I’m really happy to be doing the Tai Chi workshops again at this lovely festival at Radford Mill organic farm. The line up is looking so good this year.
Come and join me on Friday June 5th for a Tai Chi session at 5.30pm and Sunday June 7th at 12.30pm.
Discover tradition, history and philosophy behind the practice of Tai Chi in an interactive talk. This will give you a sense of what Tai Chi is, and how regular practice has numerous benefits on health and well-being. You will learn and practice a short sequence of flowing Tai Chi movements as well as relaxing Chi Kung breathing exercises.
Spaces are limited. £15 BOOKING
Join this session to move, stretch and breathe in the fresh air!
You will learn and practise a short sequence of flowing Tai Chi movements, along with relaxing Chi Kung breathing exercises.No special equipment is required – just comfortable clothes and flat shoes. £8 BOOKING
See Wednesday 17th for full details. £8 BOOKING
For venue details see @core_stives
We had a really lovely time in the Tai Chi workshops at the Tangled Roots festival in June. On the first session on the Friday, we did the first and second movements and on the Sunday grasped the bird by the tail and moved the clouds!
It’s hard to believe that time has gone by so quickly, but now it’s nearly time for Tangled up in Blues (August 8 to 10) , and I’m delighted to be doing the workshops again for this festival.
Welcome to the Year of the Snake!
I took some time out and spent the new year at Stonehenge – the entire area is perfect for practising Tai Chi, especially in silence and stillness of the early morning light. 
While in some traditions (Christianity for example) the snake tends to be feared as the embodiment of evil and temptation, there is also the dichotomy of its healing and beneficial nature. In many cultures the snake is often linked with female deities and the Earth Mother. In Hinduism the snake is the guardian of the threshold and of treasures (both material and spiritual).
The snake is one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. It shares many similarities with the dragon, which symbolises wisdom and strength. While snake movements are smooth and flowing, with an emphasis on softness and adaptability, dragon movements are more dynamic and embody a sense of spirit and power.
The movements in Tai Chi, which all help with balance and harmony, are inspired by nature (grasp the bird’s tail, moving clouds), and it is this – the tradition of being a part of nature through the practice of Tai Chi, that I like to focus on in my workshops.
The Snake Creeps Down is often considered to be one of the most challenging movements in the Yang sequence but practice can help increase vitality and longevity.
I’ll be running workshops at a few festivals later in the year, and I hope we can try a few of the snake related movements!
It seems such a long time since I posted any updates.
We are now well into the new year and I have found the space (mentally and creatively) to put words scribbled down on pieces of paper over the past months into a song!
I’ve made a little video – I admit I’m out of practice tech wise, but with everything going on in the world, I would rather be out and about, and performing live with real people, rather than being limited to an online presence.
Hopefully this song will cheer you up if you’re suffering from the winter blues!
It was inspired by experiences and events on a road trip last year, either side of playing a gig in St Ives. Although the lyrics might sound random and cliched, I did really see the smugglers on a remote beach near Sennen Cove in Cornwall, and often during the trip I felt as if I was trapped in a Tom Waits song.
Songs do tell stories and for me they are my memories – with creativity and a pinch of imagination of course!
It was a fabulous evening with a lovely audience at our gig in the St Ives festival.
Songbird Anna (Anna) and I met at a music night a few years ago and decided to collaborate (each doing our own set) for a gig at the St Ives September Festival. Our styles are different but we both share a love of music and write our own original material.
We hoped our performance would entertain and inspire the audience with stories of love and the things that have shaped our lives. The venue in the Western Hotel was intimate, the sound was good, we sold tickets and the feedback was positive. We both look forward to being invited back next year!
For me, St Ives was the highlight of a very eventful two week road trip. It began with the Somerset Jazz festival (see the Tai Chi news), and continued into apples falling from trees in Glastonbury, to an encounter with the Highwayman on Dartmoor, and real-life smugglers in Penzance.
The journey home was relatively uneventful but did include an overnight stop reflecting on the bridge over troubled water!
The first Tai Chi workshops to be held at the Somerset Jazz festival in September this year were really enjoyable. It’s a wonderful mix!
Even though the weather was damp and dismal on the Friday evening, about 15 people attended the session under the cover of the marquee. We began with stretching and 
loosening up, then some Qigong exercises and also managed to practise the first movements in Yang short-form sequence.We ended with White Crane Spreads its Wings.
Sunday’s session was also well-attended and we completed the first movement and were able to move on to the second – up to Playing the Lute. I feel that this was a positive accomplishment as the participants had no previous experience of Tai Chi, but were able to join in and enjoy the session. I look forward to next year!
I came across photographs from 2003 -2005, when I had the idea of organising World Tai Chi Day in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. I know that it’s along time ago, but it is lovely, even now, to see so many people together, learning about and practising Tai Chi.
World Tai Chi and Qigong Day (WTCQD), is an annual event, held since 1999 in around 80 countries all over the world on the last Saturday of April. The aim is that everyone, everywhere, is doing Tai Chi at the same time, to promote the practice of Tai Chi and Qigong and also the principles of harmony, balance and peace.
When I first proposed doing this on the island, I was told that it would be impossible to find people from different schools who practised different styles, willing to get together and provide workshops and demonstrations for the general public.
It worked, and I even managed to obtain sponsorship and funding (a little!) for the event.
Sadly some of my students in the photographs are no longer with us. But I hope that everyone else, like myself, in spite of ups and downs, continues to promote the development of wellbeing and physical and mental health in the community, through the practice of Tai Chi.
A good time was had by all last weekend at the Peak District Weekender festival, near Buxton (hosted by the Greyhound Inn, Warslow).
This small, friendly festival is only in its second year and the organisers are keen to keep it going. It definitely has a future and I hope to be back next year!
My one hour set was on Saturday afternoon, and although there were a few “tech” issues, there were a lot of positive comments afterwards.
Sunday was sunny, and the day was spent chilling, sitting on haystacks, drinking cider and watching other acts.
It was lovely to lead the first ever Tai Chi workshops at the Tangled Roots Festival earlier in June.
It is a perfect setting, and although there was still a slight chill in the air, the soothing background sounds from the rippling stream just added to the relaxed atmosphere. We spent well over an hour under the marquee, doing breathing exercises (from the Eight Pieces of Brocade QiGong routine) and learning and practising the first movements of the simple Yang form sequence. 
The session on Sunday morning was on the grass in the sunshine. There was a mix of people among the group, and we warmed up, stretched, breathed and practised the “Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail” sequence.
The feedback was very positive and a few participants were keen to find somewhere to continue learning on a regular basis.
“What a lovely way to start a Sunday!”
“This is so relaxing. I’m really happy I can do this here!”
There was a photographer – if I do get any photographs I’ll share them here.
But there’s also the next festival in the same place, Tangled up in Blues, in August. Perhaps I’ll see you there….?