Faulk TaiChi

Learn the beautiful, flowing movements for health and relaxation.

Year of the Rat – 2020

By

Year of the Rate

Chinese Lunar New Year, Year of the Rat (4718) began on January 25, 2020. The new year is based on the lunar calendar, so the actual start date varies from year to year but is always in January or February. The traditions are many and rich. The color is red. Lanterns line the streets and homes. Parades mark the celebration with marching bands, colorful and floats and lion and dragon dances.

My Tai Chi students and I have hosted celebrations for many years. This year, on January 26, we gathered with friends and guests at Heartwood Integrative Health and Healing. I am a Rat, so this is my year, the first in a cycle of 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac.

Xin Tian

What a great afternoon! Xin Tian, an acupuncturist from Heartwood gave a very informative presentation about Traditional Chinese Medicine. Participants tuned in and asked many questions. Xin also shared childhood memories of Chinese New Year that she and her family experienced in Beijing, where she was born and grew up.

acupuncture

We all experienced moving our bodies through GiGong, led by Marsha Warren. I loved standing in a hip-width stance, with soft knees, paying attention to proper alignment, following Marsha firm, but soothing instructions. “Do you feel something?” she asked after shaking our arms, hands and fingers in a specific way. Yes, I felt a little tingling. I felt my energy moving and it felt good.

tai chi demonstration

Although the focus was celebration, yes, we had some great snacks — oranges, Chinese candies, almond cookies and sesame bite cookies from Chinatown, we did reinforce good lessons. Learning new things adds to our knowledge base and tool kit for promoting healthy minds and bodies. Directed movement of our bodies, for relaxation for moving our energy, promoting our health is important to experience on a regular basis.

Chinese New Year Celebration
Chinese New Year tai chi event

Thank you to my Tai Chi students, to Xin and Marsha for a stimulating afternoon. Hopefully, the Year of the Rat will be a great year. I will be paying attention.

 

Celebrating 2018 Chinese New Year

By

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.”