, breathing to energize and relax the body, and mental exercises to free the mind from undue stress. The exercises are easy to perform in the beginning, and are modified to challenge the student as he or she advances in their practice. These exercises are based on Chinese Medicine theories, and have been know to stimulate the internal curative processes of the body. Chi Kung & Energy Work: Movement as Preventative Medicine In China, martial artists have always been known for their brilliant health due mainly to their physical practices (Kung Fu). At the core of these practices is a form of therapeutic exercise (Chi Kung) that uses meditation, breathing, and slow graceful movements to stimulate the body to greater health. These exercises are based on traditional Chinese medical theories that improve health and immunity by increasing energy circulation (chi) throughout the body and clearing out blockages that may cause energy stagnation leading to illness and disease.
The secret to good health is found in the simple truth of Kung Fu. Most people are familiar with this term, but associate it with the kicks and punches found in the traditional Chinese Boxing Art. Actually the term refers to effort (Kung) and time (Fu). If you want to reap a benefit, it is necessary to apply effort consistently over a long period of time. When we learn something new our ability to perform well is low (poor quality) and we need many hours of practice to improve (large quantity of time / small profits), but over time with a consistent practice our technique gets better (high quality) and the benefits we reap from our efforts increase compared to the time we spend (small quantity of time/ large profits). By investing in yourself, and practicing preventative exercises, the rewards become increasingly more valuable. The practice acts as a medicine that is of high quality and only requires small consistent dosages to be effective. The body operates more efficiently and pocesses a greater ability to ward off illness and disease. 18 Hands of the Luohan Chi Kung These exercises come from the birthplace of Kung Fu, a Buddhist monastery called the Shaolin Temple. They are a series of short gentle repetitive exercises that can be practiced individually or after learning all the exercises can be connected together to form a 30 minute continuous motion form that offers even greater benefits. The name comes from the 18 original disciples (Luohan /Arhat) of the Buddha. These movements are believed to be the physical exercises (Dynamic Yoga) that where taught to monks to strengthen their bodies and minds to endure the long seated meditation sessions (Static Yoga) necessary to reach enlightenment. Static and Dynamic meditation to improve the mind body connection. Meditation and movement has been shown to help reduce daily stress due to anxiety. Through these practices a student learns to relax and stay focused in the present moment, improve their concentration skills by intentionally directing their bodies with the mind, and constructively work with the endless thoughts and feelings that arise in the mind. Breathing to improve lung function and message internal organs. These movements are coordinated with the cycle of the breath, opening and closing the body causing an internal massaging effect on the internal organs. Lung capacity and oxygen /carbon exchange is increased by learning to completely fill and empty the lungs in a safe and correct manner. Therapeutic movements Through a detailed study of body mechanics and learning the safe and correct way to optimize usage of the body as a tool, students improve coordination, balance, and range of motion.
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