Archives for June 2016

My name is Rebecca and I’m 15 years old. I’ve enjoyed doing Chen style Tai Chi for almost 9 months and it is something I can look forward to every week.

So far I’ve learnt all of first form and am learning the fan form. Tai Chi helps me in a number of different ways. School is becoming increasingly stressful as I’m doing my GCSEs. Tai Chi has been the thing I can do to calm my mind and relax my body, whilst having fun. Also, it has helped me with balance, flexibility and strength. All the events and volunteer teaching I’ve had the experience to do has boosted my confidence. Not only that, it has helped me understand the movements a step further.

Finally, I’ll be doing Tai Chi for the rest of my life and learning as much as I can from it!

May 2016

I started Tai Chi a year ago training with Lead Instructor Aileen Hamdan and occasionally with Lead Instructor Aaron Whitaker.

Four years ago I retired and stopped working, I am now in my late 60s.  During the last years previous to my retirement from a very demanding job, I experienced a considerable amount of stress causing anxiety and disrupted sleep patterns. This eased slightly the first two years of retirement but eventually problems with sleep returned leading to progressive tiredness.

At the very beginning of my Tai Chi training I felt tired with joints aching everywhere but after about a month I started feeling more energetic. Since the beginning of September 2015, I was able to join two more classes to top up my training. My sleep has improved to the extent that I now rarely have uninterrupted sleep and when I do, I can go back to sleep straightaway. My breathing and posture are improving too and I cannot remember when my energy level had been as high as at present.

Tai Chi is so wonderful because anybody at any age can join and feel the benefits both mentally and physically. The slow movements and gentle exercises can be adapted to one’s physical requirements. That is why it is so good for the needs of the older generation who cannot withstand more strenuous physical activities, but equally for those who have a temporary or permanent physical disability.

I have become a volunteer after seeing all the instructors and volunteers dedicating their spare time to Dao Lu, a non-profit community interest company promoting this amazing art for the benefit of all sections of society. In particular I have been inspired by my Instructor Aileen in her incredible and ever increasing dedication in spreading the knowledge and promoting the practice of Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and other related form of arts.

I have personally truly benefited from Tai Chi and my future journey is to continue to practice and improve as well as dedicate my spare time, and with other volunteers and instructors, to help Dao Lu achieve its objectives.

May 2016

I have been studying Tai Chi for three years with Aaron & Aileen as my teachers.

I feel that with Tai Chi I am slowly learning various new skills while exercising.

In three years I have achieved the yellow belt. I have almost learnt the fan dance, and I am learning the broad sword. You can’t imagine the satisfaction you get the first time you make the sword “sing” which I did for first time recently when thrusting it out – not bad for a woman of over 60! It is brilliant that there are several classes available to me locally at different times, and all at such a reasonable cost. I love exercising in the open air surrounded by trees and grass. Even in the midst of winter we exercise outdoors most of the time – you just need to wear lots of layers of clothes! I find exercising outdoors increases my sense of wellbeing.

Tai Chi works for me on lots of different levels. First of all I would say that it increases my energy levels – I have been known to come back from class & then hoover my house top to bottom, as I’m buzzing with energy!

Secondly it has made me more confident. In class, we are encouraged to show others what we have learnt, so you learn to forget about being shy. Then you learn a bit of humility, when corrected, because there seems to be always another level of learning involved with Tai-Chi, be it posture or breathing or understanding the reason behind a certain movement.

Thirdly I like learning some self-defence moves – I feel that this is important for a woman of any age.

Finally I enjoy Tai Chi because I have made some new good friends at Dao Lu.

I volunteered to help run Dao Lu as a Director because I am full of admiration of dedication of my teachers Aaron and Aileen, who both work full-time and have a family life yet still find time to teach us. I felt it was pay-back time.
May 2016