Faulk TaiChi

Learn the beautiful, flowing movements for health and relaxation.

One World. . .One Breath

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Join us, breathe and connect your energy with others you know and don’t know across the world. Yes, connect with a stranger on another continent thousands of miles away! On the last Saturday in April we celebrate World Tai Chi and QiGong Day. We can participate with others at an indoor event, outside in a park moving through gentle Tai Chi movements or at home in our living room.

Join me on Saturday, April 25, 10am in your time zone. Stop. pay attention and breathe. Imagine and feel the connection with others who are stopping to breathe and connect with you. This wave of breathing and connecting our energy starts at 10am in New Zealand and Australia, then travels across the world in every time zone on earth. What a positive way to spread good will, spread our good energy and connect with others, a positive gesture of giving of our best selves and sharing a positive moment with no agenda and no personal gain.

Thousands, maybe millions will be joining us. Just to share energy and connect.

Join me and if you are outside, take time to enjoy the trees, the grass, the flowers, the birds.

What Gives you Joy?

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With many hours of darkness in our winter days, it’s the time of year that many focus on light that will be coming in the weeks ahead. Whether or not you are part of a religious tradition that celebrates light that will come in the darkness, a common topic of conversation of many right now is counting the days until winter Solstice, knowing that point marks the day that dark and light balance and then slowly the light in our days will increase.

In these days of grey skies, cold temperatures and snow for those of us in northern U.S. climates , and for you in climates with sun and warmth, what gives you joy? Many of the non-political stories, music, ads, movies right now are light and play to our desire for cheer, friendship, traditions, baking seasonal treats, loving and feeling loved.

Hopefully, we are not so busy with our to-do lists that we miss the moments — twinkling lights, a grandchild’s performance, big, beautiful snowflakes, coffee with a friend, a colorful bird, working to provide meals for others.

Joy is often spontaneous, unexpected. We need to be open. If our minds are filled with lists, thinking about a past event that upset us, worrying how we will get everything done before company comes in a few days, we may miss our moment of joy. We need to take time to notice what is around us right now. Pay attention. Go look at the holiday lights. Be intentional.

In my Tai Chi classes, I ask students to try to keep their attention in the room as much as possible. Why? Our minds wander; chatter fills our heads and can take us miles away from the classroom we are standing in. I focus our gentle Tai Chi moves on relaxing and focusing on the moment, paying attention to where we are standing, how we are standing, feeling our body alignment come to a center point. When our minds wander, we miss the paying attention and likely can miss a wonderful moment of calmness and relaxation. I think those moments of joy come when we stop, focus on the moment and take in the wonderful feeling of joy. Volunteering our time to help others, with transportation to a medical appointment, feeding those in need, visiting a homebound friend, all allow us to focus on the moment when we forget ourselves in order to help others.

I feel joy in the midst of moving my energy with my students through Tai Chi. We are freely sharing with each other bringing calm to the moment and each other. A gift for which I am grateful.

about Tai Chi

What gives us joy cannot be bought, bartered or manufactured. It comes to us, often unexpected. It’s an emotion and a gift that is part of the best of being human.

What has brought you joy recently?

Why Tai Chi – Why Now?

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Why not? Kids are returning to school. Summer outside activities are in full-swing but it won’t be long until we shift into an autumn mode and in many climates, more inside activities will predominate. Although decades have passed since I was that child looking forward to a new school year, so excited to shop for my school supplies, including paper, pencils, eraser and ruler (showing my age!), I still feel that anticipation of looking forward to starting the school year.

I hope as adults we can generate that excitement for ourselves, for new activities and new learning. It should never get old.

NOW is a good time. A good time to commit to new learning. A good time to bring nourishment to our bodies and clear out all the clutter and chatter in our heads. I’m partial to saying “now” to Tai Chi because I know first-hand how beneficial it is for relaxing, managing anxiety, chronic health conditions and improving balance.

Why Tai Chi now? Because putting off, saying ‘maybe later’ could easily lead to doing nothing at all. Gear up and say ‘yes’. You don’t need any equipment nor special clothing, just youself and an open mind. I have classes you can join now, or, if you aren’t physically close, look for a class or start with a YouTube video.

You can join these students who have said already said ‘yes’. Recommend a class to a friend or come together. I’d like to hear from you.

I’m making my plea for action because I’m in my 26th year of teaching Tai Chi and I’m passionate about Tai Chi. As a teacher I know the distance can be very long from saying you want to take a Tai Chi class and getting out the door to go to a class. So many people say they are interested in learning how to relax, do something positive for their health, take a class and don’t because something else comes up. Don’t let that be you.

Tai Chi – NOW is your time. NOW is our time.

World Tai Chi & QiGong Day

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A lovely worldwide tradition occurs on the last Saturday in April — celebrating Tai Chi and QiGong across the world. “One World, One Breath” calls us to breathe and send our calm energy to others.

Get ready to participate — the energy wave starts at 10am on Saturday in Australia and travels across every time zone in the world. At 10 am on Saturday, April 26, stop what you are doing and focus on breathing. Focus your breathing and send its life and good energy across the world connecting with others who are doing the same thing. We can send calm and create unity with others who are in the moment, breathing, perhaps doing some Tai Chi and QiGong moves.

Let’s connect with our breath and our focus of sending calm energy across every time zone. Participate. I look forward to receiving your energy!!

Celebrating 25 Years!

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Wow, it’s amazing to be celebrating my 25th year of teaching Tai Chi! It is an honor and so humbling to teach a centuries-old practice that has transformed my life, helped me re-learn to walk, feel balance and stability and has been the main influence for getting off medications I took regularly in my 30’s and 40’s.

I’ve been so inspired by stories of many students, who, with courage and determination have managed pain, arthritis, stroke recovery, anxiety and stress, etc. through Tai Chi practice, coming to class when it wasn’t easy.

Faulk Tai Chi Class

Here’s a class in 2003 where the quiet energy and being in the moment come right through the stillness of the photo.

Chinese New Year Tai Chi

This photo is in the first Heartwood location on Maple and Davis, across from Bennison’s Bakery, (2004, I think)

Faulk Tai Chi

Tai Chi class at Heartwood on Dempster, around 2012, upstairs in what is now the Shrine Room. Our regular classes were in that room before we moved to the Skylight Room.

Chicago Tai Chi Testimonials

Chicago class in 2015 or 2016, dedicated students who shared great Tai Chi energy together at our class in the Fourth Presbyterian Church.

August, 25, 2024 — Celebrating 25 years in Evanston park at Lake and Chicago

After Tai Chi, a wonderful lunch at Chinese restaurant, Peppercorns, in downtown Evanston

At Peppercorns with Nancy Floy, Founder and Co-Director of Heartwood and Larry Akey, Director of Meditation Programs.

Thanks to Nancy for her vision, for bringing Heartwood to life and for leading me to Tai Chi. For all the individuals in these photos and for all others whose lives have crossed with mine through Tai Chi, our energy continues to connect across the miles. It’s a privilege to teach and share Tai Chi with you.

I’d love to hear your comments and memories of Tai Chi and how it’s positively impacted your life.