Celebrate World Tai Chi & Qigong Day (WTC&Q Day) on Saturday, April 26 at 10 a.m. all over the world. Beginning in New Zealand, this event will spread time zone by time zone across the globe, and will include hundreds of cities spanning 80 countries. Massive tai chi and qigong exhibitions will be held in public places such as parks, community centers, and tai chi schools across six continents. It's a time for people to come together, to breathe together, providing a healing vision for our world.
This year marks the 16 anniversary of WTC&Q Day, organized by founder, Bill Douglas, a 2009 Internal Arts Hall of Fame Inductee.
Tai Chi and qigong are for both beginners and experienced practitioners. Here's what beginner, First Lady Michelle Obama, said about tai chi on a recent visit to a school in China. "Tai Chi is a truly beautiful form of physical activity and I loved giving it a try."
What is Tai Chi? Qigong?
Here's what our authors say about tai chi and qigong:
"I want to lead Chinese martial artists in the West back to their roots and help them regain their original high level of skill and public respect. I also wish to bring Qigong training to the Western world and have it accepted by the Western medical society once and for all."—Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming.
"Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) is a healing/martial art that combines martial arts movements with Qi (Chi—energy) circulation, breathing, and stretching techniques. It utilizes the ancient philosophy of Yin-Yang and the Five Theories for its foundation, to establish its training principles."—by Master Liang, Shou-Yu and Wu, Wen-Ching from Simplified Tai Chi Chuan 2nd ed. revised, publication date of May 1, 2014.
Lisa B. O'Shea, certified qigong instructor in Reilki and Hypnotherapy, and author of the DVD, Qigong for Healing urges you to learn to safely use the ancient art of qigong. "Qigong is one of the most accessible tools for increasing awareness of your own energy and learning to control its movement to improve health and well being. By practicing qigong, we can take charge of our own wellness and participate in the direction our health goes as we age."
YMAA Celebrates WTC&Q Day Worldwide
The YMAA will family will celebrate WTC&Q Day at the following places. Times/Days vary. All events are free to the public and all are welcome to participate. Tai chi and qigong practitioners, both students and teachers and those with just an interest, will commit themselves to perform, demonstrate, and exhibit tai chi and qigong forms and exercises at local parks, schools, and public places.
Milwaukee, Wis. Sat., April 26 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Riverside High School gymnasium, 1615 East Locust St. Milwaukee. Sponsored by Milwaukee Public Schools, Division of Recreation and Community Services, Riverside High School and YMAA Tai Chi Ch'uan of Wisconsin, led by Angela Laughingheart, school director. This event is in its sixth year. There will be demonstrations of qigong and tai chi by five different schools, Alice Kuramoto from Tai Chi Works, Na-ashon Li-Wandrick, Si Gung Steve Jungmann from Rising Dragon Martial Arts, Erwin Ramthun, Chen Style Taijiquan, Robert Thoreau, Oriental Health Disciplines from School of the Hidden Dragon.
Boston, Mass Sat. April 26 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sponsored by YMAA Boston school. Free lesson. Spend an hour practicing the gentle art of tai chi at Arnold Arboretum by the southbound Arborway Forest Hills Exit.
Boston, Mass. Sun, April 27, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Boston Commons, 131 Tremont Street. Sponsored by Daoist Benevolent Association. Master Zhou, Xuan-Yun will lead tai chi demonstrations. Five other schools invited to perform other types of martial arts. Anticipated audience 200.
Bellingham, Mass. Sat.,April 26 10 a.m. Bellingham Commons, 4 North Main St. (Rt. 126.) Sponsored by Chinese Medicine for Health. Featuring qigong and tai chi demonstrations. All welcome.
Ostuni, Italy Sat. April 26 at 10 a.m. until sunset. Sponsored by Casina Settarte, European Wushu Academy, YMAA Apulia at Strada Provinciale 17 Cisternino overlooking the Valley of Itria. Director of the YMAA Apulia Provisional School, Giuseppe (Pino) Creanza said, "This is the first time that the school will participate in WTCQ Day and I anticipate 30 attendees. The training will be in two sessions, but the day is open to all who would like to experience tai chi or qigong or just sit back and relax." More information about lunch and lodgings can be found on their web site.
Warsaw, Poland Sat. April 26 at 10 a.m. at Pole Mokotowskie, Warsaw. Sponsored by YMAA School and led by Mariusz Sroczynski, YMAA school director. She said, "We have been participating in this event for more than ten years. We treat it as an opportunity to gather our students, friends of tai chi and others to try tai chi in the open air at Pola Mokotowskie, one of the largest parks in Warsaw." Demonstrations and exhibitions. Anticipated audience 100 people.
YMAA Outlook
YMAA's outlook is to preserve, develop and refine traditional gongfu, taijiquan, and qigong to an exceptionally high standard through an international, mutually supportive community and network. YMAA openly welcomes, teaches, learns from, and supports all who share their knowledge about any related external or internal art.
The YMAA goal is to educate the world about this piece of culture, its history, and the YMAA training philosophy. At YMAA, our vision is to use Chinese culture and martial arts training to foster a global nation of like-minded people who help each other achieve their goals.
YMAA aims to build students' confidence, physical health, mental focus, and self-discipline. YMAA provides an environment for students to succeed through a supportive yet demanding training program. Our schools promote traditional methods of practice, challenging each other and our selves physically, mentally, and spiritually.
YMAA encourages creativity, attention to detail, and correctness in the arts. Throughout our training, we strive to embody martial morality: humility, respect, righteousness, trust, loyalty, will, endurance, patience, perseverance, and courage.