Traditional Chinese Medicine encourages us to find balance and harmony in our lives as a way of developing and maintaining good health and wellbeing. This 4 day course will give participants an insight in to how we can all develop these qualities in ourselves and share them with friends and family. You will be introduced to the wide world of T'ai Chi Chuan and Chi Kung, in particular to their relationship to the Traditional Chinese Healing Arts; to simple and accessible techniques of massage and Acupressure and to sitting meditation.

Chi Kung is an umbrella term used to describe a wide range of practises that have developed through Chinese history. They combine elements of posture, movement, breathing and meditation in flowing movements that enable us to relax and generate a feeling of balanced well-being. T'ai Chi Chuan is a form of Chi Kung that began as a martial art with an emphasis on developing Chi (energy) and `internal power' and has become widely respected as a healing and meditational art as well. We will work with a small number of these exercises, repeating movements frequently to enable a familiarity to develop so that participants will be able to continue with their practise after the course has finished. New for this year these exercises will include a short 10 Move sequence The nature of these movements is that they can be performed by a wide range of physical abilities; natural structures and rhythms are emphasised throughout, and you will be encouraged to work at a pace comfortable to you.

Through these movements we will begin to understand the qualities of balance and harmony so fundamental to Traditional Chinese Medicine; these we will take in to simple massage and Acupressure techniques that can help to alleviate the aches and strains and simple ailments of daily life. These techniques, all practised through clothing, can also be practised on friends and family after the course.

There will also be time to study the basic theory of Chinese Medicine that is the foundation for all of these arts. There is an accompanying booklet to the course, with details from all aspects covered in the 4 days.

The course will be suitable to people at all levels of practise; for beginners it will be a gentle and relaxing course that will introduce them to these wonderful arts; for those with more experience it will be an opportunity to study more deeply the healing aspects of the Chinese Internal Arts. For all of us this will be a time of healing and rejuvenation against the backdrop of this ancient tradition of living in harmony. Weather permitting we will be able to spend some or our time practising out of doors. Participants should bring with them the following equipment:: Loose, comfortable clothing (e.g. tracksuits and trainers), we will hopefully be able to spend some time practising outside so please account for this. Also please realise that we will be spending time receiving massage, so bring layers of clothing in case you get chilly: A comfortable cushion for sitting meditation. A large towel or blanket for the massage.