Looking forward

I have formally handed-on my regular Aberdeenshire teaching responsibilities to our teacher, Master Mark Raudva, who is looking forward to teaching there from October. Now that I have contacted all my Scottish students in person, I would like to say here what a great pleasure and privilege it has been to teach such great students over the years and to get to know and spend time with such wonderful people. I shall still be coming to the October workshop, and will see folks when they are studying down south. I am available by email and phone, and will keep this blog and the website running, as Great River T'ai Chi is by no means ending. Wherever any of us teach or practice, that's Great River. Those who may be able to return to instructing after Covid measures change, just let me know, and we'll put it online. (I will update and renew the website in September).

As most of you may know, the last year and a half have been full of external challenges, the kind of periods we all have at times, when despite being fine in oneself, difficult events seem to come thick and fast, leaving no time to recover in between. It's fine, and not a calamity, like those effecting so many I know, through death of a loved one, illness or injury. Practice, nature, family and friends have been true wellsprings of support, thanks to everyone who has reached out to me in this time. 

I will be taking at least a year off teaching advanced T'ai Chi groups and 121s. Due to Covid, I am unlikely to travel to Sweden for the foreseeable future, so do not know what the future holds for teaching the small group of advanced students in Gothenburg. I will keep abreast of the travel rules and changes of advice. My plan is to spend a great amount of time in the woods and at the huts on the coast, to rest in Tao and do non-doing. It is also an opportunity to practice T'ai Chi 'just for myself', rather than as part of a conveyor belt of learning to share with others, however wonderful that is. This will be a first for me since 2002.

In September I hope to resume teaching the 1hr Short Form class at Tooting Bec Lido again on Wednesday mornings. However, there is as yet no opening date for the venue, and emails to them go unanswered. So for now, I will be teaching online again by Zoom 9-10am from 2nd September, unless I post otherwise here. There are email and Whatsapp groups for the weekly invitation to this. If you are a student of mine, Mark's or used to study with John Kells or his other instructors, you are so welcome to join us for chi Kung, T'ai Chi and warm ups. Just get in touch via caroline at greatrivertaichi dot co dot uk. The class costs £5 per week, and the video is uploaded to the school's Dropbox or can be sent by email, for those who are not free at 9am, but would like to do the class at their own leisure. Lastly, there are plenty of study resources on the Dropbox, get in touch if you need the code, as it's for our students only. 

Have a wonderful late summer, full of fruitfulness and warmth. I send my best wishes from the great river, in this case, literally, as I am standing in my boat, looking out over the Thames.