Hello Great Bay Tai Chi Community!
Our big day is almost here! Don’t forget to come down to the Newburyport Waterfront behind the Custom House Maritime Museum on Saturday, 4/29 for World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, and take part in free classes, demonstrations, and Qigong practice 10:00am-12:00pm.
World Tai Chi and Qigong Day Schedule
Here is a rough schedule of what we have planned:
10:00 – Welcome and Group Qigong Practice
10:15 – Short Form Demonstration (anyone who knows the form is welcome to participate)
10:20 – Short Form Classes (grouped by experience level)
10:55 – Tai Chi Ball Demonstration (anyone who knows the form is welcome to participate)
11:00 – Group Qigong Practice
11:15 – Long Form Demonstration (anyone who knows Part 1 is welcome to participate)
11:20 – Long Form Class/Practice (grouped by experience level)
11:45 – Matching Set Demonstration (anyone who knows Parts 1&2 is welcome to participate)
11:50 – Tai Chi Saber Demonstration (anyone who knows the form is welcome to participate)
11:55 – Thank you and wrap up.
We hope you will join us, and don’t forget to wear your Great Bay Tai Chi gear!
Also, check out this great article from The Town Common!
World Tai Chi and Qigong Day Article
4/30: Internal Arts New England Open House
The following day, Sunday, April 30, will be our Open House at Internal Arts New England. This is an opportunity to visit with your Tai Chi friends, meet some new people and other teachers, and socialize. Please feel free to stop by anytime 10:00am-12:00pm.
Looking ahead into May, we have plenty more to look forward to:
5/6
On Saturday, May 6, Pam Jacobson and Effie Stavrulaki will offer another Mindfulness in Stillness and Motion workshop. Here is the description from Pam and Effie:
We are delighted to continue our exploration of Mindfulness in Stillness and Motion. Mindfulness is the capacity to pay attention to the present moment, on purpose, and in a friendly, curious, and open way. Bringing more mindful moments in our daily lives enhances our physical and psychological wellbeing. We can strengthen our ability to be more mindful with both formal sitting meditation practice as well as with mindful movement via a practice such as Qigong. In this workshop we will practice in silence with sitting and movement forms. The focus of this workshop will be on cultivating gratitude and loving kindness. There will be time for questions and debriefing at the end. No experience with meditation or Qigong is needed. All are welcome.
This workshop will take place at Internal Arts New England 10:30am-12:30pm. The cost to attend is $40.
5/18
Beginning on Thursday, May 18, and running for 8 weeks, Pam Jacobson will offer Tai Chi for Beginners at 7:15pm. This class will take place at Internal Arts New England in Salisbury. The cost is $100 for the 8-week series. This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to start their Tai Chi practice.
5/21
On Sunday, May 21, our Sunday Seminar Series will continue with Tai Chi Ball. This seminar will be taught by Chris Himmel and Pam Jacobson and will focus on the ball movement patterns and the Tai Chi Ball Form created by Great Bay Tai Chi founder, Paul Mahoney. Wooden ball training is a fantastic way to improve your Tai Chi practice as it gives immediate physical feedback in refining your body mechanics.
If you would like to purchase a wooden ball, you may do so here. Order by May 5 for delivery before the seminar!
5/27
On Saturday, May 27, Matthew Daniell of North Shore Insight Meditation Center will return to Internal Arts New England for a half day retreat on Compassionate Mindfulness. Here is the description from Matthew:
In Buddhist meditation, mindfulness is often practiced to both calm the heart and see into experience in a way that lets go of clinging. Compassion is an embrace of experience with the clear intention to dispel suffering. Often, these two practices are seen as being complementary but separate. In this retreat, we will systematically explore, drawing from various Buddhist practices, how mindfulness and compassion can become one skillful fabric that naturally supports the quality of our own and others’ lives.
This workshop will take place 10:30am-1:00pm and costs $45 to attend.
5/29
Monday, May 29 is Memorial Day and we will be running a reduced schedule. No classes will take place in Hampton and there will be no Martial Movement Weapons class or Yoga at Internal Arts New England.
And even further ahead:
6/25
On Sunday, June 25, Great Bay Tai Chi founder Paul Mahoney returns to Internal Arts New England for a morning seminar on Chin Na. Chin Na translates as “seize and control” and refers to the joint locking applications found in all Chinese martial arts, including Tai Chi. These applications are especially useful in escaping and countering when grabbed. An art unto itself, the study of Chin Na will greatly enhance your understanding of your form practice.
Yoga Update
A couple notes regarding our Yoga classes:
Our Slow Flow Yoga class on Sundays has been removed from the schedule for the time being. We hope to be able to bring this class back soon.
Maura will be taking some time off starting around the end of May, but Meghan has agreed to take over this class and continue offering Hatha Yoga on Mondays at 4:00pm while Maura is unavailable.
Meghan also plans to bring back the combined Yoga/Meditation class on Saturday mornings in June.
That’s all the Great Bay Tai Chi news for now. We look forward to seeing you at World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, Open House, or any of the other events and classes we have going on.
Happy Practicing!