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Shefford Tai Chi

“Relax – Move from the centre – Everything should move together”
Chen Ying Jun

“Find your own balance – maintain your own balance. Learn to understand the balance of others. Behave appropriately.”

Chen style Tai Chi Chuan or Taijiquan is valued for health, relaxation, personal development and martial arts. It is believed to be the original codified version of Tai Chi and is considered suitable for all ages. Chen-style focuses on softness with calm relaxed movement, balance, good posture and a quiet mind. Developing awareness of inner body feelings and of mental/emotional states is seen as an important aspect. Our activities include:

Ian Deavin with Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang

Ian Deavin with his teacher Karel Koskuba

Regular classes aim to cover Tai Chi in all these aspects while some are more appropriate to specific interests – such as the 50+ classes or the Fall Prevention classes.

Books and articles on Tai Chi

Tai Chi for Health

– walking, balance, mobility in the 50-90 age group, falls prevention, low impact exercise. We have many testimonials from people who have found improved balance and agility following their Tai Chi practice. Developing habits of good body usage in earlier years – from teens onward – can enable practitioners to learn to look after themselves whatever they do and to manage health issues as they arise throughout their lives.

More information health and mobility
Whitepaper on Tai Chi for Carers
Tai Chi for Carers seminar syllabus
Books and articles on Tai Chi for Health

Tai Chi Coaching and Consultancy

Coaching is available by the hour or day on a one-to-one basis or for groups of students to progress their Tai Chi or to learn Tai Chi movement principles for application in other areas such as golf.

We offer a consultancy/advisory service to Health and other professionals interested in the use of Tai Chi in their area of work. E.g. Health service providers, GP Trusts, NHS, private organisations – Carer and Disability groups – for falls prevention, stress management, health and mobility programs. This can cover:

  • Tai Chi – what it involves, why it may be beneficial
  • Developing the understanding of Tai Chi in the western world.
  • How does it interface with Western Science?
  • What are the aspects relevant to Health and Caring professionals?

Ian is a long term Tai Chi practitioner and teacher with experience in falls prevention work. His background encompasses a range of hard science, bio-science and soft therapies which inform his approach and aid his ability as a Tai Chi Consultant to medical professionals and other health care stakeholders.

Consultation by the hour, or by the day
Program planning
Program set-up
Program participation, supervision, execution

Tai Chi as therapy and for personal development

Tai Chi – like many other therapies – involves significant personal commitment and on-going work – referred to as Kung Fu. This is the regular (daily) work of practice and introspection, sometimes alone – often with others, developing skill and self-awareness in a way that relieves stress, offers a challenge, creates personal change and promotes healing, while becoming more fun and more intriguing over time.

Books and articles on Tai Chi for Personal Development

Tai Chi for Other Martial Arts

We believe that whatever your art, Tai Chi can add to your practice. Ian graded 4th Dan under both Shihan Hirokazu Kanazawa and Sensei Vince Morris and has done a variety of other cross training before moving to Yang Style and then to Chen Tai Chi.

Books and articles on Tai Chi for Martial Arts

Falls Prevention

At its core Tai Chi is concerned with enabling people to learn how to stand and move in stable relaxed fashion, i.e. learn how to not fall over. Ian has been involved in a number of Tai Chi Falls Prevention programmes and presently runs a weekly 50+ class aimed at developing habits of good balance and mobility in older people.

Falls Prevention whitepaper

Tai Chi for Golf and other sports

– golf, swimming, dance, football etc. A number of students over the years have come from sports backgrounds and noticed an improvement in their sport e.g. a reduction in golf handicap or an improved running style.

“Ian’s Tai Chi for Golf sessions have improved my flexibility and helped me to focus on developing a more rhythmic, flowing golf swing. The similarities between the golf swing and Tai Chi movements are fascinating. I played one of my best ever rounds after the third session!” – Darrell Martin

Books and articles on Tai Chi for Sports
Whitepaper on “Tai Chi for Golf

Tai Chi for Business

– Re programs of health and well-being at work and as a management tool. The practices of meditation and strategy used in Tai Chi are considered to be useful in the daily business activities and in planning for survival and growth in the longer term.

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