James DreweApr 35 minMuscle Atrophy the Fast & Easy Way.I’ve learnt a lot about recovery from illness in the last 12 months. I realise now how difficult it can be, and in particular how easily...
James DreweMar 114 minOur Perspective of TimeWho is Moving? Most of us think of ourselves ‘travelling through time’ – we start the day, the sun has risen; we finish the day, the sun...
James DreweFeb 14 minStepping – Putting a Foot ForwardWhen learning tai chi and qigong, one of the first problems encountered is learning how to step correctly. Most beginners ‘fall’ into a...
James DreweOct 11, 20213 minGrief and the Present, Past, & FutureOver the last year, following a bereavement in Autumn 2020, I learnt what you might call a technique that I thought was very relevant to...
James DreweMay 7, 20201 minQIGONG & TAI CHI LIVE ZOOM SESSIONS – 6 days a week.TAI CHI & QIGONG LIVE ZOOM SESSIONS. There are 6 sessions a week: 11.00am (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, & Saturday) 4.00pm (Tuesday, &...
James DreweMar 16, 20201 minTai Chi, Qigong, & the Immune System.Topical. If you’re interested, I have put a number of articles on to the tai chi website here which discuss those benefits, particularly...
James DreweMar 16, 20202 minWave Hands Like Clouds – it’s 3-Dimensional.Every move in tai chi has a 3-dimensional aspect, although sometimes it’s not obvious. The legs: Cloud Hands is performed with bent legs....
James DreweMar 14, 20202 minWhat is ‘Hollowing the Chest’ in Tai Chi & Qigong?Connecting movements in tai chi & qigong. Sitting back. Moving your energy. Try jumping! This is easily tested: Try jumping off the...
James DreweMar 1, 20202 minTing (listening) in Tai Chi & Qigong.What is ‘listening’ in tai chi & qigong? Ideally, listening is very light; it is being able to sense and respond to the gentlest of...
James DreweJan 22, 20202 minBuoyancy – letting go.Is it possible to relax and still hold up your arm? Strictly speaking, and depending upon your interpretation of ‘relax’, it’s a bit of...
James DreweOct 31, 20195 minChange in Taiji & QigongGoing with the ups & the downs. How do you ‘convert’ one movement to another in Tai Chi or Qigong? Perhaps, if I can understand these...
James DreweSep 26, 20192 minPractise, Repetition, & Questions.Who practises? Your ‘norm’. By this I mean the way that you usually make your body move, sit, stand, function. This is the way that...
James DreweAug 3, 20191 minRevolving DoorsRevolving doors work because they have perfect central equilibrium, and therefore use minimum energy. In movement, we are aiming, as far...
James DreweJul 7, 20192 minTai Chi, The Arts, Intention and Interpretation.Speaking. When speaking, you speak in phrases. If you take a phrase like, “Don’t you know what I want?”, by putting the stress on...
James DreweJun 16, 20192 minStress.Stress. There are many reasons for stress. What stresses one person might to another be a positive drive to action. And after the...
James DreweMay 12, 20192 minHow on Earth do you ‘Relax’?Relaxation v. De-stressing. You might think that relaxation is the same thing as de-stressing, but there’s a difference. De-stressing...
James DreweApr 2, 20191 minSong Yao / Kai KuaFurther to the previous blog… “Song Yao” = Release the waist (see previous blog on ‘Song’). “Kai Kua” = Open the Kua, or inguinal...
James DreweMar 17, 20191 minTucking Under… Don’t FORCE it.The mechanics. When you sit down on to a chair, you automatically, and without forcing it, do a pelvic tilt. If you don’t, you run the...
James DreweMar 11, 20192 minThe Breathing of Movement in Tai Chi & Qigong.Walking & ‘Open/Close’. If you picture your body as a mobile vertical line, what allows you to be mobile is your ability to split that...
James DreweFeb 16, 20192 minFlapping Around in Tai Chi & Qigong.Copying movements. When seeing Tai Chi or Qigong for the first time, it appears that all those graceful movements are the result of...