TAI CHI
with Paul Houghton

Date:           August 12th - 14th, 2005
Time:           5.30pm Friday night to 5.30pm Sunday
Location:     White Horses, Rhuddallt, Bontddu, Gwynedd LL40 2TT
Cost:            £175 including accommodation in a twin-bedded room and full board

For more information:  e-mail hilary@whitehorsesretreat.co.uk, or tel: 01691 648546


TAI CHI is an ancient exercise system which seems tailor-made for the modern world as it offers the tools for relaxation and stress relief. It gives back that much-needed energy and vitality and, if practiced diligently, can hold back the ravages of time – longevity exercise.

The postures allow the body to come into perfect alignment, which in turn, allows all the internal organs to sit in their correct places.  This enables the vital energy or QI, as it is known to the Chinese, to flow smoothly around the body.  Tai Chi helps strengthen the heart and improve the lung capacity. It is also a superb weight bearing exercise which actually helps to build bone.  Stiffness and tension can be eradicated by the regular practice of Tai Chi.  It is a preventative medicine – it does take effort and it does take discipline, but the overall benefits will mean enhanced quality of life on more levels than just the physical.

PAUL HOUGHTON is a qualified holistic therapist – VTCT, IIHHT, ICHT.  He has a teaching certificate of Tai Chi with the Tai Chi Union of Great Britain.  He is also a Master Teacher Level in Reiki Healing – Usui level 3^rd degree and Karuna Reiki level 2 and has a Diploma in the teaching of Yoga.

WEEKEND PROGRAMME

Friday:  Introduction to the week-end including practice warm up session to tune mind/body into work ahead, including meditation.

Saturday/Sunday:  18 tai chi qigong exercises, each session ending with meditation.  (There is no need to be able to sit crossed legged as meditation will be performed on chairs).

TAI CHI, QI-GONG.
THE ANCIENT CHINESE ART OF RELAXATION

Qi-gong (pronounced chee-gong) translates as breathing exercise or energy skill.  It has enjoyed a long history in the Chinese culture, recorded in its history since ancient times as playing an important part as one of the Traditional Chinese Schools of Medicine.

Qi-Gong exercises comprise of different methods of practice, from movement to static postures along with meditation.  By adapting various postures of the body and by regulating both the breathing and the mind through meditation, one can cultivate the vital energy or life force, this in the East is known as 'QI' which can help cure illness or help prevent ill health, such are the far reaching benefits of these Qi-Gong exercises that they are offered to patients during and after convalescence from illness.

Tai Chi, Qi-Gong, is a set of slow, gentle, easy to learn movements with the intention of relaxing and developing the mind and body.  The movements themselves are derived and developed over time from schools of Qi-Gong, which themselves are thousands of years old.  These exercises have been adapted into a concise system which is easy to practice irrespective of age or health condition.

This system of exercises comprises of 18 individual exercises comprising of various movements some high, some low, turning and rotating both left and right some slow and some slightly quicker etc.  So that by the completion of the 18 exercise system the whole body will be feeling calm, released from tension, warm, uplifted, energised and centred.

The health benefits of these 18 Tai Chi, Qi-Gong exercises include the balancing of blood pressure, relief from insomnia, arthritis, helping to relieve stress and aid recovery from illness.  It can help with digestive disorders, improve breathing and the circulation, there are a great many more ailments and illnesses which can be relieved by the daily practice of these simple yet very beneficial Tai Chi Qi-Gong exercises.