Tai Chi & Qigong Surrey

23/01/2026

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY - 2026 WORKSHOPS IN REIGATE

23/01/2026

*Tai chi & qigong are about biomechanics, not just energy work*

The alignment adjustment in this image is something we cover in my classes - how to open the lower back by dropping the tailbone and slightly tucking the pelvis under thereby aligning the spine better - moving from figure B (right) to figure A (left).

Not only does this help to load weight optimally in the skeleton but energetically it supports the opening of the main energy channel in the body - the central channel or Chong mai - which runs from perineum to crown just inside the spine.

If you'd like to know more this is covered in my online qigong and meditation classes on a Thursday evening. Message me on twgwithnicci@gmail.com for info on how to join the class

Rib Cage, Pelvis & Spinal Loading

The upper images explain how alignment of the rib cage over the pelvis directly controls the forces acting on the spine. Think of the trunk as a vertical column that must transfer body weight and movement forces efficiently from top to bottom.

In Image A, the rib cage is stacked directly over the pelvis. This creates a vertical line of force through the spine. The diaphragm remains level and domed, allowing pressure to be generated downward and outward in a balanced way. Because of this alignment, most of the load acting on the spine is compressive. Compression, when evenly distributed, is the safest force for the spine and is well tolerated by vertebral bodies and discs.

The arrows in Image A show pressure being contained within the trunk rather than escaping forward or backward. This allows spinal muscles to work efficiently with minimal effort. The lumbar curve is present but controlled, and the spine behaves like a stable pillar rather than a bending hinge.

In Image B, the rib cage is tilted backward while the pelvis shifts or tilts forward, creating a “scissor” relationship. This breaks the vertical stacking of the trunk. The diaphragm becomes angled and flattened, losing its ability to manage pressure evenly. As a result, pressure is redirected anteriorly and inferiorly.

This misalignment significantly increases shear forces at the lumbar spine, especially at the L5–S1 level. Shear forces attempt to slide one vertebra over another, something the lumbar spine is poorly designed to handle. To compensate, spinal extensors and passive structures such as ligaments and facet joints are overloaded. Over time, this contributes to stiffness, fatigue, and low back pain.

19/01/2026

**Wuji and Taiji – beyond words, into experience**

In Daoist thought, Wuji points to what exists before yin and yang — undivided, formless, and beyond distinction.

Because modern language is inherently dualistic, it can never truly describe wuji. Words rely on opposites, definitions, and contrasts, while wuji is prior to all of these.

As the Dao De Jing reminds us:
“The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao.” (Chapter 1)

So any description of wuji is only a pointer, the best approximation we can make.

From this indescribable ground, Taiji arises — the first movement toward differentiation, expressed as yin and yang in dynamic relationship.

The Dao De Jing describes this unfolding:
“The Dao gives birth to One;
One gives birth to Two;
Two gives birth to Three;
Three gives birth to the ten thousand things.” (Chapter 42)

In tai chi and qigong practice, this isn’t just philosophy. Wuji is tasted in stillness, standing meditation, relaxation, and deep listening.

Taiji appears when movement begins — shifting weight, opening and closing, rising and sinking — yin and yang endlessly transforming.

Practice shows us that movement emerges from stillness, and stillness remains within movement. While words fall short, the body knows. Through practice, we move beyond explanation and into direct experience.

18/01/2026

QIGONG & MEDITATION - OPEN THE BODY AND QUIETEN THE MIND

Just finished re-recording the first online class to improve sound quality. I am not a tech wizard but very glad to have YouTube to help me work out the wrinkles so we are good to go in the live class next week.

Our classes run on a Thursday evening from 7-8pm on zoom. The first class is free.

We have c30 minutes of qigong followed by meditation.

This is a drop in class so you can join when it suits you. A video is shared with attendees and those who can't make the classes so you can practice at a convenient time.

Contact Nicci on twgwithnicci@gmail.com to find out more.

11/01/2026

Learn skills, improve health, make friends

A few pics from our recent Christmas socials. The very traditional Chinese and fish and chips meals.

04/01/2026

NEW - ONLINE QIGONG & MEDITATION CLASS
Thursdays 7-8pm via Zoom, from 15 January

A wonderful way to wind down after a busy day - quieten the body and the mind! Class led by teacher with 15+ years experience.

First class is free, then £10 per class or £7 if you already attend an in person class.

Contact Nicci on twgwithnicci@gmail.com or via WhatsApp on 07960 881561.

29/12/2025

COULD ACUPUNCTURE BE THE TOOL YOU NEED TO HELP ACHIEVE YOUR NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS?

At Acupuncture Surrey we support patients with a wide range of health conditions (from hormonal to headaches, musculoskeletal pain to digestive complaints, anxiety to fertility, and more).

Acupuncture studies show it to effectively calm the nervous system, improving sleep quality and helping manage stress.

Many of our patients look forward to their visits as a little window of peace in their busy schedules.

Appointments available from as little as £30 in our community multibed clinic in Merstham.

Private appointments available in Reigate at the Reigate Wellbeing Centre Church Street.

Find out more at www.acupuncture-surrey.co.uk or email Nicci on info@acupuncture-surrey.co.uk to book a free 15 minute call or your first appointment.

29/12/2025

TAI CHI, QIGONG & MEDITATION CLASSES
Learn a new skill, improve your health and make new friends.

New term starts on Wednesday 14 January

We have a few spaces available in our popular tai chi and qigong classes in Reigate for the new term starting on Wednesday 14 January.

We are also excited to announce a new online qigong and meditation class on Thursday evenings, starting on Thursday 15 January.

First class is free for new students.

We also run outside of class socials each term for past and present students. Come a learn a skill, improve your health and wellbeing and make friends.

For more information or to check if there is a spot for you please contact Nicci on twgwithnicci@gmail.com.

28/12/2025

I recently came across a beautiful piece from Senam Tai Chi & Martial Arts about a student's journey with Zhan Zhuang (standing meditation). While this master isn't mine, the teachings resonated deeply with lessons I've received from my own teachers over the years. I wanted to share some key messages that struck me:

The master summarized Zhan Zhuang in one sentence: "It is a process of concentrating the mind."

But the practice itself holds secrets our culture has forgotten.

THE ESSENTIALS:
Imagine your body as a sphere. The connection between Baihui (crown of the head) and Huiyin (perineum) forms the central axis. This is your core.

"Suspend the head"—not standing at attention, not straightening or tensing the neck. The head floats upward as if suspended from above, the neck flexible and naturally upright. This one principle could cure the epidemic of cervical spondylosis we suffer today. We've forgotten what our ancestors knew.

Below, maintain space in the groin—never compress. The body must have gaps, room to breathe, room for energy to flow.

THE PARADOX OF RELAXATION:
"Relax, relax, relax"—the fundamental skill repeated endlessly.

Our tradition only emphasizes tension—strive, achieve, push harder. Even children live under constant pressure. But listen: Tension and relaxation are the way of both literature and martial arts. Without relaxation, how can there be tension? Like a boxer—only when muscles are fully relaxed can you truly generate power.

We live lives of perpetual tension, then wonder why we're exhausted, in pain, unable to focus.

THE FACE—THE FINAL FRONTIER:
What part of the body is hardest to relax? Not the shoulders—it's the face.

Confucius knew this 2,500 years ago: "A pleasant countenance is difficult." The hardest thing in life is controlling your face. People study their whole lives, work their whole lives, hold positions of power—yet still can't control their expressions, their moods unpredictable, prone to outbursts.

And within the face? The eyes are the ultimate challenge.

The eyes reveal everything—tension, fear, distraction, the wandering mind. When the eyes are truly relaxed, they become bright and resolute, yet soft. They look straight ahead with an open, honest gaze. The eyes are where we hold our deepest tensions, where we reveal whether we've truly learned to concentrate the mind or are still scattered, still grasping.

A true master, even past eighty, has eyes that gleam with clarity. This is what a lifetime of practice creates—not just a calm body, but eyes that have learned to be present, to see without strain, to rest in awareness itself.

In our age of screens and scattered attention, we've forgotten: The eyes are not just windows to the soul—they are the gateway to controlling the restless mind within.

Can you suspend your head, relax your face, soften your eyes, and truly stand?

20/12/2025

A few thoughts about Kundalini work