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Nourish Your Life with Baduanjin Qigong

June 30, 2025 by Breath and Balance Tai Chi

During challenging times, it’s essential to engage in practices that support our well-being. In Chinese Medicine and Daoism, yangsheng—which means “nourishment of life”—refers to a variety of self-cultivation practices developed over two and a half millennia. These include principles and methods related to movement, rest, nutrition, sleep, and more.

Yangsheng practices encompass qigong, tai chi, self- massage, meditation, dietary guidance, breathing exercises, and internal and external Daoist alchemy. One such practice is Baduanjin, or the Eight Pieces of Brocade—an ancient qigong set designed to cultivate internal energy by integrating body, breath, and mind. Practicing Baduanjin supports physical strength, relaxed movement, and a calm, focused mind.

Learning Baduanjin can also deepen your tai chi practice, as both tai chi and qigong are mind-body disciplines rooted in mindfulness, breath awareness, alignment, and active relaxation.

Join us for a special five-week series dedicated to practicing Baduanjin (Eight Pieces of Brocade)—an ancient qigong form that supports vitality, calm, and inner balance. Start your day with energy or wind down in the afternoon with grounding movement. All levels are welcome.

Online Morning Qigong Class

Tuesdays & Thursdays in July July 1- 31

6:15 – 7:00 AM (via Zoom)

Cost: $160.50 including tax

In-Person Tai Chi and Qigong

Tuesdays in July- July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Cost: $80.25 including tax

Registration: studiobookingonline.com/heartlandyoga/store.html

Questions Contact: lori.taichi1@gmail.com

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Morning Qigong- ONLINE

March 7, 2025 by Breath and Balance Tai Chi

Start your day with gentle qigong sets to improve your energy flow.  In the spring, qigong movements become more expansive supporting renewal and growth to increase blood and qi circulation. Practicing qigong has a positive effect on balance, strength, mood, focus, pain, mobility and overall wellbeing.

Dates:   March 11- April 3, 2025 Tuesdays and/or Thursdays  Time: 6:15-7:00 AM   

Registration: Individual class $20.00 plus tax 4 classes 60 plus tax 8 classes, $120 plus tax

Contact: lori@breathbalance.com to register

In Collaboration with Heartland Yoga, Iowa City Iowa https://heartlandyoga.com/

                           

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Enhance Your Well-Being with Tai Chi and Qigong

January 5, 2025 by Breath and Balance Tai Chi

Tai Chi, also known as Tai Chi Ch’uan, Taiji, or Taijiquan, is a slow and graceful exercise that enhances mental focus, promotes calmness, and improves body alignment. It helps build leg strength, endurance, and stability while increasing stamina, flexibility, and coordination (refer to Research). Tai Chi encourages efficient movement and minimizes effort. As a form of Qi Gong, it cultivates energy for a healthy body, mind, and spirit, influencing all aspects of life, including interactions with others. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/tai-chi-what-you-need-to-know

Discover simple ways to include the principles of Tai Chi in your daily lives during this 9 week session. Focus on mindfulness, breath and posture awareness, active relaxation, and slow, integrated core movement. We will play with the basic movements of Tai Chi and Qigong and explore the Tai Chi Fundamentals form.

DATES: January 7- March 4, 2025 ( 9 weeks) Tuesdays from 4:00- 5:15 PM  

LOCATION: Heartland Yoga 221 E College St Ste 213, Iowa City, IA 52240

TUITION:  9 class pass is  $144.45 including tax, tuition prorated depending on start date

REGISTRATION: Contact me or https://studiobookingonline.com/heartlandyoga/classes.html 

CONTACT: Lori@breathbalance.com or Kimberly at Info@heartlandyoga.com

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Morning Qigong

December 30, 2024 by Breath and Balance Tai Chi

Morning  Qigong- ONLINE only

Love Winter, When the Plant Says Nothing Thomas Merton 

Winter, the most Yin of all seasons, invites us to rest and restore our energy. Learn the Eight Pieces of Brocade also called the Ba Duan Jin, an ancient qigong set for wellbeing. Class will focus on integration of body, breath and mind (focus and imagination).  You may attend once or twice a week. One to two Brocades will be introduced Tuesday of each week and if you decide to attend once a week, by the end of 10 weeks, you will learn the full set. Class is offered through https://heartlandyoga.com/

December 31, 2024 – March 6, 2025

Tuesday and Thursday from 6:15-7:00 AM        

TUITION: 10 class pass – $160.50, 20 class pass – $321.00, Try a class- $21.40 

REGISTRATION: Contact me or https://studiobookingonline.com/heartlandyoga/classes.html 

CONTACT: Lori@breathbalance.com or Kimberly at Info@heartlandyoga.com

  

      

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Tai Chi Fundamentals® Adapted Program Training is coming to Seattle May 2-4, 2025

December 11, 2024 by Breath and Balance Tai Chi

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Tai Chi Fundamentals® Programs (Adapted and Original) are accessible and versatile programs for learning tai chi. Suitable for individuals with a wide range of abilities, they include instruction in three versions: Standing with Optional Side Support, Walker Support and Seated. All program elements can be modified to accommodate individual needs.

Program Elements:  All movements are taught in a motor development progression and have been modified for practice with optional side support, walker support and seated. All versions include:

  – Basic Moves: a series of exercises that trains the postural alignment, body mechanics, and energetic components of tai chi. Designed as building blocks for learning tai chi, they are taught in a simple-to-complex progression with discrete, measurable increments in difficulty and have applications as assessment and intervention tools.

  – Tai Chi Fundamentals Form: a flowing sequence of tai chi movements based in Yang Style tai chi.

  – Mind/Body Skills Training: integrated into both Basic Moves and TCF Form instruction. Fosters attention and focus; a calm, observant state of mind; awareness of posture and breathing; and physical relaxation. Characteristic of all traditional tai chi practice, Mind/Body Skills training helps foster the cultivation of healthy qi, or vital energy.

Development: Original TCF Program developed in 1996 by Tricia Yu, MA and Jill Johnson, MS, PT, targeting elements from traditional tai chi that enhance balance, coordination, strength, and endurance. TCF Adapted Program developed in 2014 by Tricia Yu, MA, based on the need for a program that includes modifications for standing with support and seated applications.

For more information: https://taichihealth.com/event/course-one-tcf-program-basic-moves-training-may-2025/

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Qigong and Tai Chi: Wake up your Chi and support Humanitarian Efforts

November 25, 2024 by Breath and Balance Tai Chi

Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 615-7:00 AM on ZOOM.

Get your Chi flowing with a series of slow intentional movements and discover the Eight Active Ingredients of Tai Chi developed by Peter Wayne, renowned tai chi teacher, researcher and author of Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi. The ingredients include awareness, intention, active relaxation, natural freer breathing, structural integration, strengthening and flexibility, social support, and embodied spirituality.  When these individual ingredients are integrated, the synergistic benefits promote healing of mind, body and spirit.

Participants of all skill levels are welcome, and the practice can be performed either standing or seated.

This class series runs through Dec 19. All proceeds from this 6 week session with be donated to World Central Kitchen, a charity that is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. Lori is collaborating with Heartland Yoga of Iowa City to offer classes.

A suggested donation of $90 is recommended for 12 classes spanning 6 weeks. Adjust your donation according to your anticipated attendance. If you are able, please consider making a donation.

Contact lori@breathbalance.com for more information.

Read more: Qigong and Tai Chi: Wake up your Chi and support Humanitarian Efforts

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Iowa Somatic Psychology and Movement Therapies Summit

August 5, 2021 by Breath and Balance Tai Chi

How do we regulate the nervous system with our Tai Chi practice? I will be presenting at this Summit, offering simple Tai Chi movements to facilitate calming a dysregulated nervous system.

https://www.iowasomapsychsummit.org/

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