I’ve been outside quite a bit these last weeks, and today, instead of going into the recording session and trying to be “up to date”, I chose to practice on my own. I did the Yin Yang Qi Gong — one of my favourites for the balance of energy it gives me. The usual loosening drill, then Yin Yang, and closing with the dragon and the post posture, just to feel all those movements activated in my inner body. It resonated like a return home. Practicing by myself gave me a sense of gracefulness for everything we learn here — how it keeps living in us, ready to be applied the moment we slow down enough to feel it. We should always give ourselves the chance to practice on our own. It becomes a reference point on our journey — something we can look back on and feel genuinely proud of.

🌿 Welcome Hey everyone, this is the community post for the 8-week Tai Chi training cycle. Check in here to see what week we’re on and what is up next. Ask any questions and comment on how things are going. I will be filling this space with information about the Beijing 24 and supporting materials over time. 🌊 We’ll keep this thread active and alive throughout the entire eight weeks, so take your time getting acquainted with the information and feel free to participate as much or as little as you would like. Following the flow and methods of the Tai Ji Tree, our 8 week training cycle introduces the universal concepts of tai chi Chuan and classical training methods drawn from across the Tai Chi landscape. Using the intentionally designed sequence of the Beijing 24 form as our starting point, students will learn to build their tai chi from the ground up, creating a centered and rooted practice that will give them the tools needed for long-term growth and study. . 🔴 Weekly Schedule 一 (Yi) — Week 1 — March 10–16 二 (Er) — Week 2 — March 17–23 三 (San) — Week 3 — March 24–30 四 (Si) — Week 4 — March 31–April 6 五 (Wu) — Week 5 — April 7–13 六 (Liu) — Week 6 — April 14–20 七 (Qi) — Week 7 — April 21–27 八 (Ba) — Week 8 — April 28–May 4 All sessions are recorded and archived and can be reviewed at anytime. So no matter when you start you can see where we are at in the training cycle and use the previous recordings to catch up or just jump right in! The cycle will begin anew with Week 0 May 5th-11th as well as the opening of a special 8 week class for sections 3 & 4 and the closing section to finish the form! 🧭 Class Structure (Each Week) 🗓️ Tuesday — Foundations 🏔️ Yin–Yang Qigong Tai Chi Stances Tai Chi Walking 🗓️ Thursday — Internal Work 🔵 Silk Reeling Ocean Stepping 🗓️ Sunday — Form Practice 🔴 Beijing 24 🌊 Community & Check-Ins Use this thread to: 🌱 Ask questions 🌿 Share how your practice is going 🌳 Check in with the current week 🍃 Connect with others in the training cycle

This is another of my favorite sayings from the arts. It is meant to evoke an internal awareness as well as an external expression. From the outside at times it might seem like the tai ji or qi gong practitioner has come to a complete rest, and there are times when you should, and it is in those moments you continue to observe and listen for the subtler rhythms of the body and motion taking whatever time is needed to occupy your space. This is the permission to find your own rhythm with a movement once you feel the body, mind, and breath harmonize. This is the space between the breaths where there is no need to rush into the next moment. It is the ending and beginning of movements. It is your practice from one day to the next:)

I grew up in South Korea and like many East Asian cultures, we follow the Chinese zodiac (12 animals that rotate each year) In 2026, it’s the Year of the Horse… and not just any horse, but a RED ONE🐴 My sign is also the horse, and I know us pretty well. Horses in the zodiac are usually associated with movement, energy, and freedom. They don’t like being stuck. They’re drawn to forward motion, exploration, and self-expression. On the top of that, the color red adds another layer. In Chinese culture, red is everywhere. It’s connected to good luck, life energy, and protection. You see it a lot during Lunar New Year, weddings, and other celebrations. So a "Red Horse" year feels like a mix of movement, momentum, and vitality, encouraging us to keep going, but with heart and intention not just rushing forward. I think this connects really well with our Tai Chi and Qigong practice that we’ve been cultivating here in the community. The other day, when we were shooting content with @Kirby Mannon and @Maya Rodriguez , Sonny said something that really stayed with me: “We have to think about intention rather than expectation.” It lingered with me for days because it made me realize how often (sometimes for years) I’ve been rushing myself and expecting results instead of enjoying the journey itself. So this is my personal intention with this community this year: I want to help create an experience that brings you back to why you started this journey. Because we’re learning how to study these arts, and also study ourselves. Would love to hear yours as well. - “What’s your intention this year?” Thank you as always for your contributions, and HELLO to 2026!! 🧧

Cheers! Gan Bei! Empty your cup! The empty cup analogy is one that I thoroughly enjoy and is universal to so many practices and experiences. I can remember my teacher in Beijing explaining his personal relationship to this concept and how it gave him the motivation and focus he needed to be the type of person, martial artist, teacher and friend he wanted to be for those around him. The empty cup tells us that if we go into a situation with our mind and thoughts full of expectations we will often miss the the part that we should really be present for and looking to take away with us. I have always felt there is an intention present we when contemplate analogies and metaphors such as this, one that can be felt in context with our own personal experience. Coming into our practice with the intention of becoming a student rather than a master, studying rather than memorizing and simply looking to be more present with our practice helps us look to our own cup. Both how we are crafting it and with what we want to fill it. In a practice such as tai ji and qi gong we are bound to have expectations, yet we can use these expectations to help shape our intention and practice as we learn more about the method and the study. The famous tai ji teacher Cheng Man Ching was once asked how long it would take to learn the long form. He replied, “two years”. The student then asked him how long it would take if he trained really hard. Without much hesitation Professor Cheng said, “three years”. He of course knew that if the student thought that training harder would somehow “hack” the method, his cup was definitely not empty, and probably had a few cracks in it. My teacher in Beijing had a great way of looking at it. He said of course you have to empty your cup, but then what:). In the beginning you don’t actually have a cup, it is more like a teaspoon you empty to fill a cup. Then when the cup is full use your cup to fill a pitcher. When the pitcher is full you use the pitcher to fill your reservoir digging deeper until you find an endless spring so that when those around you need a drink, you will have the strength and energy you need to be there for them.