Our new season begins in October 2023! Join us for Tai Chi and Qigong at the Regent Centre on Locke Street South.

Fall 2016 News

It's fall! Which means cooler weather (at long last), a return to routine for many of us, and, in energetic terms, the descent of the warm, active energies of summer, and the rising of the cooler, calmer yin energies, which will culminate in the restfulness and introspection of winter. 

In the shamanic traditions I've studied, fall is a time for beginning to look within, and for planting seeds for the year to come. This is the time when many plants have already borne fruit, and their seeds, in some cases having become food for animals, are in the process of being released into the earth, so they can be tempered over the winter, and will be ready to emerge in the spring, as the cycle of new growth begins yet again. 

In human terms, this means that the fall is an excellent time to set intentions, and to set the stage for new projects and new energies to come into our lives. 

In other words, it's a wonderful time to learn Tai Chi, or to recommit to your practice. It's a great time to sit for a moment and consider the directions in which you'd like to move in the coming year, and think about how your practice can benefit you, and what you'd like to get out of it. 

If you're looking for more physical benefits, or more inner peace, or more ways to tell yourself that you matter (you do), now is an excellent time to take a hard look at your schedule and see if you can't carve out a small daily commitment to go over the moves you've learned, or do some sitting or standing meditation. Of course, one of the main ways to increase your weekly practice time is attending class! It never hurts to help refresh your understanding and immerse yourself in a community of like minded people. 

If you're looking to start lessons, now is the time! 

In the name of helping people begin and deepen their practice, I've expanded the class schedule this fall.

Friday afternoons, from 1:10-2:40, starting October 14th, will see us continuing to study Tai Chi and Lok Hup Ba Fa.

Saturdays, the Tai Chi beginner's class will run from 2-3pm. We'll be starting entirely from scratch this Saturday, October 15th. (Continuing folks, if you're so inclined, this is your chance to brush up on your basic foundation skills!)

Saturdays from 3-4:30, also starting on the 15th, we'll be exploring intermediate / advanced Tai Chi foundation, and starting the Tai Chi Sword set (note: this has been changed from Tai Chi Sabre, which we'll explore at a future date). 

On Mondays, beginning October 17th, we've got intermediate Tai Chi from 9:30-11am. We'll be polishing the Tai Chi set for the next few months, going over those sequences you might feel less confident with, and working on strengthening foundation. 

On Mondays from 11:15-12:15, we'll be studying Qigong exercise and meditation. This class is open to all levels, from beginners to advanced. This fall, we'll be returning to foundation exercises and working on Eight Silk Brocades, before returning to the Five Element set we were working on last season. We're going to be placing more emphasis on sitting and standing meditation in these classes.

Also on Mondays, from 12:30-2pm, I've added a brand new beginners Tai Chi class. The same as the Saturday beginners session, this class will offer instruction on the Tai Chi set and foundation exercises from scratch. 

I hope you'll feel inspired to join us this fall, or return for more training. If you have any questions or need further information, please contact me at (905) 521-0043 or smithmk2@gmail.com. See you in a few days!