Taichi class updates in London, online sessions and Summer Intensive news.

Mark's Long Form Tooting classes are now running at the usual venue Trinity Church Hall on Tuesday nights 7-9pm. Class last 2 hours, there is as yet no partner work, due to govt guidelines. Class costs £15.

Wednesday morning Short Form at Tooting Bec Lido Pavilion is running. Kevin Devine now takes the class after I moved back to Bournemouth. Class runs from 9-10am, all are welcome. Class costs £10 or £8 for SLSC members. 

Tuesday morning Zoom class with me is running each week 9-10am, all those with some experience of short form are welcome. We do warm ups, chi kung and short form. Email me or fill in the form via the Great River T'ai Chi website for the link. Class is recorded and can be watched at any time, £5 live or recorded.

Mark will continue to teach online Short Form in detail, Long Form and Left Side sessions by Zoom for the foreseeable future, at the usual dates and times he has been using since January 2021. Class prices are £10 per session. Some sessions are available recorded afterwards, get in touch with Mark for details. 

The Summer Intensive will run differently this year for 4 days. Please let Mark or me know if you plan to come. All students of John Kells, of his students, Mark, me and of all our students are welcome.

The October workshop in Scotland and regular classes for the Scottish contingent will resume as soon as lockdown has been entirely lifted. Mark will be taking over all my previous workshops, but rather than monthly, will probably be travelling every 6-8 weeks or so, in arrangement with the Scottish students. 

Online and recorded sessions, resources and classes are available on our Dropbox, if you want access, just get in touch with me. 

Personal news: I have been away for a while recovering from the events of May and my hip condition, doing an art residency, and spending time in the woods doing bushcraft and traditional skills. I am not online as much as I was, but do plan to return when I feel able to. I have plenty more essays and pieces to add to the new website blog. If you are teaching a class and want it to be listed on the website, please email me the details. In the meantime it has been lovely hearing from you by email. I am still practising much Heartwork, short form and meditation, and as my hip musculature improves, the more advanced forms and practices can make their way back into my life. For now, all situations in life are good opportunities for practice, whether or not they looks like T'ai Chi, they certainly feel like it. I have no plans to start in-person classes in Bournemouth, despite a host of great venues. I still haven't had that planned sabbatical, as Covid and then the ensuing events prevented it. Perhaps it will happen now. Very best wishes to all from sunny Bournemouth. 

Last classes of term, Jan start dates and Left Side news

This week in London the last in-person class is Tuesday night at Trinity Church Hall, 7-9pm, please join us for socially distanced T'ai Chi. This class will resume, restrictions allowing, on Tuesday 5th January 2021. Hand gel is available, masks may be worn, and there is no partner work at the present. We are looking at many aspects of Long Form, Heart Work and taking questions. Class costs £15.

The last Zoom Long Form class of term is on Thursday 17th December, 7.30-9pm, all students of mine or Marks' who have finished Short Form are welcome. Contact me to be added to the email list to receive the link each week. This online class will resume on 7th January 2021. We have not been recording these classes so far. Class costs £10.

Skype or Zoom 121s with Mark are always available, just get in touch with him directly.

There have been lots of requests for a Left Side Long Form class by Zoom, especially while Mark can't get to teach in Scotland. I am happy to say that Mark will start teaching this in the New Year, exact date tbc, but probably Mondays, and from about 11th Jan. Suggested time is 7.30-9pm, cost £10. In the meantime folks have asked us to film him doing that form, so I will get that done over the break, as well as The Dance films folks have asked for. We will probably make sure we record these classes as there are no LS resources, unlike Long Form. If you would like to be added to the email list to receive the weekly invite for this class, then drop me an email with 'Left Side list' in the heading, which will make my admin much easier! 

I am really looking forward to this, and will be assisting Mark in classes, so you will be able to ask application questions and see details. If you have finished the Long Form, and have perhaps done some of The Dance, then get in touch to see if studying Left Side is for you. John Kells created this mirror form as a home for variations of postures, special techniques and research possibilities. As far as we know, Mark is the only person still teaching this.

News for classes

Zoom classes: Thanks to all who are attending Mark's ongoing online Long Form level classes. From next week the classes will move to Thursdays, from 10th December 7.30-9pm until further notice, so that Tuesday classes in Tooting can resume again. In the New Year we will see which night is best for people for online classes, perhaps Monday so that the Aberdeenshire posse can attend. Sandy says there is a chance Aberdeenshire will be back in tier 3 next week, so perhaps folk will be able to attend by Zoom for the next few weeks on Thursdays anyway. 

Tooting Long Form socially distanced Class resumes Tuesday 8th December, 7-9pm at Trinity Church Hall. Hopefully this will run until Christmas break, covid tier rules allowing. 

Short Form Zoom class with me continues every week at 9am on Tuesdays and the recording goes up on Dropbox within an hour or so. I have also uploaded the narrated full version of the Five Elements Chi Gung, as requested by Scott. Help yourselves. 

I will finally be updating the rather neglected Great River website this winter. If you have any pictures or info you'd like me to add, email them over. I will be in touch with all instructors in good time to see what details you'd like to be listed. 

Mark has been using every minute of daylight to get his boat painted before winter, so we have not had time to record any more videos with him. I have requests for a left side form and some slower solo and partner dance videos, so hopefully these can happen now temperatures are too low for paint to dry!

Have a good week. 

Long Form class online with Mark

Thanks to all those who came to the first proper online long Form class with Mark this week. It was so lovely to see your faces, even on the screen. The video will be uploaded onto Dropbox tomorrow after I have seen Mark. I will send the link to the same list who received it this week. If you want to be added or removed, just get in touch. Tuesdays, 7.30-9pm, £10.

Long Form class next week Tues 17th Nov

Thanks to the 14 students who joined us last week by Zoom, we got the hang of the iPad controls for Zoom eventually. This week I will lend mark my laptop too, as a monitor, so he will be able to see everyone rather than needing to swipe across to see the next 9 people...

I will be sending links by email to everyone who attended by Tuesday morning, and also those who have asked to be included on the list. If you want to be added, or require the link by text or Whatsapp, just let me know. Mark's payment details will be on the email too. I will upload the lesson to Dropbox too, as soon as Mark has checked it.

Best wishes from the rainy river. 

Possible Tuesday night Zoom Long Form class with Mark

 After a wonderful final night at the hall for a while, Mark and I discussed a Tuesday Zoom class for all the students studying Long Form level T'ai Chi, whether Tooting regulars, Hackney folk, Scots, Swedes, or far flung old students around the world. The studio at Mark's is free from 7.30-9pm, so he could teach a 1 1/2 hr class of Short Form, warm ups, Salutations, Dragon walk, Long Form and questions, as we did tonight 'in real life'. I can help Mark set this up, as I am used to teaching my short form class on a Wednesday morning. Class is likely to be weekly while lock down persists. If you are interested, drop me an email to info at greatrivertaichi dot co dot uk and I will let Mark know if there is interest. Good luck everyone, be well, where ever you are.

Long Form videos now available in smaller file size

Thanks to Colin, the three biggest old video camera files we have, of Mark doing Long Form, are now available in smaller file sizes so your downloads don't take forever. They are labelled Long Form ... smaller file size.

I hope to record a new film of the Long Form during this period. Today hopefully we will record some Front heart clips.

If anyone has specific study needs or requests, please get in touch. Small sections of things, or something in detail, is doable, as are whole form demos. Someone asked for all the applications of the Short Form. That is a very nice idea, but unlikely to happen right now as it would take an entire day and need a separate camera person, as I would be needed as the partner. However, it is a great idea for a workshop, and perhaps we could arrange filming then. 

Sending love and best wishes to all The T'ai Chi Centre and great River students past and present. Get in touch any time. Be well.

February workshops, Aberdeenshire

Update 21-Feb: See new post with revised schedule


This month's workshops with Caroline in Aberdeenshire are this weekend, 21-23rd February. All sessions, except weapons, are at Balvack.

Friday 6:30-9:30pm: Weapons, Fetternear Hall - entry via the "front" door.
Saturday and Sunday sessions are 1-4pm & 5:30-8:30pm.


The price is £20 (concessions £12) per 3 hr session. Please bring food to share on Saturday and Sunday.

Aberdeenshire January workshops

The first workshops of 2020 with Caroline in Aberdeenshire are this weekend, 17-19th January. All sessions, except weapons, are at Balvack.

Friday 6:30-9:30pm: Weapons, Fetternear Hall - entry via the "front" door not the kitchen
Saturday and Sunday sessions are 1-4pm & 5:30-8:30pm.


The price is £20 (concessions £12) per 3 hr session. Please bring food to share on Saturday and Sunday. Get in touch with your instructor if you need travel directions or feel free to contact me with any other question.

Turriff class term dates

The new term at Turriff starts next Monday, 13th January at the Baden Powell Community Hall.

The Short Form class is 6:45-8:15pm and the standard price is £50 for 6 weeks. Concession or weekly prices are available on request. The Long Form class continues until 8:45pm for a small additional cost.

The class is not currently open to beginners. If you have previous T'ai Chi experience and would like to join or re-join the class to study Short Form or Long Form, please get in touch with me to discuss suitability. email davina [at] greatrivertaichi [dot] co [dot] uk

The term will run until 29th June with a break on 6th & 13th April for the Easter holidays. There will also be no class on 4th May.

Thursdays at Monymusk

Here's the rota for Thursday sessions at Monymusk. As usual we'll be in the Small Hall 6:30-8:45pm and Large Hall 8:45-9:30pm except where listed. The price is £30 for 10 weeks or £5/£3.50 per week.

9-Jan     Sandy   6:30-9:30 (small hall)
16-Jan   Anneke
23-Jan   Davina
30-Jan   Marie
6-Feb    Janet
13-Feb  Paolo     8-10 only (small hall)
20-Feb  Sandy Anneke
27-Feb  Anneke  Sandy     8-10 only (small hall)
5-Mar    Davina
12-Mar  Marie

If you can't make the session that you're due to lead then please contact someone on the list to arrange a swap.

Thursday sessions at Monymusk

There is no Thursday session this week as the hall is being used as a polling station. Next week, 19th December, is the last session of the year and we're in the small hall 6:30-9:30pm as the bowlers will be in the main hall.
We'll restart in the New Year on 9th January which is also a bowling night, so we'll be in the small hall again and then back to the usual rooms on the 16th.

Aberdeenshire workshops this weekend

The final workshops of 2019 with Caroline in Aberdeenshire are this weekend, 6-8th December. The Weapons session is at Fetternear Hall, all other workshops are at Balvack. Great River students of any level are particularly welcome to the Saturday sessions.

Please bring all weapons on Friday and note that due to the refurbishment of the hall entry will be through the main "front" door, not the kitchen.

Friday 6:30-9:30pm: Weapons
Saturday 1-4pm: Short Form, and related study
Saturday 5:30-8:30pm: Partnerwork
Sunday 1-4pm: Long Form
Sunday 5.30-8.30pm: Advanced Studies and Dance

The price is £18 (concessions £12) per 3 hr session. Please bring food to share on Saturday and Sunday. Get in touch with your instructor if you need travel directions or feel free to contact me with any other question.

Swedish sessions next week

On Friday evening on 1st November I will be teaching an introduction to T'ai Chi pushing hands in Gothenburg, Sweden. If you'd like to come along, drop an email to caroline at greatrivertaichi dot co uk
On the Saturday and Sunday sessions with the regulars and guests, we will be doing more advanced pushing hands, spiral rotations and Long Form. Looking forward to seeing the crew.

After that I will be heading to west to teach Wild Inks at A School Called Home.

See you soon.

No Turriff class this week

Just a reminder there is no class at Turriff this week, 21st October. We'll restart the term on Monday 28th 6:45-8:15pm for Short Form students, continuing to 8:45pm for Long Form. Classes will run until 16th December.

Thursdays at Monymusk

Here's the revised rota for Thursday sessions until the end of the year. As usual we'll be in the Small Hall 6:30-8:45pm and Large Hall 8:45-9:30pm at Monymusk except where listed. The price is £30 for 10 weeks or £5/£3.50 per week.

17-Oct  Davina   main hall
24-Oct  Janet     main hall
31-Oct Sandy
07-Nov Paolo     8-10 only (small hall) 
14-Nov Marie
21-Nov Anneke
28-Nov Janet
05-Dec Davina
12-Dec Marie   8-10 only (small hall) - CANCELLED
19-Dec Paolo   6:30-9:30 (small hall)

If you can't make the session that you're due to lead then please contact someone on the list to arrange a swap.

Turriff class restarts Monday

The Turriff class restarts this Monday and is open to total beginners as well as returning students. All the details are here.

Turriff class restarts next week

The new term at Turriff starts next Monday, 16th September at the Baden Powell Community Hall.

The Short Form class is 6:45-8:15pm and is open to total beginners: no previous T'ai Chi experience is needed. The standard price is £50 for 6 weeks. Concession or weekly prices are available on request.

The Long Form class continues until 8:45pm for a small additional cost. If you have previous Yang Style Long Form experience and would like to join or re-join the class, please get in touch to discuss and get more info.

The Autumn term will run until 16th December with a break on 14th & 21st October for the Autumn workshop and the tattie holidays.

REVISED - September workshops, Aberdeenshire

UPDATE 5 Sep:  Friday will be weapons practice, sharing hall cost; Saturday afternoon meet-up at Anneke's; no Sunday sessions. Click here for info.

The next workshops with Caroline in Aberdeenshire are this weekend, 6-8th September. The Weapons session is at Fetternear Hall, all other workshops are at Balvack. Great River students of any level are particularly welcome to the Saturday sessions.

Friday 6:30-9:30pm: Weapons
Saturday 1-4pm: Short Form, and related study
Saturday 5:30-8:30pm: Partnerwork
Sunday 1-4pm: Long Form
Sunday 5.30-8.30pm: Advanced Studies and Dance

The price is £18 (concessions £12) per 3 hr session. Please bring food to share on Saturday and Sunday. Get in touch with your instructor if you need travel directions or feel free to contact me with any other question.

Dates for all the 2019 workshops are available here.

Turriff class, Autumn term details

The new term at Turriff will start on Monday 16th September at the Baden Powell Community Hall.

The Short Form class is 6:45-8:15pm and is open to total beginners. So if you'd like to try something new and relaxing why not come along and see if T'ai Chi is for you? The standard price is £50 for 6 weeks. Concession or weekly prices are available on request.

The Long Form class continues until 8:45pm for a small additional cost. If you have previous Long Form experience and would like to join the class, please get in touch to discuss by emailing davina [at] greatrivertaichi [dot] co [dot] uk

The term will run until 16th December with a break 14th & 21st October for the tattie holidays.