Tai chi · aikido · qigong — for adults of every age
An hour of quiet, twice a week.
Tai chi, aikido and qigong for adults, taught slowly in a quiet hall by the lake. Most of our members began after fifty. Your first session is on us.
The practice
Three movements. A circle, a wave and a line.
Tai chi — the circle
The Yang long form, taught one movement at a time over the course of a year. Balance, joint health and a mind that stops racing. The circle is the shape of every movement.
Aikido — the wave
Blending with a partner’s energy rather than meeting it. Falls are taught softly and late; the wave is how you receive, and how you redirect.
Qigong & breath — the line
Standing, breathing, lengthening. Twenty minutes that lower the shoulders and the heart rate. The line is the spine, from the crown to the floor.
The first year
Nothing here is learned quickly, which is the point.
Your first session
Arrive ten minutes early and sit. You will stand, breathe and learn two movements. Nobody will ask you to do anything that hurts.
The first month
Standing practice and the opening of the form. Expect to sleep better before you expect to feel graceful.
Months two to six
The form, one movement a week. Aikido students begin to take soft falls; tai chi students begin to feel the weight shift.
After a year
The long form, start to finish. The practice becomes yours — most members keep it for decades.
The week
From sunrise to the evening stillness.
Every class sits on the arc of the day by its hour. Beginners are welcome in any class marked all levels; come to the one whose hour suits your life.
Qigong at sunriseMon · Wed · Fri 06:30
All levels · 45 min
Tai chi — beginnersMon · Wed 08:00
The first form, slowly
Push handsSat 09:00
Partner practice · all levels
Tai chi — gentleTue · Thu 10:00
Seated and standing · for stiff joints
Aikido — fundamentalsTue · Thu 12:00
All levels · 75 min
Tai chi — long formMon · Wed 12:15
Continuing students
Breath & stillnessFri 13:00
Qigong and seated breathing · 30 min
Tai chi — beginnersTue · Thu 17:30
The first form, slowly
Aikido — fundamentalsMon · Wed 18:00
All levels · 75 min
Aikido — weaponsFri 18:30
Bokken and jo · intermediate
Tai chi — long formTue · Thu 18:45
Continuing students
Evening stillnessSun 19:30
Qigong, slow form, sitting · 60 min
The teachers
Three people who have practised for a long time.
Wen Li
Tai chi · 32 years of practice
Learned the Yang long form from her grandfather in Hangzhou and has taught it in this hall since 1998. One movement at a time, and never a hurry about the second.
Thomas Hale
Aikido · 5th dan
Began aikido at forty-four, after a back injury ended his running. Teaches falling as a kindness, and holds the Tuesday fundamentals class.
Anneli Berg
Qigong & breath
A former respiratory nurse who came to qigong through her patients. Leads the sunrise class and the Sunday evening stillness.
I came at sixty-two with two new knees and a doctor’s note. Three years later I walk the lake path every morning, and I have not fallen once.
Aikido taught me to stop bracing — at work, at home, in traffic. I am not sure that was the point, but it is what happened.
The quietest hour of my week. I did not know how much I needed one.
Membership
Once a week is enough. Twice is better.
Once a week
$68per month
- One class a week, any class
- Sunday evening stillness included
- Pause any month
- No joining fee
The way most members begin.
Unlimited
$118per month
- Every class on the board
- Push hands and weapons
- A free session for a friend each season
- Pause any month
Cancel with two weeks’ notice.
Ten sessions
$150per card
- Ten classes, any class
- Valid for a year
- For visitors and travellers
- Upgrade any time
No expiry pressure.
Membership is billed monthly and can be paused or cancelled with two weeks’ notice. There is no joining fee, no uniform to buy, and no contract. Students and those over seventy-five pay half.
Questions beginners ask
I’m in my sixties and not flexible. Can I start?
Yes. Most of our members began after fifty, and several after seventy. Flexibility is a result of the practice, not a requirement for it; nothing in the hall is done quickly or forced.
Is tai chi really exercise?
It is: slow, continuous, low-impact work on balance, legs and breath. It reduces falls in older adults more than most other exercise, and our members tend to sleep better within a month.
Is aikido safe for older joints?
Falls are taught softly and late, and nobody is thrown until they can receive a throw comfortably. Many members practise aikido for years without ever taking a hard fall.
What should I wear?
Loose, comfortable clothes and flat, thin-soled shoes, or bare feet. There is nothing to buy; a plain uniform is optional after a few months.
How often should I come?
Twice a week is ideal; once is enough to progress. Members who come to the sunrise class say it sets the day.
Do I need to be spiritual, or know anything about China or Japan?
No. We teach the practice, not a belief. You are welcome to bring whatever you like to it, and to leave the rest at the door.
Your first session is on us
Come and stand with us.
Tell us which class appeals, and whether anything hurts. We will reply within a day with a time to come, and a teacher who will know your name at the door.