Lee Berwick's Inanna on Resonance FM

 

The whole piece will air on Resonance FM on 24th September

Mark's classes resume in London

The first Tuesday class of term will be held on 7th September at the usual venue from 7-9pm. Class costs £15, all Mark's students are welcome. 

Zoom classes are imminent. Mark has not yet sent me details, but I hope to have them soon.

Aberdeenshire Autumn Intensive

 I’m pleased to confirm the schedule for the Aberdeenshire Autumn Intensive with Mark.

The workshop will be at Fetternear Hall from Saturday 16th to Wednesday 20th October, sessions are 2-5pm and 6:30-9:30pm each day. The price is £22 per session, £12 concession. As usual, come along from the first session and then stay for as many as you like. There may be some limits on numbers of people in the kitchen etc, but I’ll advise everyone of any relevant Covid related requirements nearer the time.

There will also be a Left Side class with Mark on the evening of Thursday 21st October at Monymusk Hall. Time and price to be confirmed.

121s will be scheduled for Friday 22nd through to Sunday 24th October, and will be held at my house. Times are usually 2-4pm, 5-7pm, 8-10pm. If you’ve requested a 121, please let me know when you are/are not available and I’ll put together a timetable to suit.

If anyone needs advice or assistance with travel or accommodation, please get in touch and I'll do what I can to help.  It may be possible to stay with local students, and I also have information on local holiday accommodation.

International travel for Aberdeenshire Autumn Intensive

For any international visitors considering coming to the Aberdeenshire Autumn Intensive in October.

It is now possible to travel to Scotland without quarantine if you're a fully vaccinated EU resident, though some Covid tests are required. Things may change in the next few months so best check for the latest information on the government website HERE.

If anyone needs advice or assistance with travel or accommodation, please get in touch and I'll do what I can to help.

Summer workshop

Thanks to all 20 folks who attended the summer workshop, and especially thanks to Mark for his great teaching and Chris and Mary for hosting us. Personally, it was exactly what I needed and my entire organism was glad of the pushing hands, Heartwork, horizons and conviviality. Here's a few pics and a special wave to those who could not come along this time. 

making an impression

wabu

love from us to those who couldn't come along

horizons

When Mark is teaching any Zoom workshops this summer, you'll receive an email for the class as usual. In the meantime I am on holiday and on sabbatical. See you in September. Warm greetings, Caro.

Summer workshop begins this weekend

Dear friends, for those of you coming to the summer workshop, see you in Twickenham on Saturday at 2pm. If for any reason you don't have the address yet, drop me a text or email. I will post pictures as we go.

In other news, who knows how Covid will effect the plans for the Scottish autumn workshop? We won't know more for a while.

Short Form online classes with me resume 1st week September. 

Trinity Church Hall classes and Weds group classes with Mark resume early September. His Zoom classes will run during the summer, dates announced at each session, by arrangement. I will send out the invites as usual until Mark can take that over.

I am attempting to be on sabbatical, but you can email if you need to get in touch.

Love to you, if you are reading this. Have a good summer.

Caro.

Summer workshop changes & 121s with Mark

Here's the latest changes on the workshop.

The 24-27the July workshop will now be held at Holly Rd, Twickenham, at Chris and Mary's place, as it was not possible to host at Hampton Court after all. Please contact Mark by text or phone for further details. Timings and prices are unaffected. Cost will be £45 per day or £25 per half day, by cash, bank transfer or Paypal to Mark. Concession price is £24 per day.

Mark has cancelled the hall booking for the large Leander Sea Scout hut as it is too large for the amount of people who have confirmed they are coming along.

The traditional weeklong workshop is instead 4 days with 3 days put aside afterwards for 121s. If you would like one on 28, 29, or 30th July, just get in touch with Mark to book a slot.

We'll be bringing our own food, rather than sharing, but tea will still be provided. Handwashing facilities and hand gel will be available. If you need details about parking, public transport or whatever, just get in touch with me for Mark's contact details if you don't have them.

Mark is calling it the 2021 4 day Summer workshop. The 'T'ai Chi Centre 15th Annual Week-long Summer Intensive', which was cancelled last year due to Covid, is still postponed, and we hope it will run as normal next year, perhaps at the brand new Petersham Sea Scout hut and field, which has been rebuilt since we were last there, years ago. 

Tooting Bec lido pavilion class with Kevin Devine

I have now been along to a couple of Kevin's Wednesday morning classes at Tooting Bec lido pavilion, where he has taken over the class I used to run after I moved back to Bournemouth. It is open to all and covers chi gung, short form and warm ups. Kevin is a great teacher and the classes are lots of fun. They run from 9-10am, just turn up at 8.55am and join in, no experience necessary. 

My Tuesday morning short form class by Zoom is still running all year, with only August off for holidays. Get in touch via www.greatrivertaichi.com if you'd like to join. We are up to 'Fair Lady Weaves at Shuttles'.

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. 

News

Dear friends, due to the huge fire at my boatyard on Monday and the loss of my studio / storage sheds and over half my belongings, I have decided to move back down to Bournemouth to my dear old taichi buddy / old flat mate's empty flat, overlooking the cliff tops at Southbourne, thus solving a problem for us both. It pains me to suddenly leave The Thames and my locale, not to mention my friends and neighbours, human and otherwise. However, before the end of my mooring tenancy next March, I was already planning to move back on land due to hereditary joint-health issues which are making aspects of advanced taichi impossible, as well as causing difficulties getting on and off my boat. Until I know more from my specialists, this is ongoing. Re the fire, I am physically ok and was insured. I have amazing friends and a large family who are all being fantastic. Although I have lost many 'things', including all my taichi weapons almost all my craft and art supplies, I have what I need, so please don't worry about me.

So, though I am immensely sad to stop teaching in person at Tooting for the foreseeable future, I am delighted that regular stand in tutor Kevin Devine has agreed to take over. I have informed Paulina at the pavilion and hope that she will ok this. Kevin is a wonderful colleague and great instructor. For many years I have stood in for him at his classes when he was away. He has immensely good energy and lovely taichi.

We have heard that classes can resume on 19th May at the lido pavilion. From that date we hope to have the in-person class each Wednesday morning from 9-10am, in place of the Zoom call, as we have only been offered our old slot back, and I was keen for Kev to take it. The Zoom class was originally to replace the Tooting class for a month or two, but we all know how the pandemic went... The in-person class will cost £8 for slsc and £10 for regular folks. Please tell your old classmates that it is back on!

I will continue a weekly Zoom class on either Tuesday or Thursday morning at 9am open to all folks from Mark's or my schools, or our students students, etc. I would like to prioritise the needs of those who cannot make it to an in-person class, due to distance or health, so let me know your status. The class will always still be available for people to watch at home afterwards on Dropbox. If 4 or more regulars wish to continue, I will keep the class running. Online live or recorded will continue to cost £5 per session. You are completely welcome to do both classes as we will both be teaching what we have learned with Master Mark Raudva.

Safety at in person classes: The doors and windows will all be open. Hand-gel and hand wash facilities are good at all venues. You are welcome to wear a mask. We will not be touching until such time as it is allowed again. Bags will be brought into the classroom rather than left outside, and the kitchens are now out of bounds. You can continue to pay electronically if you like, though cash is also fine. 

Any queries, drop me a line.

I will still be organising all Mark's group Zoom weekly classes by email, and the summer workshop too. What will help me most is for students to keep going to Mark's classes, book in-person or Skype 121s with Mark, come along to workshops in person and online and stay in touch with him. Now I live a bit further away, it is harder for me to be on hand in the way I was for 16 years. Personally I am happy to receive emails, but I am not yet up to receiving calls. I really appreciate all the messages of love and care.

When life has settled down and I am able to come visit Tooting again and stay with family I shall come and visit morning class and join in, for fun. I will also hopefully be at Mark's Tooting classes each fortnight or so, as well as all workshops as soon as circumstances allow.

Best wishes to you all from the south coast,

Warmly, Caro. 

Brief pause and news

I am away from home while my boat is being mended and painted so I cannot do much in the way of planning, organising or blogging during this time of dislocation. Zoom class links will continue to land in your inboxes in the meantime. Email me if you want to be added or removed from any lists. I do not have a date yet for when in-person classes at Trinity Church Hall or Mark's studio can resume, but will post them here as soon as I get them. 

I have found a wonderful, affordable riverside venue for evening classes in future, where I live. I taught my Zoom short form classes there the last two weeks and it was lovely, 360 degree river views! Soon I will introduce Mark to the person who runs the space, and hopefully as soon as restrictions allow, we can have spacious, airy indoor space for pushing hands, evening groups, heartwork and occasional Sunday afternoon sessions. Watch this space!

Very best wishes to you all from near the Petersham venue, where I am staying until tomorrow. i shoul dbe back aboard my home on Friday.