Jan 4 (edited) • General discussion
CLASS GUIDE 2025 TO 2026
(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.
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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.
Bright Moments,
Zola and Odie
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TAI CHI VIDEOS/INFO. - FOR YOUR TAI CHI JOURNEY
Info Provided to Our Students by
Zola Salena-Hawkins & Odie Hawkins
VIDEOS THAT MIGHT HELP YOU:
Tai Chi helps boost memory, study finds. One type seems most beneficial
(See Paper insert in this package.)
I Thought Tai Chi Was USELESS
7 Mistakes to fix Tai Chi
1. Ignoring Body Rotation
2. Poor Eye Movement – following Main Hand
3. Insufficient Grounding
4. Inadequate Flexibility (Not Rigid)
5. Lack of Movement Coordination
6. Incorrect Degree of Posture
7. Missing Martial Intent
Jen = Physical
Qi = Movement
Shen = Spirit
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Internal Tai Chi
Tai Chi: Four Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
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I Experienced CHI Force
TAI CHI APPLICATIONS:
Tai Chi Combat
Wardoff
Practice Slow, Practice Medium Pace, Practice Fast
5 BEST Tai Chi Moves & Techniques for Self Defense
1. Horse Tosses Mane (Parting Wild Horses Mane)
2. Rise and Fall (See opening and closing movement)
3. One of 8 Energies – Lu (Rollback) (One hand is a deflection)
4. Brush Knee
5. Cloud Hands
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Just for the beauty of it:
TAI CHI 10 STEPS FOR BEGINNERS
Tai Chi Origins, Philosophy and Wellness
Dr. Daniel Hoover & Veronika Hoover
Tai Chi for Beginners -- “Tai Chi Fundamentals”
Tai Chi 24 yang español taichiparalasalud.com
Qi Gong - Lesson #1- with Dr. Daniel Hoover & Veronika Hoover
Qigong - 5 Animals:
David-Dorian Ross
5 Animal Frolic Tai Chi Qi Gong Routine
Regular practice of this Qi Gong is said to improve functioning of the Liver-Gall Bladder (Wood Element - tiger), Kidneys-Bladder (Water Element - deer), Spleen-Stomach (Earth Element - bear), Heart-Small Intestine (Fire Element - monkey) and Lung-Large Intestine (Metal Element - crane) respectively. each one feet shoulder width apart after each one, close the door , sink the qi (hands into heart) inhale YIN exhale YANG.
Tiger
- start bottom with claw , loose fists, breathe in hands rise at shoulders, open palms, breathe out, up come down to center, breathe in
- open palms, push down breathe out coming bottom, stretch shoulders and neck look down
Deer
- sway back and forth one time first
- start right side, make horns
- left foot forward land on heel, pivot foot left, 90 degrees
- turn+look all the way back, lower arm close to body, lean into front foot
- come back same way, then sway left side
- inhale to sway, exhale during pivot
Bear
- start bottom, coming up left, (c-clockwise)
- loose fists, thumbs on top, thumb knuckles press into body slightly
- change direction at bottom, each time
- switch weight balance with each circle motion
- inhale towards top of circle, body leaning back
- exhale coming down to bottom of circle
Monkey
- quickly grab the peaches (inhale) and bring everything high as possible
- stretch upper back, shoulders, tight neck, turn right, then left
- come to center, let it go, (exhale) relax everything, elongate neck coming down low as possible
- if repeating, switch sides
Crane
- shift weight right side first
- empty weight side doesn't move; empty step
- 3 times; first time only hands, then knee up halfway, then hands all the way up and knee up halfway
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Qigong Master Lu Zijian at 118 years of age
Qigong is a Way of Being
At 118 Years of age...Grandmaster Lu Zijian...demonstrates his great internal skills Facebook Page... / qigong-is-a-way-of-being-1661998254125064 Website... http://qigongisawayofbeing.com/
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Leung Martial Arts
Yang Tai Chi: 8 Energies Intro Practice
Phoenix Mountain Tai Chi
Tai Chi's Secret Powers: 8 Combat Energies Explained
Michael Gilman
Eight Energies Tai Chi-Chi Kung - Lesson 1
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Master Wong
How Tai Chi works in REAL COMBAT
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(Here is a 30 Day Qigong that Zola and Odie are challenging themselves to do.)Chris Shelton Qigong
White Pearl Meditation - 30 Days of Qigong to Better Health
HEALING SOUNDS
Heart Cleansing Exercise - is the first of 5 practices focusing on the major Yin organs: Heart, Spleen, Lungs, Kidney, and Liver.
The Heart is said to be the Emperor of the Body. It houses the negative emotions of anger, grief, anxiety, sorrow, as well as the positive emotions of love and happiness. While practicing the Heart Cleansing Exercise, it is beneficial to imagine any negative emotion you may be experiencing at this moment, and allow your Mind Intent to release that energy.
Heart Healing Sound - HAAA - to facilitate your practice. He also explains how, depending on circumstances and your comfort level, this practice can be done audibly or inaudibly. This practice will help you access more joy, peace and balance in your body and life.
Kidney Cleansing Exercise
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is believed the Kidneys rule constitution, health, and longevity. The health of the Kidneys is considered the foundation for the overall balance of all the other internal organs (the Yin and the Yang organs). "In Chinese medical theory, Kidney Essence is like the battery power that runs your life. You can never have too much, but you can use it up. Thus all Kidney disease patterns involve deficiency of some sort. Sources for potential deficiencies...fall into six categories: Hereditary, emotional, sexual, chronic illness, aging, and overwork." Strong Kidney qi is foundational to overall health. It is beneficial, therefore, to include this Kidney Cleansing Exercise, as a part of your daily Qigong practice and meditation to increase your energy and boost your vitality. The Kidney Sound is "FUUU" (pronounced FOOO) while exhaling. This sound very much simulates the sound you might actually make when shedding a weight of some sort (phew!).
MARTIAL ARTS WEAPONS INSTRUCTIONS
1st through 4th Tutorial Tai Chi Fan – Zola Salena-Hawkins
Competition 2012 – Zola Salena-Hawkins (Tai Chi Fan)
Tai Chi Fan with Dr. Hoover, Mrs. Veronika Hoover & Zola Salena-Hawkinshttps://youtu.be/3JN5aqIgPfo?si=YYxCzDflQJSmcU6p
SHAOLIN CANE
Dr. Hoover teaches Shaolin Cane at Tai Chi Class
Tai Chi Cane (Master Tom Tran encouraged his students to learn.)
This is a demonstration of the Tai Chi Cane form by Master Wen-Ching Wu, Master Instructor at The Way of the Dragon School.
Odie & Zola - Exercising while in Ghana, West Africa
Hope this helps. Looking forward to seeing you next Friday, January 16, 2026.
Odie & Zola = OZ
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CLASS GUIDE 2025 TO 2026
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