Private Chinese Tai Chi Workshop

I had no idea what to expect when I signed up for this private class. My mother had expressed interest in taking a Tai Chi class for beginners, and neither of us really knew anything about the practice. This class was amazing, and it was taught in a beautiful park. The teacher was exceptional and very kind and the class was so much fun. The teacher's translator was fantastic, and the class included not just the basics of Tai Chi movement but also interesting facts and the history of the practice. I highly recommend this, it is great fun, a true cultural experience, and you will learn a lot.

Have you ever been taught something that completely changes your preconceived notion of how the world works? Well, that’s how I felt after taking a two hour introductory course from a local tai chi master in Shanghai earlier today! First the principles of tai chi are based upon Taoism (Ying-Yang). It is an ancient martial art that mimics the movements of animals—particularly the tiger. Like most people I thought that tai chi mostly consists of arm and leg movements. The master demonstrated, though, that this is completely wrong. The most important part of tai chi is based upon controlling one’s center of gravity and learning how to move properly your hips and spine. Throughout the two hour lesson I learned the basics of moving muscles and bones that I never knew I could control. We even spent 30 minutes learning how to climb and go down stairs without using your knees—if that makes any sense! One of our business partners in China heard that I had signed up for this class and nicknamed me Kungfu Panda as a joke. While it was meant as a joke, it turns out, however, that there is a lot of hidden symbolism in this cartoon. The animals are actually practicing tai chi throughout the movie, and the director spent 4 years in a Taoist temple studying tai chi. Thus this nickname turned out to be quite appropriate! While I have not yet mastered anything, the great thing about tai chi is that it is possible to practice anywhere! The master, Mike Yuen, expects me to send him short video clips via WeChat to check my progress! If you are ever in Shanghai and have some free time, I would strongly recommend trying tai chi, and Shanghai Pathways made it easy to sign up.