Tai chi is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for defence, for its health benefits and for meditation. Qigong refers to a range of Chinese exercise systems combining posture and movement with breathing and meditation used to promote health and sometimes as part of martial arts training. Dominic will be teaching some foundation exercises by way of an introduction to the health promoting aspects of Tai Chi and Qigong. The movements combine slow moving stretches and standing postures with quiet regulation of your breathing and mindful attention. This 4 week introduction will provide you with a basis to take your Tai Chi/Qigong forward. Regular practice leads to more vigour and flexibility, better balance and mobility as well as a sense of well-being.

Meditation can take many different forms, it isn't all sitting in silence and completely closing your mind down (which without a lot of practice, isn't an easy thing to do!). In these sessions, we will cover different types of meditation, with you being guided through the practice each week. A few examples of the types of meditation we will cover include breathing meditation, chakra meditation and body scan meditation where we sync the body and mind. We will also introduce the concept of Yoga Nidra (also commonly known as 'yogic sleep') which is a powerful technique for relaxation and very easy to practice. No previous meditation experience is required for these classes, just bring yourself and perhaps an extra comfortable layer to keep warm as we will be still for the majority of the class. These sessions are aimed at giving you a peaceful break, but also bringing a sense of renewal for the rest of your day.