Faulk TaiChi

Learn the beautiful, flowing movements for health and relaxation.

A Tai Chi Short Film

By

Mindfulness in Motion. This is a good way to describe the gentle, flowing movements of Tai Chi. Often I hear people say they relax when watching people in a park doing Tai Chi. Even better is experiencing the centering energy (Qi)in a class.

Alex, a Northwestern University journalism and film student contacted me. He asked if I would be open to his filming one of my Tai Chi classes for his film class project. I immediately said yes because I really enjoy working with students, inviting them to film the visually appealing movements of Tai Chi. I always look forward to the nuggets they show as they film an hour of class and condense the film to five or six minutes. What did Alex see? Feel?

Take a look inside my class through Alex’s eyes and camera lens:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MKH8Ms90dNLHEG2-N35gzpmH7fOV-n68/view?usp=drivesdk

Faulk Tai Chi

World Tai Chi & QiGong Day

By

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!!

Let’s Actively Welcome in Spring!

By

This is an exciting time for most of us – more light in our days, warmer weather and a spring break holiday for some. Spring Equinox is the point in the year when we have equal times of daylight and darkness. And then the hours of light will predominate and the hours of darkness will lessen. Outside activities will increase and often we feel like we have renewed energy.

In Tai Chi class this week, I emphasized paying attention to the trees. We start class by centering ourselves, rooting our feet into the earth, connecting with the rich nutrients and energy the soil provides. Let’s all think of the trees that now have bare branches. The internal part of the tree is very busy preparing for new birth, which will soon be evident in new leaves, starting as buds and growing into their fullness.

Look at the spaces between the branches. Energy is flowing. Birds are returning to sit on those branches, their home. Those spaces will soon be filled with new leaves, new life, new promise that spring brings to the trees and to all of us. Are you ready to pay attention.

Look for the buds to sprout, the beginning of new life and renewal. Then as sure as anything we can count on in life, the trees will not disappoint. They will bloom in glory with green leaves. Be there. Say thank you and enjoy!

Cultivating Qi

By

How is your energy today?

Qi is life force energy, that which brings sparkle to our eyes and movement to our body. As babies, toddlers and teens, most of us didn’t think much about how much energy we had. We played baseball, took ballet classes, ran outside in the backyard, climbed fences and swam at the local community pool. As we grow older we think more about our energy, particularly when our energy is low and we feel like we tire more quickly than we used to.

Why is it that one 50-yr. old person looks like she’s in her 60’s and another 50-yr old looks like she’s 30-something? To answer that we need to look at where our energy comes from. We receive energy through breathing in the air around us, through the foods we eat, the water we drink, through keeping our body active and moving, and through ancestral Qi, the energy we were born with. Sometimes when a person ages well we say it’s in the genes and that could be part of it. However, how we live, our daily practices can be huge factors in the amount and quality of energy we have, and therefore how vital we feel. Our lifestyle is a big contributing factor to the amount and quality of energy that we have.

The nutritional value and type of foods we eat, daily exercise (not sitting for hours), emotional well-being, purpose, feeling of belonging all contribute to healthy energy and well-being. And. . . we we can purposefully cultivate calm, positive energy through centuries-old practices. As a Tai Chi teacher for 25 years and personal recipient of its health and Qi enhancing benefits, I feel passionate about sharing it with others.

In his book “The Healing Promise of Qi”, Roger Jahnke says the first promise of Qi is that “it is everywhere, and everyone has direct access to it through simple methods that are easy to learn and practice.” Dr. Jahnke has been teaching QiGong and Tai Chi for many years.

He explains that “ancient Qi masters developed a formula for health and longevity based on the Qi”: Inner Harmony + Qi Flow = Health and Longevity. This formula is the foundation of all Chinese medicine, acupuncture and herbal medicine. When the masters added the purposeful cultivation of inner harmony, the formula expanded: Practice + Intention = Inner Harmony = Qi Flow = Health and Longevity.

That’s why we embrace and practice Tai Chi – bringing intention to moving our energy in ways to relax, be in the moment, coordinate mind and body, all to enhance health and well-being. It takes commitment, willingness to learn new ways to move our energy and most importantly, show up. Getting out the door, showing up is the first step. An important step. In all my years of teaching, the biggest block for potential students is moving from thinking about taking a Tai Chi class to walking out the door to a class.

Take the first step. You deserve it. The promise of enhanced Qi may be yours. And for you who are now involved in regular Tai Chi practice and classes, your mind, your body, your energy thank you!

Letting Go

By

Is your mind swirling with a to-do list that keeps getting longer and longer? Are you fearful about the current climate of we vs. they and where it might lead? Is AI going to make you obsolete? Do you reach the end of the day and ask yourself “What have I accomplished?” and don’t like your answer.

Do you feel like this —

but would like to feel like this ^
First . . . Breathe. Stop whatever you’re doing and take 30 seconds to breathe. Inhale. . . Exhale. . . Again, inhale, then exhale. Inhale . . . Exhale. One more time. Inhale. . .Exhale.
It’s summer so take a walk outside. Wander through a farmers market. Attend a free outdoor concert.

To relax your mind and body you have to let go of what you’re already doing or thinking about. When you walk, focus on how it feels to put one foot forward, shift your weight to it. How marvelous that one leg can manage the weight of our entire body! How marvelous it is to be able to walk!


Tai Chi is a wonderful practice to help us relax and let go. We learn to let go of what is spinning in our heads, focus our bodies and minds on gentle, flowing movements. We are like the trees rooted into the earth, connected with nourishing energy that flows up through our bodies. Being in the moment. Letting go.

Flowing Qi for Lunar New Year

By

What a wonderful afternoon with Tai Chi students and friends celebrating Chinese (Lunar) New Year! We filled the afternoon with red and gold colors, Chinese snacks, learning about the Year of the Wood Dragon (we had several year of the dragon born people in the room!). Then for an hour+ we all moved our energy together through Tai Chi.

WinterJade Forest illuminated us with fun lore, traditions and history of the Chinese Zodiac system.

She explained that “in Chinese mythology , the Dragon is a powerful and auspicious creature representing courage, creativity and innovation. This portends a promising year, full of possibilities and opportunities. For those born in the Year of the Wood Dragon it will be a fantastic time to start a new business or to begin growing and expanding their hopes and dreams.”

Faulk Tai Chi students flowing through Yang style Tai Chi by Cheng Man-ch’ing

We celebrated the energy of the New Year with Tai Chi, starting with a demonstration with my students.

Then the entire group gathered to experience gentle Tai Chi principles and moves, led by Daniel Thatcher. His calm and clear instruction relaxed us and filled our bodies and the room with wonderful Qi. Qi is the vital energy or the life-force energy that keeps a person’s spiritual, emotional, mental and physical health in balance.

As we closed everybody felt refreshed, renewed and re-energized. Ah, the quiet power of Tai Chi lifting us up, emptying out thoughts, feeling centered and ready to go out to our worlds. It’s two days since this New Year’s experience and I’m still feeling the energy.

One more thing — Although not part of our celebration I came across a creative Chinese food sculpture that I need to share. Happy New Year, Year of the Wood Dragon!