Create space for your spirit to thrive
Have you felt this way:
- your job or to-do list is the center of your life
- you have no feeling of purpose or that you've lost a lot of the joy you used to feel
- your spark and curiosity are missing
- you feel over or under emotional and have a lack of emotional connection
- you feel chronic tension in places and flaccidity in others
- you are tired, irritated, and done
I felt all of this.
And you can read more of my story here.
But even better, I'd love you to try the practice of Taiji and see if you notice your own shift.
Here's how this practice drops you right into the center of your life. Try this movement with me. Notice the subtle shift that takes place. If you can do it in this short video, you can do it in the rest of your life.
Upcoming Classes
A meaningful practice goes beyond the physical movement. You have to be moved in every way - physical, emotional and mental - in order for your spirit to thrive. Join me and connect to your own inner quiet and wisdom that comes from the full depth of a mindful movement practice.
Please note: All offerings are VIRTUAL unless noted
Fascial Freedom: Techniques for Embodied Ease
For centuries, fascia was overlooked—discarded in dissections and ignored in medical studies. But recent research reveals that this slippery, web-like tissue is a key player in whole-body health.
Fascia wraps and weaves through every part of us—organs, bones, muscles, tendons—and makes up nearly 20% of our body mass. It’s 70% water and designed to glide, slide, and support. When healthy, it creates a sense of ease and bounce; when dehydrated or bound by tension, it can feel sticky, stiff, and unyielding.
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Date: Sunday, August 3
Time:Â 1 - 4 pm ESTÂ
Location: Live on Zoom
Cost:Â $49
Level: Beginner-friendly, all levels welcome
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Fascia is now known to be the most richly innervated tissue in the body—even more so than skin—meaning it is deeply connected to sensation, awareness, and the nervous system. It’s the communication bridge between body and brain, offering us real-time feedback through interoception, proprioception, and exteroception.
This tissue isn’t passive—it responds to emotion, to breath, to movement. Taiji and Qigong practitioners have long known what science is just now confirming: gentle, mindful movement keeps the body supple, the mind clear, and the inner pathways open.
GUANG PING YANG ANNUAL CONFERENCE
NATIONWIDE CONFERENCE CENTER, COLUMBUS, OHIO
I will be presenting workshops at this year's Guang Ping Yang Taijiquan Association Conference, which is in my lovely city of Columbus, Ohio, this year! An Association first!
Here's what I'll be offering:
FLUID MOVEMENT: FASCIA, INTERSTITIUM, AND YOUR TAIJI PRACTICE
This workshop is an immersive exploration into the revolutionary realm of fluid movement, where the latest research on fascia and the interstitium unveils keys to preventing injury, healing tissue, and enhancing overall movement quality. Through a mix of current research, insights, and practical exercises, you will be guided through understanding what is currently known about this inner network and the tools to keep it fluid, rather than frozen.
Exercises performed both lying down and standing, will help you to integrate fluidity into all planes of movement. You will also learn how the Guang Ping Yang warm-ups specifically benefit fascial tissue to maintain freedom, and promote a healthier, more dynamic body for years to come.
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MASTERING THE QUA IN TAIJI: HARNESSING CORE POWER AND ALIGNMENTÂ
This workshop will explore the vital region referred to as the “kua” to harness its energy for more effective and grounded Taiji practice. By learning how to engage and integrate the kua, you can enhance your power, stability, and fluidity in every posture and transition.
Through guided exercises, partner work, and solo drills, participants will gain a deeper connection to their body, movement efficiency, and internal energy, all while building a stronger foundation in their Taiji practice. This workshop is perfect for both beginners and experienced practitioners looking to refine their understanding and execution of core Taiji principles.
For more information about all workshops, presenters, and registration information, click the links below!
Learn about our workshops  HERE
Read about Presenters HERE.
Access Registration Form HERE.
FREE ONLINE COMMUNITY
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.Â
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.
MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP
I remember back when I closed my brick-and-mortar studio. It was one of the most difficult decisions I ever had to make.
My mother was suffering from dementia and her husband had terminal cancer. I didn't think I had the capacity to continue building a business and caring for someone with whom I had had a difficult past.
I loved the studio with it's suspended wood floor (heated in the winter!) giant light-filled windows, flower and herb garden, but mostly the incredible students I had learned so much from.
I couldn't fully let it go, so I chose to move my classes to an online/virtual space. It was a lot of work and I had great help.
Two months later, COVID arrived.
I look back on those hard days and decisions and realize how grateful I am for the path that emerged.
Students continued to learn as I taught virtually and joined my in-depth online courses through membership to continue their learning.
Having 24/7 access was vital to them. The non-judgmental approach felt like they were still in the studio. Being able to review and relive the in-depth information was priceless.
If their comments sound like what you're looking for try the membership for free for 30 days. You won't be charged unless you stay with us.
With a monthly membership you'll have 24/7 access to Taiji For Balance - Levels 1 and 2; Baduanjin Qigong; Meditation, Select Workshops Recordings, and future courses.Â
And if you aren't sure, you can read more about it below:
Hi!
My name is Lucy. And over 25 years ago, Taiji saved my life.
It shifted my perspective and brought awareness, clarity, and love. I am forever grateful.
I now teach these practices to anyone longing for genuine openness, ease, and a fulfilling life.
My guided meditations, easy to follow videos, understandable philosophy will gently shift you away from anger and guilt, releasing behavior that no longer serves you.
Taiji For Balance: Learn More“Lucy Bartimole changed my life. I initially came to Shift to work with Lucy for the physical benefits of tai chi, specifically balance and strength - both of which have increased over the past 3 years. However, along the way, I really began to learn and appreciate the other aspects of tai chi, specifically the mental and emotional aspects of tai chi. Learning how to pay attention to my breathing and listening my body has brought me mindfulness, an ability to choose to react (or not), and a sense of peace and connectedness to the world.”
-Mary Jo Burkhardt
