This was my first time at Springhead and my second venture into a weekend of Tai Chi. I have done quite bit of Chi Kung in Hampstead in London but it is not the same as applying myself and learning the form. The long form was something completely new and if I thought about it too much then it was too daunting to commit to a weekend of form. However it was great and I was amazed how the practice works at different levels. I was supported and held throughout, included and valued and at the same time I could see and feel that those who had been practising for 20 odd years also were enriched.

Jos was a very skilled leader and pair work and feedback from partners was really useful. I still don’t “know” the long form (or even the short form come to that) but it feels possible and rewarding and there are bits of sequences, like phrases of a song, that I can incorporate and should come back to me when I do my own stuff.

The weather was great, we practiced outside and the long form became the duck form accompanied by raucous quacks from the lake. So beautiful to be part of the gardens with the trees changing colour and reflected in the lake. The walks round the lake were part of my settling back into myself and at the same time connecting to space and the elements. Healing sounds outside, in a place of beauty is magical.

I felt really well looked after during my stay and the weekend felt like a gift, a present which feeds me and allows me to come back with more openness and listening and generosity. The food, my room, the gardens and the plants, the conversations were all a part of this and thank you to Sue and all the others who helped with the organisation.

Negatives? Not really. The Saturday was long and early starts but it worked for me. I am not a meditator but again the evening quiet sessions were ok and helped me to be grounded and reflect. It was a challenge to be part of a group after the past 18 months but also felt special and a privilege .

I am recalibrating after a pause, a space in living and the chatter in my head is still there but I am trying to be kind to myself. I feel invigorated and at the same time slowed down. I will use the idea of a pause and the taking of space and sinking into my belly to manage the chatter. I will try and remember standing and posture to manage my back. And I will come again.

Kathy Galashan

October 2021