Tai Chi Cape Breton Workshops begin August 26th!

Celebrate our 9th season in Cape Breton with our Fall Workshop Series:

 “Making the Set Movements Clearer”

Aug 26th – Sept 4th!

Our fall workshop series this year brings the expertise of both Doug and Yvonne Waines of Wine Country Tai Chi in West Kelowna to our club for a very special workshop series.  We will be meeting your requests with class time to get to know the sets better, as well as answering questions and checking technique to make sure the moves are producing the results you want for flexibility, relaxation, strength and energy flow.  Doug and Yvonne will also be a part of a special project we have been working on to record the Seated Form for a special video series.  It promises to be a very special 10 days!  We look forward to sharing their expertise throughout the class schedule with enhanced times and specific learning opportunities.  Check it out below:

Mon, Aug 26         Belle Cote Community Hall                        9 – 12 pm             108 moves

Tues, Aug 27          Judique Community Hall                              6 – 9 pm              Sabre

Thurs, Aug 29         Mabou – St Joseph’s Renewal Center       6 – 9 pm               Lok Hup 1

Fri, Aug 30              Belle Cote Community Hall                         9 – 12 pm               Seated/Walking Tai Chi

Lunch at the Belle Vue Restaurant 12:30 onwards after class Friday (remember it is all about the food!)

Saturday, Aug 31     Port Hawk Civic Center Dance Studio       12 – 3 pm            108 moves

Mon, Sept 2             Belle Cote Community Hall                         9 – 12 pm            Lok Hup 1              

Tues, Sept 3             Judique Community Hall                              6 – 9 pm              Lok Hup 2

Dinner at the Red Shoe Pub at 4 pm prior to the Thursday class (yes, more good food!)

Thurs, Sept 4              St. Joseph’s Renewal Center, Mabou        6 – 9 pm               108 moves

As is tradition, Yvonne and Doug volunteer their time for our workshops.  We cover their expenses for the 10 days which includes travel, insurance, some extra hall rentals, some meals and a thank you gift.  Michelle does the pick-up and extra expenses for hosting.  Typically, we have hosted only one instructor at a time to keep the costs lower.  The special video project that will produce free videos for members and the public are an impetus for this visit together.  Doug, Yvonne and Michelle will be spending their “off” Tai Chi time filming with a videographer to make the project come to life.  If you have the ability to donate to the project, I recommend that you consider $75 for the Tai Chi time and a little extra to support the expenses of the videos.  As this is by donation, and Moy Tai Chi keeps it accessible to all, please feel free to do what you feel is within your means. 

As always, I encourage you to travel to the other locations and learn as much as you can and share with the other club members in the different locations.  We will see what we can do with car pooling as well.  We have applied for grant funding but have not heard if this will come through or not.  I thank you in advance for your support of this special opportunity, as well as the chance to have both Doug and Yvonne to provide us with feedback and expertise.

Continue below for more details:

The Seated Form was created by Master Moy to assist people with Health Recovery and to provide a way for them to gain strength to become standing Tai Chi’ers.  This is not always possible for people, plus we have learnt that there is a lot of special movement in the Seated Form that can assist with learning more about the body and to assist with the Standing Form.  For this workshop series we will explore both the Seated Form, as well as some special walking exercises too.  The Seated Form is Yvonne’s area of specialty, and Doug has used the techniques to create a speedy recovery from two knee replacements this spring. 

Sabre Set:  This special set designed by Master Moy and following the teaching he received in China, has similar motions to regular Tai Chi, but the addition of a Sabre to hold in the hands and swing through the air.  The set is quite short and takes about 6-8 minutes to complete.  We have Sabres available for those interested in learning this form.  For those who already have a sabre, this will be an opportunity to fine tune your skills and advance your movements.  Beginners welcome!  Doug will be sharing his expertise for this set and help everyone to remember the moves.

Lok Hup Set:  In total there are about 66 moves, in parts 1 and 2.  The Lok Hup set is able to reach deeper into the tissue than the regular Tai Chi moves.  By moving a finger, or extending with a little different position, there is more internal rotation and a massaging to the organs that we don’t receive through regular Tai Chi.  Some of the moves are similar and some are just slightly different.  It has a beautiful flow to it, and some of the movements are just plain fun to do.  The first section is Tendon changing in nature, and the second set is focused more to the internals.  All levels welcome. Those with experience with the set will be continuing to fine tune their skills.  We will break the sections into different days to focus on the flow of the movements.  Both Doug and Yvonne will share their expertise.

108 moves:  The power of the Moving Meditation is to engage the muscles with the bones in a full body movement pattern that provides strength with ease.  Doug and Yvonne will be sharing their different insights into the moves as they help you remember what comes next, and what the most important parts of the moves are.  This is a good opportunity to work on specific moves slowly and deliberately, as well as linking up connector steps.  All levels are welcome.

What about the long days?  Won’t we be tired?  Some of your best learning cannot happen until you have submersed yourself into a workshop.  Regular class is an opportunity for learning, but it is not the opportunity for practice.  A workshop creates the atmosphere for perfecting techniques, finding stubbornness in muscles that hold on, and when the body starts to tire, the relaxation creates a whole new level of learning.  You will be surprised at how the energy building in the body through Tai Chi sustains you through the day.  It is such a gift to have this time to just be present to learn and to grow.

                            Sincerely,  Michelle Greenwell for Tai Chi Cape Breton

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