Hey everyone, whether you’re starting fresh because you just arrived or you’re restarting like me to re-establish your practice, this is our spot. The 7-day challenge always feels more grounding when we move together, so this post will stay pinned for our daily check-ins. Let’s show up, keep it simple, and take it one day at a time. ✅ How to Check In Each Day After you finish your practice, follow these three steps: 1. State which day of the challenge you’re on. Example: Day 1, Day 3, Day 7, etc. 2. How you felt before and after. One short sentence for each. 3. Screenshot or photo: A quick picture of your screen, TV, or you practicing. Feel free to leave encouragement for others. A little support goes a long way. ✨ Sample Check-In 1. Day: 1 2. Before: Feeling tight 3. After: Calm and relaxed 4. (Photo attached)

Thanks for joining the live session today! Today, we went over: - Winter - Water (水) element - The 3 Harmonies - 8 Pieces of Brocade - Tai Chi fundamentals - Beijing 24 Form - First set - Silk Reeling See you at the next one on Thursday at 8am(PST)!

I've been a member for just over a month and I love it! I love the lessons, the community, the whole damn vibe of the place. I love how everyone is so supportive, so friendly. I love the kindness that oozes out of everyone's pores. I love the "beginners minds" of the experienced members, and the "beginners minds" of new members. I love that we get to support and encourage each other. I love we leave our egos at the door. I love we are sharing the same journey. I love the varied insights and shares. I love the questions and answers. Excellent lessons. Fantastic community. What is there not to love.

Get ready for our upcoming qigong course: The 8 Pieces of Brocade (八段锦 Bāduànjǐn) — one of the most beloved and time-tested practices in all of Chinese health culture. Dating back nearly a thousand years to the Song Dynasty, this sequence was created to strengthen the body, nourish the organs, and support everyday vitality. The name “brocade” refers to fine, elegant silk — a reminder that these movements weave health and energy through the body as beautifully and smoothly as woven cloth. At its core, the philosophy of the 8 Pieces of Brocade is simple: gentle, mindful movements can create powerful change when practiced with intention. Each piece focuses on a different function of the body — from opening the lungs and improving digestion to calming the mind and supporting the kidneys. Together, they form a complete system that balances strength and softness, grounding and lightness, effort and ease. A steady practice can help you feel centered, energized, and deeply connected from the inside out. Stay tuned. Stay rooted. Stay open🌱

It is said that Tai Ji began as just 13 postures or energetic concepts that were practiced over and over again to build skill, strength and versatility. What we know today as Tai Ji forms were something created later to preserve specific techniques and representations of those initial concepts. Those 13 postures, or energies are the concepts we work on daily in our practice and are listed below. Attached is simple translation of the song of the 13 postures. A 'song' in this context is referring to a 'kou jue" in Mandarin or what is known as Ku Den in Japanese. These are pneumonic devices to help remember important information. These were also used to keep information contained, as often context and some direct instruction is necessary to understand the meaning of the Kou Jue. It is also important to remember that Chinese is a pictographic and idiomatic language so that the use of characters is very intentional and often sparingly used to prevent the inevitable misunderstandings due to the nature of the language. The Song represents both an individual and a shared study acknowledging that the practice spans both of those spaces. As you cultivate your practice allow your understanding and connection to these concepts to build organically. It is important to remember the evolution of these arts started very simply, based on intention, awareness and moving the body according natural rhythms. As they evolved the methods grew to create greater versatility and access, but our goal as students of the arts is to find the root of our practice just as the past teachers did. If you find a particular part interesting, or have a question or comment about any of the song feel free to share! I will start first in the comments! Later I will also share some insights from past teachers on the Song. 13 Postures/Energies of Tai Ji 1. ward off (Peng) 2. roll back(lu) 3. Press(ji) 4. push(an) 5. pluck(cai) 6. split(lie) 7. elbow/wrap(zhou) 8. shoulder/lean(kao) 9. advance (jin) 10. retreat (tui) 11. turn right(zuo gu) 12. turn left (you pan) 13. center (Zhong ding)