What is Tai Chi & Qigong?

Tai Chi and Qigong have been practiced for many hundreds of years. This training has been used primarily for restoring and then enhancing health. From that foundation people continue training to develop great strength, flexibility and balance. Some liken it to relearning how to walk… The training redefines how you live in your body.

The meditative side of the Tai chi & Qigong practices comes from the deep focus we pay to our smooth, relaxed movements. When we train in these arts we learn to release all other concerns and spend time calming and caring for our bodies and minds. As with the physical side of the practice, many of us choose to continue developing beyond this foundation. This active, applied form of meditation lets us develop the ability to guide and influence our states of mind. With some persistence sharpening your focus, shedding stress, and improving perception become skills you can apply at will. For many this becomes a deeply rewarding lifelong pursuit.

Practicing Tai Chi and Qigong involves smooth, flowing movements. We direct our full attention to each moment of each action. This allows us to grow towards perfect co-ordination and graceful control in each posture.

The forms use various deep breathing patterns to re-energize the body and mind. Each breath causes the body to release more of a life worth of stored tension. This restores us to a natural and vital state of being.

In Classes At Northwest Internal Art’s
Portland Tai Chi Academy

Our classes are designed to maximize your retention of the art. The foundations phase of training takes most members about six month and involves in-depth training in a Yang style tai chi form, two primary qigong sets, standing meditation postures and breath work exercises. This is all that anyone needs to develop a personal practice to extend longevity and improve quality of life.

More advanced members will learn sets from the Chen and Sun families as well as the sword, fan and saber forms to name a few. They will also learn more intricate qigong forms. In all of these pursuits it is also essential to understand the underlying principles and theories of the Internal Arts. This is the level where members begin to direct that sense of youthful energy they have developed to begin enhancing their lives. These deeper mental and physical practices will unlock long buried potentials.

Contact us today to start your journey on the path to self improvement and empowerment!