BEGINNING TAI CHI
What Is Tai Chi?
Tai Chi (also called Tai Chi Chuan) is a centuries-old Chinese martial art that is now practiced worldwide for health, balance, relaxation, and personal growth.
Classes involve slow, coordinated movements, natural breathing, good posture, and focused attention. Over time, students develop greater body awareness, strength, coordination, and ease of movement.
Unlike many forms of exercise, Tai Chi emphasizes learning how to move efficiently rather than simply working harder. That makes it appealing to people looking for a practice that supports both physical and mental well-being.
What Does the Research Say?
Hundreds of scientific studies have examined the health benefits of Tai Chi. While no exercise is a cure-all, research suggests regular practice can provide meaningful benefits for many people.
Improved Balance and Reduced Risk of Falling
One of the strongest areas of research is balance. Large systematic reviews have found that Tai Chi can improve balance, mobility, and confidence while reducing the risk of falls, particularly in older adults. Researchers believe this comes from improving coordination, leg strength, body awareness, and the ability to recover from small losses of balance.
These same qualities can also be valuable for younger adults who want to move more efficiently, build stability, or support other activities such as running, hiking, dancing, climbing, or strength training.
Better Strength, Flexibility, and Mobility
Although Tai Chi looks gentle, it develops functional strength through controlled movement and weight shifting.
Studies have shown improvements in leg strength, flexibility, walking ability, and overall physical function.
Many students notice that everyday activities such as walking, climbing stairs, carrying groceries, sitting at a desk for long periods, or getting up from the floor become easier over time. For younger adults, Tai Chi can also be a helpful complement to more intense workouts by improving mobility, coordination, and recovery.
Stress Reduction and Mental Well-Being
Tai Chi combines movement with relaxed attention. Research suggests that regular practice can reduce perceived stress while improving mood, sleep quality, and overall psychological well-being.
This is one reason many people in their teens, 20s and 30s are drawn to Tai Chi. In a busy, screen-filled world, it offers a chance to slow down, reset, and reconnect with the body. Many students describe class as one of the few times each week when they can fully step away from pressure and settle into the present moment.
Living Well with Chronic Conditions
Tai Chi has been studied as a supportive practice for people living with a variety of chronic health conditions, including arthritis, Parkinson's disease, heart disease, chronic pain, and multiple sclerosis.
While Tai Chi is not a replacement for medical care, research suggests it may help improve physical function, confidence, quality of life, and symptom management for many individuals. We encourage anyone with significant medical concerns to discuss exercise with their healthcare provider.
What Happens in a Beginner Class?
Tai Chi is practiced as a “form,” a well-defined sequence of movements that flows from one posture to the next according to underlying principles.
We teach the entire sequence of movements, where the hands go, where the feet go, and the principles (softness, straightness, relaxation) that makes doing the movements worthwhile. Classes meet once a week for about an hour and begin with a review of the material from the previous week and then move on to the new portion. Every week there are teacher demonstrations, lots of practice repetitions, hands-on adjustments by teachers, and verbal guidance. We suggest that students practice what they know at home in the morning and the evening and we have a library of short review videos for home use. Practice is the heart and soul of learning and benefitting from Tai Chi.
The Tai Chi form is taught in three segments, or thirds. Each third is taught over 10 weeks and the classes are meant to be taken in sequence. New Classes start in January, March, and September and are posted on the schedule.
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Beginning Form 1 — 10 weekly classes
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Beginning Form 2 — 10 weekly classes
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Beginning Form 3 — 10 weekly classes
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do classes cost?
A 10 week class, which includes access to streaming video for home practice, is $275. We offer need based scholarships. Email us to inquire.
If am recovering from an illness or injury can I do Tai Chi?
Often, yes. One of the strengths of Tai Chi is that it can be practiced gently and adapted to many different abilities and stages of recovery. Many people begin Tai Chi after an injury, surgery, or period of illness because they are looking for a safe way to rebuild strength, balance, coordination, and confidence. That said, every situation is different and checking with your healthcare provider before starting a new exercise program is wise.
What should I wear?
Comfortable clothing that allows you to move easily. Most people wear "street" clothes. We will provide you with tai chi shoes at your first class.
How long before I notice benefits?
Many people report feeling calmer after their first class. Improvements in balance, coordination, strength, and body awareness generally develop gradually over weeks and months of regular practice.
What if I have to miss a class?
If you miss a class, you can review the material using the class video and pay extra attention during the review portion of the following class. Most students are able to catch up without difficulty after missing a class or two.
If you know in advance that you'll need to miss more than two classes during the session, we recommend waiting to enroll in a future session so you can get the most out of the course.
Where should I start?
Beginning Form 1 is the entry level class. Classes start in January, March, and September. We post a new schedule about 6 weeks before classes begin and open registration about two weeks later. Beginning Form 1 tends to fill quickly. You can join our mailing list if you want to be notified when we post a new schedule or open registration. (Form at the bottom of this page.)