The Dragon's Head Blog

Many hands made light and beautiful work.   Our branch main location was polished, and draped in red and gold.  Volunteers created centerpieces of origami roosters, roses and tulips.   The upstairs practice space was transformed to a reception and silent auction space for the pre-banquet appie hour mingling.  Drums of the lion dancers called us […]

As individuals we don’t have to take sole responsibility for tasks in our Taoist Tai Chi practice, and we are learning that the same applies to branches and countries. Three branches contributed to organising the International Workshop hosted in Wellington, New Zealand, this month – sharing the training and knowledge more broadly.   Nelson branch, 125 […]

What an amazing opportunity to immerse ourselves in the teachings.   Marsha Eberhardt, President of FLK, visited Perth, Australia recently to lead an international workshop and a series of international intensives in locations in and around the national centre in Bayswater.  We deepened our understanding of the Society and the way we do things.  Marsha encouraged us to relax, […]

“Tell me about a Tai Chi moment at the international workshop (Wellington, New Zealand)?” With a change in the intention of my hands when coming up in my dan-yu, the pain and stress in my lower back that I have suffered with for quite a long time was been alleviated to such an extent that […]

Although we still do not have a kitchen in our new clubhouse in Brno we decided to organize a Chinese new year banquet here to start this beautiful tradition. People all around the Czech Republic joined us providing great support. Several members’ kids were celebrating as well, helping with the serving of the delivered meal and […]

I have been fortunate this month to be able to visit the Australian national centre in Bayswater and share in the international programs led by our FLK President Marsha Eberhardt in Western and Eastern Australia, together with programs led by Tony Kwong in Eastern Australia and Wellington, New Zealand. The Bayswater centre is a place […]

In late February Andrew Hung and Pegoty Packman were interviewed by the city of Dunedin’s official television station regarding the Fenway Hotel restoration update.  

As every year the Chinese new year banquet was held in our clubhouse in Prague. This year was even more special as a week before the banquet a big new wok with burner was delivered and we could enjoy cooking the banquet’s menu properly. As usual, guests from organisations and offices that we cooperate with […]

Joé Thibault has guided us during five days along a path of softness, lightness and elasticity. Today we have applied these aspects to different parts of the tai chi set. The members of the Taoist Tai Chi® family have shared tasks in a harmonious workshop aided by the energy and good humour of Joé. You […]

After having explained the equivalent principles of chanting and tai chi, we held a chanting session. Joé Thibault explored deepy the soft focus of tai chi, with progressive and elastic transitions.  She focused on maximizing the expansion and relaxation in every movement without forgetting the intention in the hands and feet until finalizing each of […]

On the third day we began with chanting and then we worked on toryus, focusing on going all the way up and then dropping progressively. Later on we applied those same principles to the brush knee movement. After lunch we worked on donyus with the same intention, and then we applied it to the wave […]

We began the second day with chantings. We have worked on fundamentals that have helped us to find good structure in our bodies. We work on toryus and donyus, putting the emphasis on expanding, smoothness and progressivity.

This is the first day of the program of Taoist Tai Chi® arts led by Joé Thibault, with more than 140 participants. We have been working on the importance of the gaze, the anchoring of the feet on the floor, the connection of feet and hands, expansion and contraction, keeping everything smooth, progressive and connected.  

Over 40 people including one from the Czech Republic participated in our March 4th, 9 am to 9 pm marathon workshop at the Pleasant Hill Center of the San Francisco Bay area branch of the Taoist Tai Chi Society of the USA. Our instructor was Allen Pearce from the Portland, Oregon branch. While waiting for […]

Master Moy established a lasting legacy in our hearts. He taught us to help one another, work tirelessly and to host one another. When asked to plan fundraisers, intensives and dinners we simply respond, “of course we will do that!” Little by little we have learned so much. We still have much more to learn, […]

As a physician, I have been fascinated to observe the benefits of practising the Taoist Tai Chi® arts in myself and others. There is no simple scientific explanation for this.  However, scientific studies can observe its effects. In 2014 at my first workshop, I asked the instructor, Dr. Bruce McFarlane, whether research had been done and he […]

Cultivating stillness was the theme of the workshop, and the sense of stillness permeated through the kitchen, settling into the cook team and work groups. Kitchen tai chi is not only about using the principles of the moves into the work of chopping, stirring, and mixing. Like tai chi, cooking should be relaxed and from […]

              Work has begun on the southwest wing.  Locals are watching with interest. Structural work has begun on the southwest wing. The steel supports have been ordered since they have a six-week lead time to construct and deliver. The concrete footers are being dug by hand to reduce stress […]

        Two major February storms could not dampen a joyous celebration of Chinese New Year in St. John’s on February 18.   The weekend began with an instructors’ development session on Friday night, and Saturday’s intensive had us working hard on toryus, danyus and parting wild horse’s mane.  We also learned how to host […]

On Sunday morning the workshop participants practise the Jade Emperor lighting ceremony.