Authentic Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) and Qigong (Chi Kung)


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Tai Chi Outdoors - Practical Considerations
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
There are many ways to frame your Tai Chi Chuan practice for extra benefits. The most common change people make is in speed, since maintaining the principles at faster speed is a greater challenge. All too many, however, practice largely indoors. I encourage you to practice outdoors whenever possible.

Having lived in Houston for thirty years, I mostly took this benefit for granted ... The reality of indoor practice struck me when I visited Seattle last January and realized that outdoor practice was, apparently, not common.

(Click here for more)


Calendar Notes
Tai Chi for Kids Tai Chi for Kids begins Monday, March 5, at Montessori Visions Academy in Henderson, a suburb of Las Vegas. The classes will be based on Stuart Olson's book of the same name. Later in the year the program should be available for adoption by schools around the country. Classes begin 3:30 pm each Monday - $40 per month, or $100 for the 12-week session going through June 4 (no classes on school holidays).

Click here for details.

If you are a teacher at a private school of any kind and would like to help sponsor a Tai Chi program at your school, please contact Dale Napier at elementaltaichi@live.com .

Upcoming Events
Tai Chi for Kids
Every Monday at 3:30 pm, March 5 thru June 4, except Memorial Day and spring break (April 2). Montessori Visions Academy, 2560 N. Green Valley Pkwy, Henderson, Nevada 89014, (702) 451-9801.
Tai Chi and Related News
Tai Chi Reported to Ease Fibromyalgia (Tufts Medical Center/New York Times,18 Aug 2010)
Author and teacher Arthur Rosenfeld demonstrates Tai Chi on Fox News
Tai Chi: Discover the many possible health benefits (Mayo Clinic, 25 Mar 2010)
Tai Chi Reduces Arthritis Pain (Click2Houston, 29 Oct 2009)
NBC video on Tai Chi as Exercise (Brian Williams, NBC, May 2009)
Overload: The physiological toll of multitasking and why we may not be making rational decisions even when we think we are. (Herbert Wray, Newsweek, 8 Apr 2008)
Tai chi may prevent excruciating skin disease (Associated Press, 9 Apr 2007)
Obese can get healthier without dieting (Reuters, 4 Dec 2006)


Sifu Napier's articles
Houston Tai Chi Kung Fu Magazine 2009 Nov/Dec Yang Style Symposium Grandmasters Chen Zhenglei Wu Wenhan Sun Yongtian Ma Hailong
"Conversations with the Grandmasters" (Dec 2009)

Houston Tai Chi Kung Fu Magazine 2009 Sep/Oct Yang Style Symposium
"Yang Family Comes Out In Style"
"Symposium Makes U.S. Tai Chi History" (Oct 2009)



Houston Tai Chi Kung Fu Magazine 2009 Sept/Oct "Standing Exercises for Taiji Qi Cultivation" (Aug 2009)

"Yang Taiji for Combat" (Apr 2007)
Houston Tai Chi Kung Fu Magazine 2007 Mar/Apr
Photos Available from Demonstration
Click here for the full album.
Pull Down Crossing Arms for Bafa
Students from Elemental Tai Chi demonstrated their skills at the Grand Opening of the Baker-Ripley Community Center, which featured demonstrations from cultures of six continents.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
  
 
With students hailing from five continents:

Brazil
Britain
Canada
China
Colombia
Croatia
Hungary

India
Iraq
Israel
Italy
Japan
Pakistan
Philippines

Rumania
Scotland
South Africa
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailand
United States
 
Tai Chi
Tai Chi The Houston Chronicle covered our session of Six Healing Sounds qigong on Tuesday, Sep. 6. Click here for the full story.



Tai Chi In Your Life is lauded in new book review.
(June, 2012) Michael DeMarco, Editor and Publisher of Journal of Asian Martial Arts, has nothing but compliments for Tai Chi In Your Life:
  • "Napier's work provides very practical information for both taiji practice and everyday life. He does so in a way that is easy reading and inspiring."
  • "Napier expects us to not only read, but to think deeply about the principles and creatively utilize them inside and outside of our taiji practice."
Click here to read the entire book review.
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tai chi meditations
Sifu Napier's Tai Chi Meditations CD now available.
(July, 2011) Sifu Dale Napier released his new meditation CD, Tai Chi Meditations, recorded specially for the Soul Explosion & Green Living Expo on July 30-31 in Houston.

The CD, backed by pianist-composer Marta Keen, features a standing meditation, Zhan Zhuang, and a sitting meditation, Six Healing Sounds.

Zhan Zhuang, or standing post meditation, is taught here for breath, balance, and relaxation. Balance is required for deep relaxation. To deepen the relaxation further we learn to use deep breathing, giving us lung improvement as well. Standing post is important for building Tai Chi Chuan rooting ability.

Six Healing Sounds is a popular chi kung (qigong) exercise that uses movements, sounds, and visualizations based on Five Element Theory. The general idea is to purge ourselves of negative emotions, which removes damaging energy from our internal bodies - helping keep us youthful, vital, and energetic.

Both meditations are regular features of Sifu Napier's current and upcoming classes.

Tai Chi Meditations is available as a physical CD or for download. For download, go to

CD Baby
Amazon

For the physical CD, Click here.

Listen to Sifu Napier's radio interview on Secrets of the Qigong Masters
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Why Tai Chi is the Perfect Exercise (Time, 31 Jul 2002)

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TaiChiInYourLife.com
Tai Chi In Your Life Tai Chi Chuan Chi Kung taiji taijiquan qigong neigong health wellness mind body spirit
CLICK HERE FOR BACK COVER
World Tai Chi & Qigong Day 2010

Johannes Huber, Susan Davis, Ellie Blaby, Dale Napier, Sue Greensmith, Kitty Borah, Sandra Jequier, Jim Haskins, Lizzy Hargrove