Tai Chi & Qigong Surrey

05/09/2026

☯️ The deeper side of Tai Chi

Tai Chi is about much more than learning a sequence of movements.

As we practise, we begin to explore some simple but powerful principles that can influence how we move, think and respond.

🌿 Intention guides movement

In Tai Chi, the mind leads the body.

Rather than thinking about which muscles need to move, we use clear intention and allow the body to respond naturally.

With practice, movement becomes softer, more connected and more effortless.

This is why Tai Chi is often described as moving meditation — the mind is focused, but relaxed.

👂 Listening and sensitivity

Tai Chi teaches us to “listen” with the whole body.

Through touch and pressure, we become more aware of subtle changes in balance, direction and movement.

Relaxation is key. The less tension we hold, the more we can feel.

And this isn't just useful with a partner. It also helps us become more aware of our own body and notice where we're holding unnecessary tension.

🌊 Yielding and adapting

Tai Chi teaches us not to meet force with force.

Instead, we learn to yield, redirect and adapt.

It's a wonderful reminder that flexibility isn't weakness. Sometimes the best response is to soften, adjust and find another way.

⚖️ Finding balance

Balance in Tai Chi is about much more than simply staying on your feet.

We explore effort and ease, movement and stillness, focus and relaxation.

And balance isn't about becoming rigid. It's about making small adjustments and finding our centre again and again.

Perhaps that's one of the beautiful things about Tai Chi — what we practise in the body can gradually become something we carry into everyday life. 🌿

This is a summary of a piece written by Damon Bramich, extract from the Teacher Training Course, Yang Tai Chi Academy.

Those who attend my classes will recognise all of these messages, they are core to good tai chi practice and teaching. Interested to find out more - try one of my classes in Reigate. Email Nicci at [email protected] to find out more.

25/08/2026

🌿 Big news for anyone with joint, bone or muscle pain — science just caught up with what we've known for centuries!

The largest review of its kind (just published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine) looked at 1,744 clinical trials and found high-certainty evidence that Tai Chi and other traditional Chinese exercises genuinely help with musculoskeletal conditions — easing pain and stiffness, improving physical function, boosting bone density in osteoporosis/osteopenia, lifting mental health, and improving sleep.

The sweet spot? At least 3x a week, 150 minutes total, kept up for 6+ months.

With around 1 in 3 people in the UK living with a musculoskeletal condition, this is exactly the kind of gentle, sustainable movement that can make a real difference. 💪🧘

Come try a class and feel it for yourself!

Analysis finds ‘high certainty evidence’ of their effectiveness for the 1.7bn people worldwide with musculoskeletal conditions

20/08/2026

☯️ What do we mean by “internal power” in Tai Chi? ☯️

When we look at Tai Chi from the outside, we see slow, flowing movements. But beneath those movements is a much deeper practice: learning how to develop and transmit force through the whole body.

Internal power isn’t simply about becoming stronger or using more muscular effort. In fact, Tai Chi teaches us to use less unnecessary effort while becoming more connected, coordinated and efficient.

A useful way of understanding this is through the idea of force transmission.

When we push against the ground, the force doesn't have to remain isolated in the foot or leg. Through the interconnected tissues of the body, it can be transmitted through the legs, hips, spine, shoulders and arms. Rather than each part working independently, the body begins to function as an integrated whole.

This is where the fascia becomes particularly interesting.

Fascia is a continuous network of connective tissue running throughout the body, surrounding and connecting muscles, bones, organs and other structures. It helps transmit mechanical forces between different parts of the body.

And one of the ways we develop this whole-body connection in Tai Chi is through spiralling movement.

Rather than moving in purely straight lines, the body constantly makes subtle spirals and rotations. The feet, legs, hips, spine, shoulders, arms and hands can all participate in these spiralling patterns.

Traditional Tai Chi describes this as silk-reeling — the idea that movement and force spiral through the body in a continuous, connected way.

The spiral isn't something we necessarily have to add to the movement. It is something we learn to feel and develop. As we practise, we become more aware of how one part of the body influences another and how force can travel through these connected pathways.

This is why relaxation, alignment and softness are so important.

If we are holding unnecessary tension, we can interrupt the transmission of force. If the body is disconnected, one part has to compensate for another. But as we relax and develop better connection, the body can transmit force more efficiently — through muscles, connective tissues and the body's natural spiralling structures.

The waist and hips are particularly important. They help connect the upper and lower body, allowing movement and forces generated through our relationship with the ground to travel through the centre and into the upper body.

So our slow Tai Chi movements aren't simply about moving slowly. They give us an opportunity to explore:

🌿 How am I connected to the ground?
🌿 Can I relax unnecessary tension?
🌿 Can I feel the spiral moving through my body?
🌿 Can movement travel continuously from one part of the body to another?
🌿 Can I use less effort while becoming more connected?

This is one of the things I love about Tai Chi and Qigong. What looks like a simple movement from the outside can actually be a fascinating exploration of force, fascia, spirals, connection and awareness.

And the more we practise, the more we begin to discover that the body isn't a collection of separate parts. It is an interconnected, constantly communicating whole.

☯️ The longer we practise, the more there is to discover beneath the movement.

05/08/2026

**Different lives, same human experience.**

A business owner. A parent. A student. Someone living with chronic pain. Someone caring for a loved one. Someone quietly struggling with stress, anxiety or exhaustion.

Our lives may look very different, but we all experience times when things feel difficult.

In Buddhism there's a word, dukkha, often translated as suffering. It's not just about major hardships. It's the everyday experience of pain, worry, frustration, disappointment, uncertainty or feeling that something is out of balance.

But within that struggle is also the potential for change.

Often, our discomfort is what first gets our attention. Pain asks us to stop and listen. Anxiety can be a sign that something needs care. Tiredness can be a reminder that we've been giving more than we have to give. Our symptoms are not always the problem to fight — they can also be messages inviting us to understand ourselves better.

This is where acupuncture, tai chi, qigong and meditation can offer different ways of working with ourselves.

Acupuncture often begins with the body. We look at where symptoms are showing up, but also how they connect with the wider picture — your sleep, digestion, energy levels, emotions, hormones and the stresses of daily life. Rather than treating a symptom in isolation, Chinese medicine looks at the whole person and aims to restore balance. Many people find that as physical symptoms improve, they also feel calmer, more grounded and better able to cope with life's challenges.

Tai chi and qigong work through movement and awareness. By slowing down, we start to notice things we often miss — tension held in the shoulders, a clenched jaw, shallow breathing or patterns of moving that create strain. Gentle, mindful movement helps us reconnect with our bodies, release unnecessary tension and create a sense of ease. As the body relaxes, the mind often follows.

Meditation works with the mind. It helps us notice our thoughts, emotions and reactions rather than being completely carried along by them. With practice, we can create a little more space between what happens and how we respond. This can help us meet life's challenges with greater clarity, patience and kindness.

Different paths, but a similar aim: understanding what is happening within us — in our body, mind and emotions.

When we become more aware, we have more choice. We may not be able to remove every difficulty from life, but we can change our relationship with it.

Sometimes the thing that brings us to a place of struggle is also the beginning of a journey towards healing.

Acupuncture Surrey