Tai Chi and Chi Gong

Our wellness classes are taught by volunteers on-site. These instructors are allowed to accept donations for their time as a courtesy of coming to Norwood to offer services not readily available in the area. 

The Internal Exercises for Health and Power of Master Stephen Hwa's Classical Tai Chi

This five week class is an introduction to Classical Tai Chi's Southern Wu style. In this class we will take movements from the form to learn the internal dynamics within the moves of the form. This curriculum was created by Stephen Hwa whose teacher learned from and lived with the creator of the Southern Wu Family Style, Wu Chie Chuan. Stephen Hwa seeking to reduce the drop out rate within tai chi form classes generally decided to offer in this curriculum what has been traditionally saved for advanced students much later in the tai chi learning process. That is the internal work on how to move the body from within the tan tien, the core of the body, and which really makes the practice come alive. This is the element that is not seen when onlookers observe a tai chi player's performance of the form and is a combination of the mind's participation and the coordination of the yin/yang dynamic within the muscle, fascia, tendon layers of the body. What you will learn. The six major internal dynamics. Using select moves we put the internal dynamics into play to work on our.... balance, relaxation and stress management, the lower back movability, rooting, full relaxed belly breathing, mindfulness of movement, and situational awareness.

Tai chi as mind and brain exercise. We will use solo and optional gentle partner exercises to test how we are able to express our root and "power" which is created through all of the above. Who is this class for. Beginners as an intro to tai chi. Experienced tai chi students of any style from adolescents to Seniors. The class is not physically demanding. We use a "small step, small frame" with a small range of movement but because of the yin yang contrast within each move we get a large reward.

The teacher Bill Cranstoun has studied and taught tai chi and qi gong since the mid 1980s starting with Mantak Chia, Chan Kwok-wah, Master Han Jing-chen and his students.

"I teach the Classical Tai Chi form practicing since 2004 and teaching since 2008. I love teaching tai chi to help people develop awareness, health and balance. Also the practice in groups brings people together in very enjoyable ways even beyond class. I enjoy watching how these communities develp naturally over time. I hope we can bring some of my teachers and elder tai-chi colleagues to help us celebrate our tai chi growth when it is possible."