Tai Chi for Health Newcastle

13/02/2026

Early morning practice👍

26/01/2026

Tai Chi is starting on Friday 30 January at YWCA Cooks Hill.

Beginners 9.30 Sun Style Tai Chi for Arthritis
Advanced 10.45 Yang Style 24 Forms

Registration
www.ywcahunterregion.org.au/tai-chi

17/12/2025

Every December, the world praises Santa Claus for his remarkable productivity, impeccable logistics, and supernatural endurance. Children imagine a jolly man riding through the midnight sky, but few realize the truth: none of this would be possible without Qigong. Yes, the same gentle, flowing practice often found in quiet parks at dawn has been steadily powering the North Pole for centuries.

According to those familiar with the operation (mainly elves who cannot keep a secret), the workshop begins each morning with a group Qigong session. Long before toy production starts, the entire crew gathers between the peppermint-striped support beams for what Santa calls "reverse-aging warm-ups." The elves take this very seriously. With their tiny frames and astonishing output quotas, smooth qi flow is nonnegotiable.

Santa leads the session in full traditional attire—minus the hat, which he removes respectfully before practice. His beard, seasoned by centuries of winter wind, lifts slightly with each inhale. Observers say that when he sinks into standing postures, his belly settles like a peaceful red mountain, radiating warmth powerful enough to keep frost off the windows.

The real magic, though, is in the holiday variations the North Pole team has invented. There is Opening the Holiday Spirit, Snowflake Floating Down, and a crowd favorite, Reindeer Tail Shakes to Dispel Stress. Santa practices Belly-Laugh Breathing daily, a technique that produces the deep "Ho Ho Ho" resonance children worldwide know so well.

Mrs. Claus joins whenever she can slip away from the confectionery department. Her role is essential. Candy cane production, she explains, is delicate work requiring the steadiness of mind cultivated through Qigong. "If your qi gets tangled, your stripes get crooked," she says. She often leads the meditation portion, encouraging everyone to visualize a calm winter night, a gentle snowfall, and a workshop where no one misplaces a hammer or accidentally builds a dollhouse upside-down again.

The benefits are undeniable. Elves report fewer workplace mishaps, smoother teamwork, and dramatically less cookie-related burnout. Reindeer handlers say the animals respond especially well after Qigong mornings, displaying improved focus and fewer mid-air loop-the-loops during training. Even Rudolph's nose glows more evenly when his qi is balanced.

Most impressively, Santa claims that Qigong is what keeps him spry enough to complete his global mission in a single night. "It's not magic," he insists. "It's breath, intention, and a lifetime of not skipping practice."

So the next time Santa's sleigh streaks across the winter sky, remember: behind the twinkling lights and cheerful laughter lies a disciplined Qigong routine shared by the most unlikely wellness community on earth. And if Santa can make time for it, perhaps we can too—without needing to dodge reindeer on the way to class. 🙂

24/11/2025

18/11/2023

I posted this in 2019 about the role of tai chi in the workplace. Very proud to re-post it again. I am currently leading lunch-time tai chi practice at a busy workplace in Hamilton North every Thursday.

"No pain, no sweat and lots of gains.

Tai chi has an important role to play in corporate wellness.

Tai chi is the best form of exercise to relieve workplace stress on our muscular skeletal system, compared to other fitness practices such as a weight session at the gym, a jog around the park or an aqua session at the pool.

Tai chi is a mind body exercise. Tai chi participants practise moving in a slow, smooth and controlled manner, in an upright posture, with attention to abdominal breathing and weight transfer, as well as visualising moving against a gentle resistance. Such mindful practice brings about a calmness, a mental quietness, that is at the same time relaxing and rejuvenating. Tai chi practice also stimulates circulation and enhances the energy flow in our body, resulting in better concentration and productivity.

Tai Chi is ideally suited for a lunch time program at workplaces because tai chi
• does not require equipment,
• does not require a change of clothes,
• can be practised at most offices, seated or standing.

Give tai chi a go!"

22/10/2021

Breathe