If you've ever opened up a chicken, you will know about fascia. It's that elastic, stretchy substance wrapped around e.g. the breast of the chicken. Through the microscope it looks more like this, but what you cannot see from this photo is that the fluid is constantly moving within those lines, and that the structure is never constant and is always changing. To get an idea of the flow and change within the fascia, there are some excellent videos on Youtube about how it functions...

Both tai chi and qigong are opportunities to practise and change how we relate to anything outside ourselves, i.e. the rest of the world. This is possible when doing solo exercises, but becomes much more apparent when working in contact with someone else.

If you've ever been to an osteopath or an Alexander Technique teacher, you will probably have had the experience of having your legs 'pulled out'. It's a great feeling. You lie on your back on the couch, the practitioner takes hold of your ankles, and very gently leans away from you, as though trying to pull your legs away from your body. For those of you who haven't experienced it, it might sound slightly bizarre, but, if you are able to release your hips, knees, and ankles, ...