Taiji Quan is finally coming back to SBP!
Fridays in March (1/8/15/22)
SBP FREMONT
5:30-6:45pm
This 4-week specialty class series on Fridays at Seattle Bouldering Project’s Fremont location is a great way to disperse the burdens of the week, refresh your mind-body connection, and start the weekend with a clear, relaxed mental space. We’ll focus on standing meditative movement sequences based in Chen style taiji quan (tai chi) and qigong, examining foundational flows that can be practiced alone or stitched together for a longer sequence. Our practice explores balance, stability, fluid navigation through space, joint flexibility and articulation, how to find ease during exertion, and cultivating strength with minimal force.
Attendance at all four sessions encouraged but not required. Drop-ins can still gain benefit from the practice.
All levels welcome, no experience necessary, wear comfortable clothing that doesn't restrict your range of movement.
This class series is free for SBP members and punchcard holders, no additional registration required. If you’re not a member of SBP, you are still entirely welcome, and you can check out the 1-month prepaid, punch card and day pass options here. Memberships and day passes get you access to Poplar and Fremont facilities as well as access to bouldering walls, fitness amenities, sauna at Poplar, and the regular rotation of yoga and fitness classes.
Instructor bio: Deborah combines her professional backgrounds in health and the arts to teach classes featuring movement, sound and dance as tools for wellness. As a board certified Chinese medicine practitioner, she believes there is great power in connecting each person back to themselves and to the natural rhythms of the earth.
Taiji Flow FAQs
What is taiji quan?
Taiji quan is a movement practice that originated as a martial arts training tool in China, traced to the late 1600s. It is a relatively young practice if you consider that the foundations of the movement and its correlating Daoist philosophies had been developing for millenia prior. The practice is generally done slowly and can be adapted to suit a wide demographic. Many people today incorporate it into their regular self-care and wellness routines.
What if I have no experience and have never done anything like this before?
This series is designed to be accessible and modifiable for all levels!
Is taiji quan the same as tai chi?
Yes these different spellings refer to the same practice, they just come from different systems of romanization. “Tai chi” comes from the Wade-Giles system that was created between 1850-1900 by two British men whose surnames were Wade and Giles. In the 1950s, a Chinese linguist developed the pinyin system, which literally translates to “spelling sounds.” Pinyin is most widely used today and is the format that we are using here.
What’s the difference between taiji quan and qigong?
Qigong literally translates to working with energy and is a broad umbrella term for a multitude of practices that involve working with qi. These can be standing, seated, lying down, static, moving, and there are a plethora of styles and practices. Taiji quan is a movement form that originated as a martial arts training tool, and even though it involves the physical body, the internal energy component is essential. So, in fact, taiji quan can technically be considered a type of qigong.