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Tai Chi/Qi Gong class
Dear Everyone,
The weekly Tai Chi / Qi Gong class will continue as
scheduled on June 28, 2025. The class will begin at 9:00 AM and ends at
10:00 AM. As always, there will be a social hour afterwards for Q&A, as
well as comments and sharing of your own experiences. As an instructor,
I would welcome your ideas on how to make the social hour more robust
and fun.
The class is aimed to cultivate and emphasize
relaxation by practicing key concepts of qi gong mainly through
mindfulness, breathing, posture, and relaxation. Our practice follows
the principles as written in the ancient Taoist text:
- Weaken the Mind
- Strengthen the Bones
- Empty the Chest
- Fill the Abdomen
The style of teaching is mindful of the needs of
seniors. If you are considering joining the class for the first time,
but have reservations, please be assured that you can attend, enjoy and
pick-up the practice very quickly. We always welcome new friends.
For the class on 6/28, we will continue working on
our balance:
- Visualizing the tripod in each of our feet.
- Visualizing the Bubbling Well point as suction
- Visualizing the balloon as our Bai Hue (100 meetings point)
- Visualizing walk and movement of the cat and chimpanzee (NEW)
Special
- Interpretation of the Mindfulness Bell in Tai Chi/Qi
- Gong practice
Ann and I hope to see you at the practice. As
always, please be safe and happy.
Yours in Mindfulness,
Vu Nguyen
Basic Requirements
Before embarking on this journey for wellness and self-healing
potential, I would encourage you to take a few minutes to consider some of
the basic requirements and recommendations:
- Always practice within your most comfortable range level. When
practicing Tai Chi/Qi Gong, you should never feel pain or
discomfort. At any time when you feel discomfort, please calmly stop,
breathe, return to your most comfortable standing position or just
simply sit down.
- Our purpose is not to over-exert, compete or try keeping up with
the instructor or group. In fact, we should always help each other in
our personal effort to continuous reach a deeper level of
relaxation.
- If you have a medical condition, please consult your primary care
provider. Again, should you wish, I would be very happy to work with
you to find possible alternative suitable option.
- As an instructor, I am committed to fostering the most possible
safe, relaxed and friendly environment for the benefit of all
practitioners. I would always welcome, encourage and value your
feedback to ensure that this commitment is achieved.
Shoes
The nature of Tai Chi and Qi Gong exercise dictates the importance of
having appropriate footwear to help your progress, and even prevent
injuries. You should always keep in mind the following when choosing
appropriate Tai Chi footwear:
- A low profile around the ankles. This is necessary to
accommodate the low stances and stretches that require a lot of
bending. The sides of the shoes should be just below the ankle bone
and are rounded so that the ankle can rotate with ease.
- No or only a very small heal. One of the goals in our
practice is to improve balance that eventually will culminate in
better stability in our walking and standing. To enhance our practice,
shoes with no or only a very small heal would be helpful. As we
eventually move towards the practice of balancing on one leg and
squatting down, a traditional athletic shoe can prove
counterproductive as the shoes design may pitch you forward as you are
practicing balancing in Tai Chi.
- No or very limited traction. Should you wish to use
athletic shoes in your practice, please keep in mind that the soles
are designed for traction. This is best if you are running in a
relative straight line at a fast speed. However, with the foot being
rotated frequently in Tai Chi movements, the traction from the shoes
can act to place unnecessary strain on the knee.
- Wide Rounded Toe Cap. Athletic shoes tend to taper inwards,
squeezing our toes inside a pointed toe cap. As we progress to
practice lower stance and movements, having the appropriate toe cap
shoe can help keep our feet flat on the ground. As our toes are in
their natural position (not squeezed and curled up), the practice of
gently grasping the earth with our toes can be facilitated. The
appropriate toe cap can help us learn to keep our toes, knees and
pelvis align. This can prevent pain and discomfort as our practice
progresses.
- Materials. No need to purchase expensive shoes. As a
personal choice, I find that shoes made from canvas offer better
circulation while at the same time be much less expensive than those
made from other materials like leather. Canvas allows your feet to
breathe and appears to allow the qi to flow naturally. Slip-on (no
lace) shoes are good. Personally, I find the slip-on do offer
sufficient support while providing additional convenience. However,
shoes with laces also are good.
- Fit. Tai Chi shoes should not be too tight when they fit
your feet. Please remember that comfort is the key. While not loose,
the fit should allow for circulation and slight movement of your feet,
especially by allowing your toes to grasp the ground. Secondly, your
shoes and how they fit should facilitate your eventual practice of
rooting, that includes the pressing of your foot to the
ground.
Apparel
When choosing your clothing for Tai Chi practice, always give priority
to comfort, relaxation and maximum blood flow. Any exercise shirts and
pants that are loose fitting should suffice. Natural fabrics such as
cotton and linen are recommended as they could be better for circulation
and absorption of respiration.
As mentioned above, any exercise shirt should suffice. In my personal
experience, I prefer long sleeve shirt with a collar especially when
practicing outdoors. This would offer a bit more protection from both the
sun and the wind. While protecting our body to the exposure of the sun is
understandable, according to traditional Chinese Medicine, the exposure of
the body to the wind should be limited as well, especially when we are
cultivating and circulating the qi during Tai Chi and Qi Gong
practice. Lastly, the shirt should fit loosely, leaving room in the
armpits for qi (blood) circulation.
Pants worn during Tai Chi practice should fit loosely. Pants with
elastic waistband are considered ideal. Please note that pants should not
be too long to prevent hindering your practice when they are step
on. Pants opening can be bound or gathered at the ankles. Leave ample
rooms in the crotch area. For women, athletic tights are also
good. Where possible, refrain from wearing jeans.
Hydration and Food
It is recommended that you should keep your body hydrated by drinking
water kept at room temperature. Although this is NOT critically important,
the rationale is that Tai Chi and Qi Gong are internal exercises. Water is
the best as it is considered a neutral drink – without added sugar,
caffeine or other chemicals. Drinking water at room temperature is thought
to not disrupt the qi in your organs when you are practicing.
Please try to eat at least two hours before practice to allow your body
to relax during practice.
Finally, the contents mentioned above are only recommendations. Please
feel free to provide feedback during class or by
email info@taichiclarity.com. Wishing
you success in your practice and the very best of health.
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