Taiji For Balance is a form created and modified from the original Guang Ping Yang Taijiquan form. The entire Taiji For Balance set has 16 movements.

This form originated in China and was brought to the United States by Master Kuo Lien Ying in 1965.

Taiji For Balance was developed to bring a safe, simple form of movement to people who were not only at risk of falling, but who live with anxiety, high levels of stress, and/or chronic illness, and are looking for balance in their lives.

Training Session Times and Dates:
April 15th, 22nd, 29th, and May 6th
1-4 pm
Veterans Administration Columbus Ohio

What you'll learn:

We'll review the first 8 movements of the form, but we'll add 8 more movements as follows:

This form was developed from the original Guang Ping Yang Taijiquan form. That form has 64 movements. Taiji For Balance: Level 1 movements are as follows:

1. Strike Palm
2. Grasp Bird's Tail
3. Single Whip
4. Wave Hands Like Clouds
5. High Pat On Horse
6. Cross Wave of Water Lily
7. Bend Bow to Shoot Tiger
8. Grand Terminus

The sequence of the movements in Level 2 shifts gently. The 8 movements are in bold below:
1. Strike Palm
2. Grasp Bird's Tail
3. Single Whip
4. Wave Hands Like Clouds
5. High Pat On Horse
6. Brush Knee Twist Step
7. Punch Under Elbow
8. Wave Hands Like Clouds (in the reverse direction)
9. High Pat on Horse
10. Repulse Monkey
11. Slanting Flight
12. Left and Right Hand Raise
13. Fan Through The Arms

Then, the final three come back from Level 1 and complete the 16-movement form!

14. High Pat on Horse
15. Cross Wave of Water Lily
16. Bend Bow To Shoot Tiger

And we will close with Grand Terminus.

Why did I do this?!

There are many reasons I developed Level 2 in this way. As you may know, Taiji For Balance works all layers of balance: physical, emotional and mental. Shifting these movements challenges all three.

1. Challenges neural pathways - our nervous system's passageways that connect the brain and the body. These close down when we aren't challenging ourselves physically, emotionally, mentally.

2. Taiji teaches us to move like water: accept changes, go with the flow. This deepens our ability to train ourselves to relax even in frustration.

3. We wanted to honor the original Guang Ping Yang Taijiquan 64 movement form by keeping the movements near their original place in the original form.

Warmups
You'll be taught a set of warmups that is geared to move fluids like blood, and synovial, and help release stiff connective tissue.

1. Massage - We'll add some massage points to the list we began in Level 1 including some internal massage for the organs.

2. Joints - moving every joint builds neuropathways so we work to maintain the range of motion and possibly increase it

3. Multijoints - additional multijoint movements include challenges that build balance, brain-body connection, cross-lateral and cross over movements that are lost as we minimize movement. These exercises build proprioception, activate communication between the left and right hemispheres of the brain, and build cognition. By challenging movement in different joints at the same time, we rebuild neuropathways that shut down due to illness, injury, and/or lack of movement.

Meditation

You will be led in a practice of  how to lead your clients through guided imagery meditation that reduces anxiety, settles the chattering mind and brings simplicity back.

Meditation is a vital part of taiji. Without the practice of quieting the mind, balance will always be fleeting.

This course will give you several meditations from which to choose for your classes. But you are encouraged to build your own practice so that leading others is fluid and easy due to your own knowledge base and understanding of the benefits of meditation due to practicing it yourself.

Cool Downs

As a vital part of every practice session or class, cool downs are necessary to prevent stiffness in joints and muscles, but also to bring another space for quiet movement after using the brain and body in learning the taiji postures.

Cool downs are not only important for the physical body, but are vital for settling the mind, easing the emotions and bringing the body into rest and digest - or activating the parasympathetic nervous system.

Learning To Teach

You will learn these movements, but you will also learn HOW to teach them. Leaving perfectionism behind you will explore observation, noticing, and building awareness. And letting go of harsh judgment, analysis, and evaluation. And you'll build the ability to observe, notice, and witness your students with love and compassion.

That is the gift of taiji. 

This is an empowering practice. When you show each person in your class how they've shifted since the beginning, you can also give them the satisfaction and empowerment that they did it!

They listened. They tried the class. They practiced. They achieved the results.

This builds empowerment for your students and when they feel they've done this, they're going to feel empowered to do other things.