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

Tai Chi and Qigong at the Regent Centre, October 2022 and Onwards

Dear All,

I'm delighted to let you know that Tai Chi and Qigong will soon be back in full swing at The Regent Centre, 150 Locke Street South, following a successful summer of practice. We offer a program that teaches you how to release tension, build physical strength and flexibility, sharpen mental focus, and open your heart.

Our core teachings are Taoist temple-based soft martial arts including Tai Chi, healing exercises rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Taoist meditation. I am honoured and privileged to have received these teachings from talented and knowledgeable Masters who diligently preserved them and passed them on to me.

We live in tricky, distracting, and stressful times. It's wonderful to have a set of tools that will not only help you cope, but enable you to thrive. I sincerely hope you'll join us this fall.

The new Tai Chi and Qigong season starts Friday, October 1st.

What's New With Regent Centre Classes
If you've never done Tai Chi before or want to study the Tai Chi set from the top, we're adding two new Beginners time slots to our current schedule, on Tuesday and Thursday early evenings. These classes will start from the very beginning in October.

Our Saturday Beginners class will carry on from its current place in the set. If you've been attending those classes, or if you know some Tai Chi and want to refresh your memory of the middle part of the set, the Saturday Beginners class will be a great fit.

Our most popular class, Qigong, which is always open to brand new beginners, gets an additional time slot on Tuesday afternoons, in addition to the Monday class.

Fees are increasing a modest $5 / month, to $65 + HST. For that rate, you can attend as many classes as you wish. The per class rate remains the same at $15 + HST.

For the Fall 2022 Tai Chi and Qigong schedule and information on how to join, scroll down to the end of this post or go to the class schedule online here.

One on One Reiki Healing Sessions
This summer I've been deepening my study of Reiki healing by taking classes to become a Master Teacher. Reiki is a powerful modality that allows you to receive an infusion of energy exactly suited to your needs. (I'm not a Master Teacher yet, but if all goes well I'll receive my certification this fall. If you're interested in learning Reiki, please get in touch! I'll add you to a separate mailing list for Reiki classes.)

I've been a Reiki Master Healer since 2012, and have been working with clients one-on-one since then. Healing sessions last around two hours. I draw on my skill with guided meditation, movement, Reiki healing, and other healing techniques to craft a unique approach tailored to your individual needs. You can expect to come away feeling relaxed, refreshed, and empowered with techniques you can use to deepen and continue healing. A session is an excellent complement to your Tai Chi training and can help address any issues that you would like to work on more intensively.

I'm opening my Reiki practice to new clients this fall. I will have time slots available throughout the week, but Tuesday morning and early afternoon will always be set aside for clients if you want to plan ahead.

My fee for Reiki healing is $90 per session. To book, please email or call.

As always if you have any questions at all, please ask at smithmk2@gmail.com or (905) 521-0043. If you don't wish to receive these messages, please let me know and I'll remove you from my mailing list.

Sincerely looking forward to seeing you this fall,

Melissa.

SCHEDULE FOR CLASSES AT THE REGENT CENTRE
OCTOBER 2022-SUMMER 2023
150 Locke Street South, Hamilton, Ontario

All classes are taught by Melissa Smith except Thursday evening Beginners, which will be taught by Sam Rush.

MONDAY
Qigong 1-2 pm (beginners welcome!)
Break: 2-2:15
Advanced Tai Chi 2:15-3:15 pm

TUESDAY
Qigong 4-5 pm (beginners welcome!)
Break: 5-5:15
Beginners Tai Chi 5:15-6:15
*this class is open to brand new beginners as of October 2022

WEDNESDAY
Advanced Review noon-1:30 pm

THURSDAY
Beginners Tai Chi 6-7 pm (Instructor: Sam Rush)
*this class is open to brand new beginners as of October 2022

FRIDAY
Advanced Tai Chi 1-2 pm
Break: 2-2:15
Lok Hup Ba Fa 2:15-3:15 pm

SATURDAY
Beginners Tai Chi 1-2 pm
*this class is for people who began attending in Summer 2022
Break: 2-2:15
Advanced Review 2:15-3:45 pm (Bring your weapons!)

Fees: $15 + HST / class
$65 + HST / monthly pass *new rate as of October 2022


If you would like to attend class, and haven't done so before, please fill out a registration form.

Payment for in-person classes will be done through the Regent Centre's online portal at regenthealthcentre.ca, or at the front desk when you attend class. You'll also use this portal to sign up for the classes you want to attend. Signing up ahead of time will ensure there's room for you at class before you come to the Centre, and will assist us with contact tracing if there's a potential Covid exposure.

Access the online schedule and follow the instructions for signing up here. If you need additional help, call the Regent Centre during business hours at (905) 523-4999.



Tai Chi and Qigong, August and September 2022

Dear All,

If you've been attending classes at the Regent Centre this summer, you probably already have this information, but I'm writing to let everyone in on the plan for classes in the coming months.

For August and September, I'll be taking my annual hiatus. I'm teaching my last two sessions on Friday, July 29th and Saturday, July 30th, and will return on Saturday, October 1st for what I'm sure will be an excellent year.

This is a time for me to recharge and work on my own training so I can come back to class with fresh insights in October. In the past, classes have been on hold during my break, but this year, several people from the advanced group have agreed to manage classes while I'm away.

Saturday Beginner's classes (1-2pm) will continue from where they are right now (at Carry Tiger to Mountain), with Sam Rush and Gillianne Shaver instructing. Between them, Sam and Gillianne have taught Beginner's Tai Chi many times over, so you'll be in good hands if you choose to attend! (If you're looking to start from the very beginning, please get in touch so I can advise you.)

The other classes will be offered as practice sessions. Advanced people have agreed to keep things on track so that everyone gets a good workout. The schedule will remain the same—see the end of this message.

Holidays:

There will be no classes on Monday, August 1st, and no classes on Friday, September 2nd, Saturday, September 3rd, or Monday, September 5th. All other classes will run according to the schedule. If you can sign up for a class via the Regent Centre site, you can attend it.

For news and announcements about plans for October, watch this space! The schedule will remain mostly the same.

While I'm away, if you need to book or cancel a last-minute class, pay for classes, or have any questions about bookings, please ask at the front desk or contact the Centre by phone during business hours: (905) 523-4999.

Gillianne has agreed to communicate with the group about any changes to the schedule, and any concerns around Covid transmission. If you develop symptoms or test positive after attending a class, please let her know: dgillianne@gmail.com. (She can't help you with your class bookings, though, so please contact the Centre front desk about any issues with bookings or payment!)

If you have any questions, please let me know! I'm very grateful to be part of such an enthusiastic community, and looking forward to offering more teachings this fall. If you'd like to stop receiving these messages, please ask to be removed from the list.

Cheers,
Melissa.

SCHEDULE FOR CLASSES AT THE REGENT CENTRE

MONDAY
Qigong 1-2 pm (beginners welcome!)
Break: 2-2:15
Advanced Tai Chi 2:15-3:15 pm

WEDNESDAY
Advanced Review noon-1:30 pm

FRIDAY
Advanced Tai Chi 1-2 pm
Break: 2-2:15
Lok Hup Ba Fa 2:15-3:15 pm

SATURDAY
Beginners Tai Chi 1-2 pm
Break: 2-2:15
Advanced Review 2:15-3:45 pm (Bring your weapons!)

Classes at the Regent Health Centre, New Start Date: May 13, 2022

Dear All,

I hope the impending arrival of spring is giving you all something to look forward to and enjoy. Like many of you, I've been spending more time than I would have thought possible working in the garden and enjoying the little signs that the season is progressing nicely.

I've been keeping an eye on the Covid situation throughout April. I had hoped to see more improvement by now in the wastewater signal, which I'm currently using as the key indicator of where things are at. I'm sure you're aware that hospitalizations are also up this week. Although wastewater indicators suggest that the current wave has finally started to come down in Ontario as a whole, our local signal is still on the rise. (If you scroll down a bit at the link above, our graph is Central West, excluding the GTA.) At this point I think most of us know someone who has picked up a Covid infection despite taking reasonable precautions.

So, I'm pushing back the start date at the Regent Centre to mid-May, with the hope that we'll see the substantial improvement we need to see by early May. I'll be in touch by May 5th to confirm the new start date.

If all goes well:

CLASSES WILL RESUME ON FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022
(maybe this will be our lucky day!)

CLASS SIGNUPS WILL OPEN TEN DAYS AHEAD OF TIME, AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT CONFIRMING CLASSES ARE GOING AHEAD

I didn't get into this in my previous message, but we will still be using the online class signup system, since this is how the Centre determines billing. As before, you'll pay the Regent Centre directly for all your classes. You can pay one class at a time ($15 + HST) or the monthly fee ($60 + HST). I am expanding the class capacities so there should be room for everyone. I'll send complete instructions when it's time to sign up, but essentially, it works just like making an appointment. Please don't worry about signing up until May 5th.

SCHEDULE FOR CLASSES AT THE REGENT CENTRE
When we resume, the schedule will be as follows. I'll be teaching all classes personally at first. My plan is to add more beginner's classes and Qigong into the schedule in the fall.

MONDAY
Qigong 1-2 pm
Advanced Tai Chi 2:15-3:15 pm

FRIDAY
Advanced Tai Chi 1-2 pm
Lok Hup Ba Fa 2:15-3:15 pm

SATURDAY
Beginners Tai Chi 1-2 pm
Advanced Review 2:15-3:45 pm

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns, or if you'd like more information about classes. Contact me at (905) 521-0043 or smithmk2@gmail.com.

Cheers,
Melissa Smith
Lead Tai Chi Instructor @ Regent Health Centre

Tai Chi and Qigong Update, March 2022

Dear All,

I hope you're doing well. For those of you who haven't been at online classes, I wanted to give you a quick update on the state of in-person classes. Basically, the theme of the moment is: not yet, but maybe soon?

I'm sure we're all eager for things to return to some semblance of normalcy. With the province lifting safety measures, things are going to be in a state of flux. The main challenge to reopening right now is that, while key stats have been improving, I don't have confidence they will continue to move in the right direction throughout March, or improve as much as they need to in order for us to meet and work out together safely.

So, we need to wait and see, and be patient for a while longer. I'm optimistic that if we time this wisely, we can reconvene without disruptions. My other aim is to reopen at a time when we don't need to restrict numbers as much as we did in November and December. This will ease pressure on all of us, so we can come together without worrying about whether there will be space for everyone in class.

I'm looking at a possible reopening in April, if hospitalisations, deaths, positivity rates, and wastewater measures fall sufficiently throughout March. Otherwise (and more likely) it'll be May. With warmer weather, I'm hopeful that numbers will naturally improve. Worst case scenario, we could meet for outdoor classes in May and throughout the summer.

I will be making a decision about April by March 21st. If you don't hear from me by then, look for an announcement about May. That will come by April 21st.

Thank you all so much for continuing to be patient. If you have any questions or concerns, or feedback about any of the above, I'm happy to hear it. My main concern is that you are all well and safe, and that we can enjoy ourselves when it's time to meet in person again.

Cheers,
Melissa.
p.s. as you know if you've been attending online, I've been tweaking the schedule. The current online schedule is below.


The Online Schedule
Monday
Qigong 1-2 pm
Tai Chi and Lok Hup Ba Fa 2-3 pm

Thursday
Qigong 6:30-8pm
***First Thursday of the month: sitting meditation instruction and practice included in class***

Saturday
Tai Chi Beginners 1-2 pm
Other Forms Review 2-3 pm

TO ATTEND
Contact me at smithmk2@gmail.com for the Zoom link. If you've attended in the past, it's the same link I've used before.

FEES
$60 / month or $15 / class, payable by etransfer to smithmk2@gmail.com. I'm waiving HST while classes are online. Please pay me directly until we're back to in-person classes again.