Tag: energy

Great time at Lunar New Year Party

annebower

About 30 participants crowded into the Bugbee Senior Center’s exercise room in White River Junction, VT, some of whom you can see below. (A few individuals also joined by Zoom.) We celebrated the Year of the Snake with lots of tai chi forms and some qi gong as well, snacks, and laughter. We got to exchange Happy New Year messages in red envelopes and nibble gold wrapped chocolates, and learn what the Year of the Snake might portend. After, many folks stayed for a tasty Asian-themed lunch.

What really came home to me during this party was the social aspect of tai chi. Watching people chat during breaks, hug friends they’d not seen in a while, feel the energy of tai chi as we attempted to move together–wow! This aspect of tai chi is so important.

BaFa Wubu

annebower

The newest official tai chi form from China is designed for small spaces and only takes about 3 minutes to perform once you know it. Created in 2018, it is now being taught in many places around the world. It’s fun–combining moves from the 3 major tai chi families: Chen, Yang, and Sun. The first half is performed without moving the feet, although the torso and arms are very active. The second half uses the same motions but in a different order and includes stepping and weight shifting. BaFa means 8 energies–that is, different ways of directing your energy. Wubu means 5 directions–forward, backward, to the left, to the right, and up. I’m enjoying learning this form and look forward to teaching it one day.

There’s always more to learn, whether you’re adventuring into something brand new or deepening your understanding of something you already “know.” Both kinds of growth are good for the body and mind, and I do believe learning is one of the things that makes us humans happy!