West Oxford
I’m currently offering one-to-one sessions, particularly for those experiencing limited mobility or long-term ill health. Classes will restart in the winter of 2023. Until then, if you’re interested in a class or a one-to-one Tai Chi Qigong session, just fill in the contact form below and I will be happy to connect with you.
Where – from winter 2023
West Oxford Community Centre, Main Hall, Botley Road, (opposite Osney Island minutes from Oxford Train Station), OX2 0BT.
Dates
Please contact me to arrange a private session or express interest in a class until dates for winter 2023 are here.
Cost
One-to-one sessions are on a sliding scale, please contact me for more info.
East Oxford
As well as continuing online and in-person one-to-one sessions, I am now offering an occasional seasonal group session in East Oxford. The next ‘Rest and Renew’ session will be in November 2023 in east Oxford. Please use the contact form to register your interest.
I will be restarting my seasonally-based classes on Fridays 9.15-10.30am in the winter of 2023. To arrange a one-to-one session please get in touch using the contact form below.
Where
Rest and Renew group session: Barracks Lane Community Garden, Barracks Lane, OX4 2AP.
Dates
Nov 2023, 2.30-4pm.
One-to-one sessions (sliding scale) : contact me to arrange a private session at a time that works for you.
Cost
Rest and Renew session: £45
I have a tendency to turn to caffeine/chocolate to combat tiredness, and an unexpected benefit of Zoe’s Friday morning Qigong sessions is feeling more naturally energised. I also feel more accepting of my state – and less inclined to use stimulants to change it.
A Qigong class with Zoe is an opportunity to step quietly into a place where we should all be spending much more time – connecting with our inner being. Visualise a journey through your body, your internal organs, imbuing them with the energy of peace and kindness. Moving in awareness and relaxation – it’s the best feeling!
About the classes
My classes follow the seasonal cycle, with Qigong to support the body through each season and in their transitions, helping out the organs working hardest at different times of year. I combine this with teaching Tai Chi Qigong Shibashi. You are also likely to learn other, shorter forms.
I teach both Qigong and ‘Tai Chi Qigong Shibashi’. Shibashi (meaning ‘eighteen movements’) combines aspects of both Tai Chi and Qigong disciplines, as it involves a flow of movements, each of which is repeated, with the deep awareness of qi cultivation and breathing. There are 4 sets currently taught in the UK, though the full series of 8 comprises of 108 movements (some of which are repeated). It was created by Lin Housheng in 1980, and is taught internationally by, among others, Sifu Wing Cheung of the Tai Chi, Qigong and Feng Shui Institute. I am qualified to teach Shibashi Sets 1 – 3, which I learnt with the Institute’s senior instructors, and in workshops with Sifu Wing Cheung, whose background is in Nei Gong and traditional Tai Chi.
Set 1 is quite gentle, designed to balance qi flow in the whole body for optimal health, and deepens the breath. It is the foundational practice, suitable for beginners or for those unfamiliar with Shibashi. This is a great Qigong to learn if you experience anxiety or stress.
Set 2 works the legs more strongly, helping to open and exercise the leg meridians as well as developing the breathing and the sense of moving from the kwa, or pelvic area. It is suitable if you want a slightly stronger practice physically, and if you are already familiar with Set 1.
Set 3 continues the strengthening movements of Set 2 but also deepens awareness of the inner movements of energy in the body.