Summer news

Here's a couple more photos from Mark's workshop in July. Thanks to all who came and made this a great event. The consensus was that Mark should run a 7 day workshop in 2023, (national circumstances allowing). The venue has set aside the week for us and could not have been kinder and more accommodating this year. Thank you Leander Sea Scouts!

Salutations

Kevin assisting Mark

I am away until October, fishing, teaching, travelling and also still recovering form Covid. I have made plans to record online chi kung courses in the autumn with filmmaker Jonny Randall and we will also assist Mark with making online T'ai Chi courses. I have updated the Great River website with all the info from the instructors. If you see anything that needs changing, let me know by email. 

Lastly, Mark turns 60 at the end of the month! One of his old students and I will be celebrating with him most likely by going fishing. If you need his address for any cards, just drop me an email and I'll send it to you. Thanks to those who have already asked about it.

Have a great August, see you in the autumn. Very best wishes Caro.

Outdoor T'ai Chi on The Green in Aboyne continues

 In the coming week we will be meeting for a morning T'ai Chi class on the Green in Aboyne on Tuesday 2nd Aug and Wednesday 3rd Aug from 9.30 to 10.30 both mornings.

There is no need to have done T'ai Chi before. Just come and give it a try. It's on donation basis.

Looking forward to seeing you.

More outdoor T'ai Chi in Aboyne

 Anneke is continuing her sessions on the Green in Aboyne, all welcome!

This week I am teaching Taichi on the Green in Aboyne on Tuesday (26th) and Wednesday (27th) mornings 9.30-10.30am.   There won't be a class on Monday as the weather forecast for Monday morning is wet. 

Next week I am planning to have a class on Tuesday 2 Aug and Wednesday 3 Aug when weather permits. I am letting go of the Monday class as numbers have been low that morning. 

Looking forward to seeing you.

Summer T'ai Chi outdoors in Aboyne

Anneke is teaching morning Taichi on The Green in Aboyne from 9.30-10.30am Tuesday (19th) and Wednesday (20th) this week and likely next week Tuesday and Wednesday and more days over the Summer when weather allows. We will meet on East side of the Green (where the fountain is). 

This is an informal open class for anyone, so no need to book, do all days, or have done Taichi before. Just come along when it suits you and give it a try. It's on a donation basis.

 

If you need more information, please contact Anneke at annekestolte@hotmail.co.uk

Summer workshop approaches

All are welcome to The T'ai Chi Centre summer 4 day intensive. All the details are at www.thetaichicentre.co.uk

The hall will be open from 1pm on the Saturday and the workshop finishes by 10pm on the Tuesday. Mark can be contacted for any details regarding the workshop. I'll be helping with the register and taking payments for Mark during the weekend, cash, PayPal or bank transfer are all fine, rather than cheques.

Bring your own food, as to lessen the health risks, we won't be having buffets of shared food this year. We hope that will return in future. Tea will be provided. If you want to bring and use hand gel and wear masks, that's totally fine. 

I look forward to seeing you there, enjoying the T'ai Chi, the river and the good company. Travel well, all.

New online class open to all for The Dance (San Shou)

If you have ever wanted to learn or revise the Dance (San Shou, 88 Yang Style Partner Form) then get in touch via the form on greatrivertaichi.com and I will pass you on to my teacher. Mark Raudva of www.thetaichicentre.co.uk will be teaching this by Zoom from Thursday 21st June. If you have experience of Yang Style taichi ,you are welcome to have a go at learning these beautiful interlocking forms. 

Lots of news from the T'ai Chi Centre

I've spent the weekend with Mark arranging all sorts of upcoming good things for the T'ai Chi Centre and Great River, so here's the latest.

The 4 day Summer Intensive is going ahead as announced 23-26 July and we look forward to seeing you there. All students who have ever studied with Mark, Caro or John Kells or his students are welcome to attend. All the details are in the previous post. 

Mark will be taking new beginners at the Trinity Rd Tooting class at 6.30-8pm on Tuesdays from mid September. So let all your London pals know. All with some previous experience are welcome right now  from 7-9pm each Tuesday night, and classes will continue until 20th July, resuming 6th September. Class costs £15.

In the autumn, Mark will begin recording video lessons for an introductory online class, which can be studied by anyone anywhere. Film maker Jonny Randall will be shooting and editing the course. We are researching hosting platforms at the moment. If you have studied an online course over the last few years and would recommend one in particular, then get in touch with Mark to let him know.

So that Mark's new classes and courses will be known about more widely, we have set up an Instagram account which you can see online even if you don't have Instagram as an app. Go to www.instagram.com/thetaichicentre.co.uk . I am uploading the photos and text he sends me, and answering or forwarding enquires. Mark aims to show photos from the whole period he has been teaching - since 1988 - as well as the breadth of the syllabus covered. We have uploaded two posts so far, and there'll be one every couple of days, for now. Feel free to let friends know about the upcoming courses and the insta account. It's nice that already an old student of mine from Hackney found the account and will be popping along to Mark's classes in Tooting next week, as they miss T'ai Chi so much. 

Staring at screens is never fun, but it is worth it when it helps bring people back to real physical T'ai Chi again.

Great River T'ai Chi will start in person classes in Southbourne and Boscombe in September as I have found some great movement studios with plenty of space and light. More on that soon!

And, after two years of really not being able to raise my right leg properly to do Sweep Lotus kick, all my exercises have paid off, and although the arthritis is still there, my muscles around the joint are much stronger. This is in good time, as next week we do this posture in the online class.

Online Short Form class continues live each Tuesday morning 9-10am by Zoom, all welcome, £6.

All good wishes from me in Bournemouth. Have a great week ahead. 

The long-awaited 15th Annual summer intensive

Dear friends, at last we are able to announce The T'ai Chi Centre 15th annual summer intensive. It will be a four day event this year, to ease everyone back gently into the workshop habit. We were not able to afford the newly refurbished Petersham premises any more, and the dates we wanted were not free anyway. Our recent venue in Kingston have kindly moved a booking for us to have our preferred last week of July slot and have not raised their prices, for which we are grateful. 

Here are the details so far.

Dates: 2pm Saturday 23rd July until 9.30pm Tuesday 26th July 2022

Times: 2-5pm and 6.30-9.30pm daily

Cost: £50 per day, £25 per session. (Concessions £24 /£12) or anything between these that you can afford.

Address: Leander Sea Scout Hut, Albany Mews, Kingston Upon Thames. (No entrance from riverside, Lower Ham Rd.) Local parking restrictions may apply. No parking at venue. 65 bus stops very nearby. Train: Kingston, 20 min walk.

Food: Bring your own food for the break between sessions. Tea and soft drinks provided.

Nearer the time we will know if anyone can stay in the venue overnight. For now it is best to assume not. We have the venue from 12 noon Saturday until 10pm Tuesday. 

A Taoist reading list

 For anyone who is interested, I came across a good Taoist reading list today, so here it is:

https://daoists.co.uk/reading-list/

Classes In Aberdeenshire with Paolo at Monymusk

Short Form Class.

What: Warm ups/Short Form/Introduction to Partner work (when covid restrictions allow and students are comfortable with contact) and more...

When:   Weekly classes on Wednesday afternoons, 2-4pm.

Where: Monymusk Village Hall.

New beginners, returning students, and those with previous experience all welcome.

Please mail paolo at greatrivertaichi dot com for details.