City living

Amsterdam is magical. So vibrant and full of energy. Whether you get around on a bicycle, by tram, boat or on foot, you’ll no doubt agree this city’s a place of many sights, with a strong sense of interesting things happening everywhere you turn.

Never is this more true than now, as we approach the summer months and see all the wonderful parks come alive with trees in blossom and tulips in bloom, the streets buzzing with tourists appreciating the beauty.

But – exciting and inspiring as Amsterdam is – city living can sometimes turn us into human doings and stop us from connecting with the human beings we truly are.

The hustle and bustle can keep us switched on and plugged in 24/7. Encourage us to go faster, try harder and push for that extra mile. This can create a need within us for moments of quiet and calm, the desire to take a breath and feel the ground.

It’s important to seek balance. To find spaces inside and out that enable us to fully switch off and relax our bodies and minds.

Tai Chi – an antidote to the non-stop ‘to do’ list

Tai Chi is an ancient form of Chinese exercise taught all over the world. Its soft yet strong flowing movements, combined with mind focus, help us to become more connected in our bodies and quieten our busy brains.

Students at the Amsterdam Chen Tai Chi and Chi Gong school described how, before they practised Tai Chi, it was like their bodies were a vessel that carried their over–active minds around from place to place. After just a few weeks of Tai Chi training , they noticed a reduction of stress and anxiety. And a greater sense of presence and grounding that wasn’t there before.

“I feel positive about my body when I do Tai Chi. The movements feel graceful and strengthening at the same time,” explained one student who joined the school last year.

“It’s the one place my constant ‘to-do list’ doesn’t get in. Being a mum who works full-time, I always have a load of things I could be doing or tasks I could tick off my list. As soon as I start warming up in Tai Chi class, all of that just drifts into the background. I do not know what I’d do without it now,” shared a student who started training only a few weeks ago.

Why not try Tai Chi for yourself?

Tai Chi is an exercise you experience in your body. The only way to find out if it’s for you is to give it a go!

Amsterdam Chen Tai Chi and Chi Gong offers regular classes from Therapeutic Center Amsterdam at their location on Borgerstraat 102 . And prides itself on providing a warm, friendly and supportive environment in which to learn.

Enrollment for the 10-week summer class for beginners, which starts on Wednesday 30 May, is now open. Find out more by joining the FB event: https://www.facebook.com/events/169381530440524/

Places are limited so contact instructor, Sophie Fagan, directly to book: hello@sophiefagan.com .

This course is open to people of all ages and abilities. No experience necessary. Everyone is welcome.