On 12-14 May 2017 at the Belsey Bridge Conference Centre, Suffolk we will be holding our first Alternative Health Exercises Residential Weekend – of gentle movement and body awareness exercises in a environment of light humour and relaxation.
The weekend program will be based on our popular seminar series of exercises developed from Tai Chi & Alexander Technique with elements of dance incorporated into two days of mindfulness exercises and meditation ‐ developing a practical way of being.
Widely experienced Alexander teacher Judy Hammond and long‐term Tai Chi instructor Ian Deavin have created this program of physical and mental exercises suitable for both complete beginners seeking a retreat weekend, or for more experienced exercisers looking to “workshop” their mind and body development.
Belsey Bridge Conference Centre offers a delightful mix of space, quietness and excellent hospitality ‐ the package includes tuition with full board plus morning and afternoon tea.
- an introduction to Tai Chi and Alexander Technique
- Relaxing and strengthening movement
- Individual, partner and group work
- Meditation, visualisations
To book your place contact here
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We seem to start often from a position of tension when we cannot feel much of what is going on in our bodies because it is both clamped down and swamped by the tension.
When more relaxed we begin to feel the movement of our muscles and skeleton.
Further relaxed this movement quietens and we start to feel the background internal activity of our body.
Still further on does this background also calm down leaving only the soft flow of our movement?
For those who come to the process already relaxed but unconnected, then phase 2 is probably the starting point – I don’t know, it’s just a guess, but a logical one
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I was talking one day with a student about the behaviours that might be considered advantageous in a physical conflict – and gave him a homework project to think of a list of 5 or 6 – then to write about them – and of how they might also have positive aspects in constructive relationships.
In thinking about it later I gave myself the same task and came up with the following list. It then occurred to me that actually they are all facets of the same thing – each related to the others – labels with the same content seen from a different angle – each compliments the others – and indeed each has its positive aspect that would be a valuable behaviour in a caring/loving relationship. They are not good or bad – we get to choose the end to which we put our skills and seeing both aspects we get to make that very human choice of who we wish to be. Tai Chi simply provides a means of developing those skills and exploring their value.
They are in no particular order although I have in some cases grouped more closely related items together – the whole exercise is really about provoking thought.
In looking at the value of these behaviours in positive, caring and loving relationships we can usually look at the way the behaviour works in a negative way and do the opposite and so this is the format I have adopted in the following notes – first the behaviour – then the way it works in a destructive relationship like a fight – then the way it works in a creative relationship in italics. Both represent harmony in their own way – as so often in life – it is all about the intention – how the energy is directed.
Read the whole piece HERE
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Covering exercises, spiralling movement, Qigong, mindfulness, meditation,
Tai Chi principles and Alexander principles.
The seminar will be run by Ian Deavin and Judy Hammond and participants will be engaged in a fascinating mix of meditation and movement, creating inner body awareness and developing a practical and spiritual mind/body link of considerable strength.
Qigong is a basic training method of Tai Chi coupled with body spiralling, also found everywhere in the movement of dance and the natural world. Principles of Alexander Technique posture and relaxation aid in achieving good balance and relaxed easy movement – developed by Tai Chi practitioners into a way of creating powerful body centred action.
Venue: The Letchworth Centre for Healthy Living
Rosehill Hospital, Hitchin Road, Letchworth, Hertfordshire, SG6 3NA
17th July 2016, 9.30am – 12.30pm
Cost: £45 per seminar for bookings up to 1 week before the seminar. £55 after
To book contact The Letchworth Centre for Healthy Living on 01462 678804
Please wear suitable loose clothing and flat soled trainers or similar
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