What we’re about
1. Tai Chi has been described as a moving meditation. Its development has been accredited to monks who realized they needed an exercise to physically strengthen the body while at the same time cultivating the spirit through meditation. But it's much more than that. Through the traditional study of Tai Chi, as is the Zhao Bao Tai Chi style that will be taught in this group, we will learn to master ourselves by being stable, rooted, and balanced when nothing is assailing us. After self-mastery, practitioners should gain the ability to be balanced, rooted, and stable when facing the chaos of life. The ultimate goal is to live as if between heaven and earth, succinctly described by the Chinese idiom 乾坤正气 (Qian2 Kun1 Zheng4 Qi4). The purpose of this group is to share the benefits of this practice with anybody interested and motivated to improve themselves spiritually, physically, and emotionally.
2. Anybody can join. Tai Chi can benefit anybody, from any age group. Its movements are soft and gentle but can also be an extremely effective means of self-defense if mastered properly.
3. At the meet-up events we will learn the movements of the Zhao Bao Tai Chi forms, practice a standing meditation known as "Zhan Zhuang" in Chinese, and practice the forms (for practitioners who have learned sufficient movements.) For advanced practitioners who are interested and ok with a little rough and tumble, we can also practice Push Hands, but that will be a separate class for those with sufficient skills and for those with the desire to "test the quality of their forms."
Note: By attending this class you agree that you will hold harmless the teacher for any injury that may occur. While Tai Chi should not only not injure the body and mind, but should, conversely, enable the body and mind to heal, the instructor is teaching this art for free at this meet up, and therefore has no desire to teach those types of individuals who are sue-happy and simply looking for ways to squeeze money out of others (the teacher is a litigation attorney himself so frequently encounters these types of individuals.) The practice of Tai Chi should ultimately lead to self-accountability, being grounded in truth, and to the ability to handle life's stressors more effectively. So come only if you are seeking these things!
