Saturday, October 24th | 10:30a-11:30a ET
Free Online Gathering 

Open to all levels of experience

The Qua is one of the most important, yet often misunderstood, areas of movement in Guang Ping Yang Taiji (Tai Chi). Located around the inguinal crease where the thighs meet the pelvis, the Qua plays a pivotal role in how we shift weight, rotate, sink, and connect the upper and lower body.

In this free, one-hour experiential workshop, we'll explore the Qua through simple, practical movement exercises. Rather than simply moving through a Tai Chi form, we'll slow things down and investigate what happens when we learn to engage this area more consciously, allowing the body to move as an integrated whole rather than relying primarily on the knees.

Although the Qua is fundamental to Taiji, this exploration isn't limited to Tai Chi practitioners. Anyone interested in understanding their body's movement, exploring hip mobility, or developing greater awareness of the relationship between the pelvis, legs, and torso is welcome. We'll work at a comfortable pace, using direct physical experience to explore an area that can easily be overlooked in everyday movement.

Join me for an hour of discovery as we explore the Qua, its role in Taiji, and what a deeper understanding of this important center might bring to your own movement practice.

You must register to attend this online offering. It is a live class and will not be recorded. 

Tuesdays,  October 27 - November 24
11 AM –12 PM EST | $80 | Online
(Free to those with a SWL Monthly Membership - Use MEMBER only links sent via email)

Open to all levels of experience

What happens within us when we meet a challenge?

In this five-session experiential series, we’ll explore the relationship between our thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and the subtle movement of qi through the practice of Standing Post, a foundational posture in Taiji (Tai Chi).

Using a gradual progression from seated practice to more challenging standing postures, we’ll observe the inner qi conversation among the Three Dantians (Advisors): the Mental Advisor, the Emotional Advisor, and the Physical Advisor. We might notice thoughts such as “I should be able to do this” or “I can do this,” and explore how these different messages influence our feelings, physical responses, and experience of qi.

Through mindful movement, meditation, and direct observation, we’ll begin to recognize these patterns without judging them or needing to change them. We’ll explore how the Advisors influence one another, how their responses can shape our experience of qi, and how we can become more aware of Essence, our natural center of awareness.

Each session builds on the previous one, offering opportunities to explore at your own pace. Options are provided throughout, because the purpose is not to endure a challenging posture or push through discomfort. It is to listen, notice, and develop a more conscious relationship with our inner experience.

No previous experience with Standing Post is necessary. Whether you’re new to Taiji and Qigong or have practiced for years, you’re welcome to explore how these simple yet revealing practices can support greater awareness, choice, and harmony in everyday life.

Tuesdays, October 27 - November 24 
| 6:00–7:30 pm | $80 | Virtual Class
(Free to those with a SWL Monthly Membership - Use MEMBER only links sent via email)

Open to all levels of experience

An embodied exploration of presence, perception, and the subtle intelligence that lives beneath form—through the slow, attentive practice of taiji.

Qi of Taiji explores the fluid movements of taiji as a living practice—one that slowly, almost imperceptibly, moves into other areas of life. Like osmosis, the work softens what has become rigid and invites life to move with a little more ease.

Rooted in ancient movements originally developed for self-defense, this practice is less about combat and more about orientation. Through slow, sustained movement, you learn how to find and return to a tethered center—even when conditions feel stormy. Qi is cultivated not through effort, but through attention, patience, and relationship, allowing steadiness to emerge rather than be forced.

This practice includes warmups, targeted exercises to embody principles, time to explore sensing qi, posture repetition, time for questions, and it ends practicing the Guang Ping Yang Taijiquan set.

No prior taiji experience is required—only a willingness to move slowly, pay attention, and explore what lives beneath the surface of form.

Not only are class recordings available, but separate videos are offered repeating single movements (in silence to simply feel the movement) but I also offer videos of the repeated practice up to the point you have learned, so that you are able to practice the movements getting a better understanding of the entire flow.

I have heard from many students how invaluable these avenues of support between classes are. When questions arise, they are always able to go back and remind themselves, or practice along with me in the background.

Have questions? Feel free to email me, or contact me as a member of our free community!

Ready to sign up? Click Learn More below and register!

When I closed my brick-and-mortar studio, it was one of the most difficult decisions I had ever made.

I loved that space: the suspended wood floor (heated in the winter!), the giant light-filled windows, the flower and herb garden, and most of all, the incredible students who taught me as much as I taught them.

At the time, my family needed my attention in ways I hadn’t anticipated, and I knew I didn’t have the capacity to continue building a physical studio while also caring for the people I loved.

I couldn’t fully let go of the community we had created, so I moved my teaching into an online space with the help of some wonderful people.

Two months later, COVID arrived.

Looking back, I’m grateful for the path that opened. Students were able to continue practicing together, and many discovered that having access to classes, courses, and recordings anytime allowed them to deepen their practice in a new way.

The online community became more than a place to watch videos. It became a way to return to the teachings, revisit details, practice at their own pace, and continue learning together.

A membership with Shift With Lucy gives you access to:

• Taiji For Balance — Levels 1 and 2
• Baduanjin Qigong
• Meditation practices
• Five Element Theory and Practices
• Select workshop recordings
• Future courses and teachings

If this sounds like the kind of learning environment you’re looking for, you’re welcome to try the membership free for 30 days. You won’t be charged unless you decide to continue.

The work we do to transform our lives cannot be done alone. We are rich resources that can learn, rely on, and share with each other. This is what the SWL Community is all about.

This is a free-access online place to explore mindful movement and the ancient philosophies that support it.

We all try to use language that is rooted in the culture of the practices we do daily, but we explain those in terms that our Western upbringing has in common. 

This liminal space is special.

Western Mindfulness tends to focus on stress reduction (e.g., Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, MBSR), science-based approach, and therapy, with a focus on practical and goal-oriented results.

Eastern Mindfulness is rooted in spiritual traditions connected to deeper spiritual development and involves meditation as a path toward wisdom and insight, focuses on the interconnectedness of life, and looks to a holistic balance of mind, emotions, body, and spirit.

What we see when we create a ven diagram of these is that we all want the kind of internal harmony that emanates outward toward others. Both approaches have great gifts.

Simply put, a compassionate, non-judgmental space reduces anxiety and stress on its own. It creates community, safety, and connection.

I hope you join me here.