Why I Teach Both Tai Chi and Qigong in My Classes

If you come to one of my Tai Chi classes, you may notice that we don't spend the whole class practicing Tai Chi. I also include Qigong as an important part of our practice. This often raises a question: if Qigong is easier to learn and can feel more accessible, why do I place so much importance on learning Tai Chi?

The answer is that I believe Tai Chi offers something very special that Qigong alone cannot provide. I teach both because they complement each other, but ultimately I want my students to experience the benefits of learning Tai Chi, even if it requires time, patience, and perseverance.

Qigong and Tai Chi are related, but they are not the same

Qigong has a much longer history than Tai Chi. It developed over many centuries in China and encompasses a wide range of practices involving movement, breathing, relaxation, meditation, and the cultivation of Qi.

The Qigong I teach focuses primarily on health and well-being. We use gentle, flowing movements to cultivate relaxation, mobility, breathing awareness, balance, and greater body awareness.

Tai Chi is different.

Although most people today practice Tai Chi for health and well-being, it has its roots in a martial art. That martial foundation is important because it gives Tai Chi a distinct quality.

The movements aren't simply a collection of gentle exercises. They form a connected sequence that requires coordination, balance, weight shifting, concentration, and greater awareness of how the whole body works together. This is one reason I believe it is worth learning.

So why not just teach Qigong?

This is a very good question. Qigong is wonderful. It is accessible and enjoyable, and you can often feel the benefits relatively quickly. You can learn a movement and begin to experience relaxation and greater awareness without having to remember a long sequence.

But Tai Chi asks more of us, and I think that is a good thing. Learning Tai Chi challenges both the body and the mind. You have to remember the sequence of movements, coordinate your arms and legs, and understand how your weight shifts from one foot to the other.

You have to maintain balance while moving. You have to stay relaxed while remaining connected and stable. And you have to concentrate on what you are doing. That combination makes Tai Chi much more than a gentle form of exercise.

Tai Chi is meant to be difficult at first

One of the things I hear from students is: "I find the Qigong much easier than the Tai Chi." And my answer is: Yes — it is! And that's okay. In fact, I would be disappointed if everyone could learn Tai Chi effortlessly in a few weeks. Tai Chi is an art. And an art is something we develop over time.

We are used to living in a world where we expect to learn things quickly. We watch a video, follow the instructions, and expect to do something almost immediately. Tai Chi doesn't work like that. Progress in Tai Chi is deliberately slow. There is no prize for learning the form as quickly as possible.

The important thing is to learn it carefully. You learn a little. You practice it. You forget it. You practice it again. Something begins to feel familiar. Then you notice something else that needs attention. Gradually, almost without realizing it, your movements begin to change. That is the process. Your mind has to be involved, too.

One of the things I particularly love about Tai Chi is the mental focus it requires. When you are learning a form, you cannot simply let your body move on autopilot. You have to pay attention.

Where is my weight?

Where are my feet?

What are my hands doing?

Am I balanced?

Am I relaxed?

What comes next?

How am I breathing?

For a while, your brain is working very hard! But that is part of the benefit. Tai Chi gives the mind something constructive to focus on while the body moves. As the movements become more familiar, something changes. You no longer have to consciously think about every single part of the sequence. Your body begins to remember. That frees your mind to focus on the quality of the movement rather than simply remembering what comes next.

This is one reason Tai Chi can become such an absorbing practice. For those few minutes, you aren't thinking about your shopping list, your emails, or everything else you need to do. You are simply present:

Moving.

Breathing.

Paying attention.

Qigong helps prepare us for Tai Chi

This is where Qigong becomes so valuable. When we practice Qigong, we develop many of the qualities we need for Tai Chi. We practice relaxing unnecessary tension.

We become aware of our breathing.

We develop better body awareness.

We explore balance and weight.

We learn to move slowly and deliberately.

We begin to understand what it feels like to move from a relaxed and centered place. These are all important foundations for Tai Chi. So when we practice Qigong in a Tai Chi class, we aren't taking time away from Tai Chi. We are preparing the body and mind for it.

Qigong gives us the opportunity to explore some of these principles in a simpler way before bringing them into the more complex Tai Chi form. Don't be discouraged if your Tai Chi progress feels slow. If you are new to Tai Chi and find yourself thinking: "I'll never remember all of this." Please don't worry. Everyone starts there. And if you find yourself enjoying the Qigong more because you can immediately feel that you are getting somewhere, that's completely understandable. But don't give up on the Tai Chi.

The fact that it takes longer to learn is not a weakness of Tai Chi. It is part of its value.

Imagine learning a musical instrument. You wouldn't expect to play a complicated piece beautifully after a handful of lessons. You would practice scales. You would repeat passages. You would make mistakes. You would gradually develop your technique. Tai Chi is similar. It is something you build over time. Learn it slowly — and learn it well.

I would much rather see someone learn Tai Chi slowly and develop a good understanding of the movements than rush through the form simply to say they have learned it. There is a great deal to discover in a Tai Chi movement. At first, you are simply trying to remember what comes next. Then you begin to notice:

Your posture.

Then your balance.

Then your weight shifting.

Then your breathing.

Then how relaxed you are.

Then how one movement flows into the next.

And eventually you start to experience the form as a whole rather than as a series of separate movements. That is where Tai Chi becomes really interesting. There is always another layer.

One of the wonderful things about Tai Chi is that you never really finish learning it. Even after you know the sequence, there is still more to explore.

You can become more relaxed.

Your balance can improve.

Your movements can become smoother.

Your weight shifting can become more natural.

Your coordination can develop.

Your concentration can deepen.

And your understanding of the movements can keep changing. Something that felt awkward six months ago may suddenly feel completely natural. Something you thought you had mastered may reveal another layer. That's the nature of learning an art.

Why I teach both

Although Qigong and Tai Chi are different practices, I don't see them as competing. I see Qigong as a wonderful foundation and Tai Chi as a journey worth taking. Qigong allows us to explore relaxation, breathing, mobility, balance, and awareness in a relatively simple way.

Tai Chi takes those qualities further. It asks us to combine them while learning a continuous sequence of movements that challenges both body and mind. And although Tai Chi can be more difficult, that difficulty is part of what makes it so rewarding.

You don't have to learn it quickly.

You don't have to get everything right.

You don't even have to be naturally coordinated!

You simply need to be willing to practice.

Give yourself time

If you are new to my classes, please don't be discouraged if the Tai Chi feels difficult at first. It is supposed to take time. Tai Chi is an art to be learned slowly, patiently, and diligently. Let yourself be a beginner. Enjoy the Qigong. Use it to develop your foundations. And then keep coming back to the Tai Chi.

The movements that seem complicated today will become more familiar with practice. And one day you may suddenly realise that something which once required enormous concentration has become almost effortless. That doesn't happen because you rushed.

It happens because you kept practicing.

And that, for me, is one of the great gifts of Tai Chi.