Rooted Alchemy family, we just surpassed 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. Wow. Back in August, who would have thought we would build a Tai Chi community of over 100,000 people practicing together from all over the world. This journey has been incredibly humbling, and we’re deeply grateful to every single one of you who has been here, practicing, watching, and growing with us. We’re excited for what the future holds and grateful for your patience as we continue building intentionally behind the scenes. Just know that we’re still early, and there is so much more to come. And a huge thank you to Sonny for practicing, teaching, and learning with such depth and integrity that it naturally spread far and wide. Stay the course.

We’re kicking off a 10-day Tai Chi & Qigong challenge designed to reset your energy, build consistency, and deepen your practice. This is a great way to start 2026 feeling grounded, energized, and connected — and everyone is invited. And yes… there are prizes! 🎁 Complete all 10 days and you’ll be entered into a lucky draw — we’re choosing 3 winners! 🏆 1st Prize Includes 🏆 - $100 Gift Card - Premium Handmade Tai Chi Stick - Custom Rooted Alchemy Hoodie - 30-Minute Private Practice Session with Sonny 🎟 How to Enter 🎟 - Pick one video from the community to practice each day. - Take a photo or short video of yourself practicing, along with a quick reflection on how you feel before and after (This will be shared in a dedicated post thread available starting January 11) - Do this for 10 days — and you’re in! 🗓 The challenge starts on January 11th. Final day to join the challenge: January 25th Let’s flow into the new year with clear energy, strong intention, and good Qi 💫

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.

Welcome to the Daily Chi Accountability Thread. This is a supportive space to show up for your practice, build consistency, and move together as a community. Whether you joined a live session, practiced along with YouTube inside the community, or completed a self-paced course, it all counts. What matters most is that you showed up. This thread will stay pinned for daily check-ins, connection, and encouragement. ⸻ ✅ How to Check In Each Day After you finish your practice, post a short check-in using these four steps: 1️⃣ Intention What did you want to focus on or cultivate today? 2️⃣ Practice What practice did you do today? Live session, YouTube, or self-paced are all welcome. 3️⃣ After How do you feel after completing your practice? One short sentence is perfect. 4️⃣ Visual Share a photo or short video of your practice, your screen, or your setup. ⸻ ✨ Sample Check-In Intention: To slow down and reconnect with my breath Practice: Live Session 12-21-2025 After: Feeling grounded, calm, and present Photo or video attached ⸻ There’s no right or wrong way to participate here. Show up in a way that feels good to you, support others when you can, and enjoy the process. One day. One breath. One practice.

Greetings Rooted Alchemy family, Thank you for being part of this community. We truly appreciate the energy, care, and presence you bring here. We want to officially introduce our Affiliate Program. Some of you are already sharing Rooted Alchemy naturally, and we want to honor and incentivize that. How it works: If you refer a friend who joins the community, you earn a 40% commission. Commission breakdown: • Annual membership ($240) → $96 per signup • Monthly membership ($40) → $16 per month, every month they remain active This means monthly referrals create recurring income, not a one-time payout. We’re doing this because you are the voice of the community. People trust real experience, and your journey here matters more than any ad we could run. We’ll post a poll below. Vote Yes if you’d like to become an affiliate, or No if not. You can also comment below, and we’ll send you more details directly. Stay rooted 🌱