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The Fold Natural Therapy Centre Complementary Therapies
Tai Chi Easy: Lisa Topping
It is widely recognised that Tai Chi, the ancient Chinese martial art, can provide numerous health benefits and is also an excellent way to de-stress. However people often find that learning Tai Chi is a difficult and lengthy process - stress-enhancing rather than stress-reducing! Tai Chi Easy on the other hand is simple to learn and enjoyable to practice, whilst still firmly rooted in tradition. Whilst Tai Chi Easy is taught in many countries across the world Lisa Topping is the only teacher in the UK, and she offers regular courses at The Fold.
Tai Chi Easy involves a combination of postural alignment, gentle movement, breath awareness, relaxation techniques and self-applied massage, and can be done either standing or sitting down. Regular practice - as little as ten minutes a day - can trigger health improvements including enhanced heart health, better balance and a more efficient immune system as well as relieving stress and improving mental focus. Such benefits mean that it attracts a variety of people, from busy professionals to the older generation.
Some people question whether a traditional art like Tai Chi can be modified and still be beneficial. The answer is a resounding “yes”. Tai Chi Easy was carefully developed by the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi (IIQTC), one of the leading training organisations in the US, who performed a comprehensive review of the many forms and styles of Tai Chi. The selected exercises have not been modified, but rather are a distillation of the “best bits” of the ancient practice, and these techniques are taught in a simpler, more accessible way than many Tai Chi schools. It is this that makes Tai Chi Easy easy.
Lisa started to teach Tai Chi in 2007 when she set up her holistic stress management business, ToppForm. Prior to this she spent 15 years as an often-stressed-out manager in the pharmaceutical industry and came to rely on her personal Tai Chi practice to maintain her sense of wellbeing and happiness. She decided she’d like to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with others and spent 3 years on the IIQTC teacher training program to enable her to do this. Lisa says:
Becoming a Tai Chi Instructor has changed my life. It was such a relief to finally discover "what I wanted to do when I grow up"! I don’t think people are given enough opportunities to learn how to look after their own health, and with the pressures currently facing our health service this has to change. I know how much I gain personally from Tai Chi Easy and my ambition is to share the benefits with as many people as possible.
For more information about her Tuesday evening classes contact Lisa on 01886 821548 or email ToppForm@btinternet.com. You can also visit www.ToppForm.co.uk.
“A Bit More Tai Chi Easy” - new course starts Tues 7th Feb, 7 – 8pm in the Natural Therapy Centre.
Please book in advance to guarantee a place.
£48 for the 8-week term.
contact Lisa on 01886 821548 or email ToppForm@btinternet.com. You can also visit www.ToppForm.co.uk.
