Please join me in extending a global congratulations to our newest School of Healing Martial Arts Certified Graduate, @Luciana Gassi! 🇮🇹✨ This past weekend was incredible with high energy and amazing people from all over Europe in attendance. We started with the final test on Friday, followed by the Tai Chi Master class on Saturday. The day before our big event, Luciana and I met at the stunning, world-famous cliffs and shores of Polignano a Mare in Puglia for her official, in-person practical examination. Moving through the forms with the Adriatic Sea as her backdrop, she demonstrated beautiful alignment, deep grounding, and a true command of the internal arts. The next day, she was officially presented with her credentials as a certified SOHMA Tai Chi Instructor in Bari, Italy, right at the conclusion of the Master Class seminar hosted by Kairopia! Luciana, watching your journey culminate in such a beautiful setting was an honor. Your commitment to the art, your dedication to embodying these healing principles, and your love of sharing as a masterful community organizer shine through. You already are an incredible practitioner and instructor for your students in France, Italy, and beyond. Welcome to the graduate circle, Instructor Luciana! We are all proud of you. Let's leave some love and congratulations for Luciana in the comments below! 👇🎉

Hello SOHMA Community! So happy that my life journey has set me on this new path! I've spent the past 20+ years in service for the Deaf community. That chapter has closed for me and now this new chapter has begun. Through the ups and downs of the last 5 years, it has become clear that helping others age with grace and strength has become my next calling. I'm excited to learn Tai Chi so that I can help my local community lean into their golden years with joy and wellness!

Paid Qi Gong Teaching Opportunity: Corporate Event in El Segundo - July 23rd We have an exciting paid opportunity to teach Qi Gong at a corporate event at a client's premises in El Segundo on July 23rd, from 9:45 AM to 10:15 AM. This will be a 30-minute session for a smaller class size (less than 15 people). Our client will compensate you for your time and travel. If you are available and interested in leading this paid event, please direct message me as soon as possible!

(3-6-2026 -SEE BELOW FOR THE ATTACHED EMAIL TO OUR STUDENTS AT WATTS) Odie and I are working on an email to share with our students. We will discuss what we covered in 2025 with the handouts attached; and some new ideas for 2026 Tai Chi Chuan/Qigong classes. Thought you might want to do the same for the students you have taught or are teaching now. This gives something of a teaching plan for everyone. Here's most of what we sent them. ======================================================== Hello Tai Chi Family at Watts Towers. Last year we covered a lot and this year we hope to share with you some new and interesting ideas for yourself and perhaps family and friends. In the past we have gone through 24 Tai Chi Chuan, Yang Style. We have shared our personal Qigong/Exercises as well as The Eight Brocades, Five Animals and the Ten Qigong Form. Meditation Walking, Tai Chi Walking have been part of our Tai Chi Journey together. For some cardio we added some Capoeira and Maculele. We did some basic Wave Hands and hope to continue with the more advanced form of Wave Hands this year. As 2025 ended we showed you some hand qigong for improving your health as well as some cognitive hand exercises. We had hoped to do the individual videos of your Qigong, but there wasn't enough group participation to do that. Hopefully, you will be more willing to do it this year for your own health benefits. This year we want to bring in some Chess, Wave Hands, and more of what we have learned over the twenty plus years we have been learning and teaching. As a parent, I also want to send a shout out to Russell when was a teen he told me, "Mom, you shouldn't wear that, you don't look good in it anymore." I was surprised and then very thoughtful. So I joined the 24 Hour gym and got my old body back, so that he became proud of me and how I looked to him and his friends. That was a serious wakeup call for me. Odie and I hope that you are as healthy as we are when you are 77 and 88 years old. In fact we hope you are even healthier than us. We hope that you will consider becoming more involved, not just for yourself, but to share with your family and friends. Last year we had too many friends who realized at 60 years...it was nearly impossible for them to improve their health. Some are on walkers now. One can't even get out of bed by himself. Odie and I think about all those who can't get up for one reason or another and are determined to continue to do our best each and everyday possible.

What an incredible energy we had at this past Sunday’s Tai Chi Intensive Seminar! It was a powerful day of focused training, and it was inspiring to see everyone dive so deep into the internal arts. We covered a lot of ground, focusing on four key pillars: 1. Form Review: Refining our movements for better flow, alignment, and congruence. 2. Martial Applications: Understanding the “what” and the "why" behind the "how." 3. The Eight Energies: Exploring the subtle forces and frames that drive the power within Tai Chi Chuan. 4. Push Hands: Putting theory into practice with a partner. Feeling the Power The highlight for many was getting a true "hands-on" feel for Peng (Wardoff) and Lu (Rollback). Everyone had the chance to practice and refine their “track of power,” ensuring they could actually feel their frames and embody these forces while working with a partner. Leveling Up Together It was a breakthrough day across the board! We had students learning the fundamentals of Push Hands for the very first time, while our more experienced practitioners pushed their skills further with two-hand push hands and free-flow slow-motion sparring. Thank you to everyone who showed up with an open mind and a warrior’s spirit. The growth we saw in just one day was remarkable! 🐉💪