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 45 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 several weeks, months, and years, I include “prognosis”: watching my students to determine what they like to do best, what they do well, building on 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™, Yamuna Body Rolling®
Telephone: 604-263-9123 (Canada)
Email: [email protected]