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World Tai Chi and QiGong Day

April 26, 2024 By Arlene Faulk

One World . . . One Breath. For many years the last Saturday in April is honored and celebrated as World Tai Chi and QiGong Day. It starts at 10 am Saturday in Australia and moves across the globe. At 10am in our own time zone, we breathe, move through gentle Tai Chi and QiGong movements and share our energy and peacefulness with others in close and far away nations.

about Tai Chi

This gesture is so important to stop, take time to breathe and move with the purpose of offering. positive energy and connection to others, most of whom we do not know. We are one in breathing; regardless of who or where we are.

So, take a moment to stop, breathe with the intent of sharing your breath and Qi with others. It can be a powerful force when thousands, maybe millions focus on spreading our life force energy with others.

Tai Chi students two

Filed Under: Tai Chi Events Tagged With: breathing, focus, stillness, World Tai Chi Day

Come and Move Your Body With Us

March 27, 2024 By Arlene Faulk

Join me for Tai Chi on April 13, walk a labyrinth, relax through yoga and energize with dance. We’re celebrating the gift of movement and would love to welcome you! Please come and also share this announcement of good energy with others.

Filed Under: Tai Chi Events Tagged With: celebrating movement, Evanston Conscious Movement Festival, gift of movement

New Year Day 3 – Calm Your Body and Mind

January 2, 2020 By Arlene Faulk

New Year 2020, day 3

Tai Chi classes
Heartwood Tai Chi class

Find a practice to calm your mind and body.

Filed Under: Arlene Faulk, Energy, Tai Chi, Tai Chi Classes, Tai Chi Events Tagged With: breathing, empty out, focus, meditation in motion, tai chi walking

Celebrating 2018 Chinese New Year

February 25, 2018 By Arlene Faulk

Judy

A very fun afternoon celebrating Chinese New Year, Year of the Dog at Heartwood in Evanston. Look at Judy’s t-shirt and how apt, because she she is a “dog”. Four of us attending the celebration this afternoon were “dogs”.

Tai Chi's journey west

We honored our Tai Chi and QiGong ancestors and teachers, particularly Cheng Man-ch’ing. He was instrumental in bringing Tai Chi to the U.S. and stressing relaxation in doing the form, push hands and sword. We viewed a wonderful documentary “the Professor: Tai Chi’s Journey West” about his integrating Tai Chi, poetry, calligraphy, Chinese Medicine into all his teaching.

tai chi class Evanston
tai chi classes

Michelle Bobier led us in some QiGong to move our energy together and Arlene and some students demonstrated part of Cheng Man-ch’ing’s Yang style 37 Form, the basic form we learn in both Evanston and Chicago classes.

What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon, learning about Qi, relaxing with Tai Chi, improving walking through Tai Chi and all using our bodies in motion to create a room filled with good focus and intention.

Cheng Man-Ch'ing

We are grateful to Cheng Man-ch’ing and remember his saying, “The most important reason to study tai chi is that when you finally reach the place where you understand what life is about you’ll have some health to enjoy it.”

Filed Under: Arlene Faulk, Energy, Mindfulness, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Tai Chi Classes, Tai Chi Events Tagged With: 2018 chinese new year, cheng man-ch'ing, chinese medicine, Qi, year of the dog

Sending Qi Around the Globe

May 11, 2017 By Arlene Faulk

I love the idea of spreading positive Qi (energy) around the globe. We all can use some of that.

For several years, on the last Saturday in April, thousands of people gather across the world to participate in World Tai Chi and QiGong Day. 10 a.m on Saturday in each person’s time zone, groups of Tai Chi friends gather to breathe, move positive energy in concert with many others doing the same thing.

This year I had a special experience on that day, April 29, in northern Minnesota. I was part of a Wudang Tai Chi for Health and Longevity Retreat, led by Shifu Zhong Xuechao (Master Bing) from the Wudang Mountains in central China. At 9:45 a.m. we paused our class to go outside (a little chilly, but beautiful blue sky) to be on grass among beautiful trees and a still lake. We acknowledged we were part of a much larger energy movement as we slowly moved together with grace and ease, joining others whom we did not know, but felt akin to, to spread our good energy.

I asked my students in Chicago, to stop at 10 a.m. that day to breathe, do some Tai Chi moves and send some of their good energy to me across the miles. They did! It was a nice feeling of closeness, of knowing we were all doing something positive for ourselves and for people in far away countries.

Filed Under: Energy, Light, Mindfulness, Tai Chi, Tai Chi Classes, Tai Chi Events Tagged With: Audubon Center of the North Woods, Shifu Ahong Xuechao, World Tai Chi Day, Wudang tai chi

Holiday Health

December 5, 2016 By Arlene Faulk

These December days are busy, filled with lots of “to-dos”, holiday parties, caroling, buying or thinking about what gifts to buy. . . on and on. A time of preparation, a time of increasing darkness, in the midst of lots of twinkling lights on the city streets and in store windows, in houses and condos.

Many of us are thinking ahead, living in the future and do not even think about ‘now’, about the present, about being mindful today.

2016 December Heartwood healthcare fair

This past weekend, I participated in a holiday healthcare fair, at the Osel Ling Meditation and Heartwood Healing Center, where I teach in Evanston, Il. We focused on our health, on greeting visitors with options for living better, being healthier. We greeted people, offered some mini-stress reduction through acupuncture, massage, essential oils, Reiki, Tai Chi. Is what great to help people focus on ‘now’, focus on their health during this busy time.

2016 December Heartwood healthcare fair

How wonderful to take time, right now in one of the busiest times of the year, to focus on our health. A holiday season of thinking about, planning for, and taking initiative to be healthier. When we focus on internal well-being and healing, we may just be calmer, happier, more giving and therefore, project the respect, kindness and peace to others that we hope will fill our world.

Filed Under: Arlene Faulk, Change, Darkness, Energy, Light, Mindfulness, Tai Chi Events Tagged With: health, heartwood center, living now, mindfulness

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Arlene Faulk

Arlene Faulk

After a years-long struggle to understand and conceal debilitating symptoms while I ascended the corporate ladder, I found comfort and healing through Tai Chi and Chinese Medicine.

My memoir, Walking on Pins and Needles, is the story about the power to control our lives and move in the direction of possibility. Read more...

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“A LIFE-AFFIRMING STORY”

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My book Walking on Pins and Needles: A Memoir of Chronic Resilience in the Face of Multiple Sclerosis is available in paperback & e-book.

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FROM TAI CHI STUDENTS

Tai Chi makes me feel calm, yet energized. Because of my practice, the small irritants of life affect me less.

Tai Chi student

I had back surgery, was in pain and had little range of motion. Tai Chi practice at Heartwood has helped me increase flexibility, my range of motion and my overall stamina.

Tai Chi student

Arlene teaches the Tai Chi form in such a gentle and connected way that many movements now feel utterly natural and healing.

Tai Chi student

I've even shared some of the exercises with my bike club to help reduce injuries. They really work!

Tai Chi student

I've always been a klutz and have regularly lost my balance and fallen when walking outside. Arlene taught me how to stand and walk properly through Tai Chi. I really can't believe it: I haven't fallen in four years since I've been taking Tai Chi with Arlene!

Tai Chi student

I love Arlene's Tai Chi classes. She helps us understand not only what we're doing, but also why we're doing it. That really helps me take what I learn in class and apply it to my daily life.

Tai Chi student

I'm really inspired by what Tai Chi has done for Arlene. She is a great teacher, who is calm and very patient. She has really helped me not to be so hard on myself.

Tai Chi student

I play golf and had a lesson after school, on the same day we had Tai Chi class. My coach commented, 'Your posture is amazing and all of the balance issues that we have been fighting for so long seem to have just taken a vacation.' I mentioned to him that I thought it was due to Tai Chi.

Tai Chi student

Tai Chi relaxes your entire body and promotes peace and proper breathing. The more I manage to breathe properly while doing any activity in my life, I generally tend to do a lot better at it. I benefited from Tai Chi because it managed to help me with my breathing skills even more.

Tai Chi student

Tai Chi really gives my body strength to put up with the pains of my breast cancer and back problems. Tai Chi is 'sneaky'. You don't think it's helping, but eventually you realize it's helping you.

Tai Chi student

For me, Tai Chi brings comfort and quiet amidst all the chaos and change.

Becky, Tai Chi student

In just a few months, the practice has become perhaps the most nurturing element in my life during COVID times, when sustaining a commitment to anything else has been challenging.

Barb, Tai Chi student

The community Tai Chi has provided has been a gift. With so much we can now do whenever we wish --- with an app, YouTube video, or streaming service --- meeting weekly (via zoom) in real time, live, to practice Tai Chi creates true community.

David, Tai Chi student

I really enjoy our time together and I've found Tai Chi a great way to "keep moving," not only during this pandemic but also as a regular practice with a wonderful integration of mind, body and spirit.

Martha, Tai Chi student

Tuning into the class and seeing familiar faces of the other students brings a nice sense of community and connection during this time of separation and isolation.

Julia, Tai Chi student

I love the walking practice because it helps me slow down and focus only on the moment.

Tai Chi student

Tai Chi has made me aware of how I’m standing and where my weight is. My balance is improving.

Tai Chi student

I hear Arlene saying to listen to my body and only do what I can do. That helps me relax.

Tai Chi student

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25 Years Faulk Tai Chi

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