Taijiquan Curriculum and Schedule

It is a great pleasure to be a Level 3 Senior Instructor with the Canadian Taijiquan Federation. My experience with martial arts began in San Francisco 1965-70 when I studied Aikido with Robert Nadeau to enhance my performance as a Ballet dancer and teacher.

Here I am dancing “Sophia the Goddess of Wisdom”

In 1970 I moved to Vancouver, BC to teach Ballet for Norbert Vesak at his West Vancouver School while he traveled to choreograph for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

In addition to teaching Ballet, I studied Yang-style Taijiquan in Vancouver with Raymond Chung, Sam Masich, and Shou Yu Liang.  Since 1991 I have enjoyed teaching Taijiquan at various locations in Vancouver and Victoria, including Waterloo Park, Dunbar Community Center Park, Crofton Manor, Ten Thousand Villages, and Southlands Farm Markets.  Feldenkrais® was added to my teaching repertoire in 2006, and  Movement Intelligence modalities were subsequently added.

Here are two moves from the ancient Water Style Taijiquan “Luihe Bafa”:

“Close the Gate to Push at the Moon” 關門推月

“Ever Flowing River” 不斷流動的河流.

My weekly Feldenkrais® & Taijiquan classes are adapted for those of all abilities and disabilities who wish to improve their stamina, balance, and well-being while enjoying time with others. The class meets for 40 minutes including warm-up exercises, a basic Taiji form, and invocations to the elements – EARTH, SKY, FIRE, WATER, WIND, and WOOD – to ground students in the philosophy of Taijiquan.

As the classes progress over weeks, months, and years, I include “prognosis”:  determine what students like to do, encourage what they do well, building upon their strengths until they feel confident with a few movements. Each student refines the weaker parts of his/her practice through an organic process which is “happy learning “.

 

Katarina Halm, M.A.,
Canadian Taijiquan Federation Level 3 Instructor
Feldenkrais® Method of Somatic Education,
Pregnant Pauses®, Focusing, Meridian Focusing,
Movement Intelligence: Chairs, Walk for Life, Solutions for Optimum Mobility, Bones for Life®
A Sounder World with Sounder Sleep System™
Telephone: 604-263-9123 (Canada)
Email: [email protected]