lfa tai chi blog

LFA Tai Chi TV

2006-06-13T23:44:00.000+01:00

Hi Everyone just to let everyone know i have some fantastic news.

Within the next week we will have our brand new Tai Chi website up but something even better we are releasing our new TV channel on the web with video tutorials on a range of health topics.

Look out for our new site its going to be fantastic.

Regards

Sheila

Tai Chi

Tai Chi Blog

2006-06-03T01:34:00.000+01:00

Tai Chi Blog

New LFA tai Chi site coming soon

2006-06-03T01:28:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone keep a look out for our new site coming within the next month and lookout for our brand new TV channel on the web to help anyone with health problems.

Tell your freinds and family about our Tv channel its going to be great.

All the best Sheila

Tai Chi

Tai Chi

2005-09-12T08:26:00.000+01:00

Tai Chi
What is Tai Chi - Tai Chi chuan?

The answer to this question lies in another question, “What are you looking for?”

If you are not happy with any area of your life today, then Tai Chi can help you.
I have been studying and teaching the Tai Chi Health Arts for over twenty years. During this time I have learnt that the answer to all questions lies within each of us.

The above may sound like a bold statement, yet it is based on facts handed down over the centuries. Because of the vast variety of benefits available to everyone who practises Tai Chi ,

many articles have been written on the subject. The majority of the articles shroud the understanding of the art of Tai Chi in mystery. Today, Western Medicine is acknowledging that Tai Chi can help many ailments and recently an article appeared in the national newspapers claiming that doctors agreed that Tai Chi worked but they couldn't explain how.

I would like to share with you my own understanding of Tai Chi which is taught purely for health and is based on the principles of Chinese Medicine.

Your own body's internal energy (Chi energy), plays a vital role in the quality of your health. Chi energy is with you from the day you are born until the day you die. A person with a highly developed Chi energy through practicing Tai Chi experiences very few illnesses. That is what we are all working towards.

Most of us understand how our blood flows through our body and have a basic understanding of how our organs work.

Did you know that a person with highly volatile emotions, often has stagnation in the liver and gallbladder? The stagnation I am talking about is the stagnation of your Chi energy. This is because the flow of your body's internal energy is not moving freely around your body and nourishing your organs properly. My late master used to say ‘If you lose your temper or raise your voice you are ill.'

The movements of the Tai Chi Form start to work on the development of your internal energy (Chi) from your very first lesson.

Our movements are simple to perform and once learnt and practised regularly, the health benefits will last you a lifetime.

Our Tai Chi Chuan Form provides the foundations upon which all the other aspects of our arts are based. It is the starting point of training, for all those wishing to improve the quality of their health.

To progress in any area of your life, your mind needs to be calm. If you are tense ideas will not flow freely and you will find the act of daily living a strain.

Because we teach these traditional movements in a modern way, you will find that your mind becomes calm, as you learn the mechanics, your balance and co-ordination will also improve. This is because your mind is pleasantly occupied with the constant repetition of trying to perfect the simple movements

Another vital aspect of our Arts is correct breathing, yet most of us go through our lives without even giving it a second thought. When I was at school I was taught to breathe in and pull everything in. If we analyse what is actually happening to the lungs when you use this type of breathing you will find that only the upper part of the lungs are being used.

This allows toxins to form and build up in the lower part of the lungs. If you watch a baby breathing you will notice that there stomach appears to expand as they breathe in and contract as they breathe out, this type of breathing allows the whole of the lungs to be used correctly.

When your lungs are working correctly, this helps the rest of your body to work efficiently, your blood will flow freely and your body's natural energy (Chi) will move around your body; taking care of your inner well being.

You will also find that your mind is more alert and ideas flow easily to you, providing solutions to areas of your life which may be causing you strain. People who suffer from breath related ailments such as asthma have found great benefit from practising Tai Chi .

Because the movements of Tai Chi Chuan are gentle and practised without strain they are suitable for everyone. We encourage people to progress at their own pace.

Remember if you are feeling under pressure in any area of your life today, your mind, body and spirit are not in complete harmony.

The movements we teach work, they have helped many people suffering from ailments such as arthritis, asthma, back pain, cancer...

balance, circulation, knee problems, low fertility, heart problems, hip problems, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, insomnia, neck problems, M.E. M.S. shoulder problems, thyroid, stress and many more. These ailments will be covered in greater depth in future articles.

The subject of the Tai Chi is vast and the knowledge and information I have to share with you has already helped many people. I have many written testimonials from people who have already reaped the benefits of practising Tai Chi.

Check out our fantastic Secial Offer...

Click Here

Click Here for the home page

Sheila Dickinson

LFA Tai Chi Health Arts President and master Instructor.
http://www.lfataichi.com

Lee style Tai Chi homepage

2005-09-12T08:25:00.000+01:00

Lee style Tai Chi homepage

What is Tai Chi

2005-09-12T08:24:00.000+01:00

What is Tai Chi: "Tai Chi
What is Tai Chi - Tai Chi chuan?

The answer to this question lies in another question, �What are you looking for?�

If you are not happy with any area of your life today, then Tai Chi can help you.
I have been studying and teaching the Tai Chi Health Arts for over twenty years. During this time I have learnt that the answer to all questions lies within each of us.

The above may sound like a bold statement, yet it is based on facts handed down over the centuries. Because of the vast variety of benefits available to everyone who practises Tai Chi ,

many articles have been written on the subject. The majority of the articles shroud the understanding of the art of Tai Chi in mystery. Today, Western Medicine is acknowledging that Tai Chi can help many ailments and recently an article appeared in the national newspapers claiming that doctors agreed that Tai Chi worked but they couldn't explain how.

I would like to share with you my own understanding of Tai Chi which is taught purely for health and is based on the principles of Chinese Medicine.

Your own body's internal energy (Chi energy), plays a vital role in the quality of your health. Chi energy is with you from the day you are born until the day you die. A person with a highly developed Chi energy through practicing Tai Chi experiences very few illnesses. That is what we are all working towards.

Most of us understand how our blood flows through our body and have a basic understanding of how our organs work.

Did you know that a person with highly volatile emotions, often has stagnation in the liver and gallbladder? The stagnation I am talking about is the stagnation of your Chi energy. This is because the flow of your body's internal energy is not moving freely around your body and nourishing your"

lfa tai chi blog

2005-09-12T08:21:00.000+01:00

Tai Chi For Back Pain

2005-05-01T19:56:00.001+01:00

Tai Chi For Back Pain

LFA Tai Chi for the relief of back pain is a subject close to my heart; I was twenty-seven years of age when I experienced back pain for the first time. It happened without warning and the pain was horrendous.

In nineteen eighty hardly any one had heard of Tai Chi, however I went along to a weekly class and found myself able to practise the gentle movements. At the time I wasn’t convinced that Tai Chi could help. It did not take long for me to realise that the movements I was practising were something special.

My mother had suffered from back problems and I had watched her unable to take part in a lot of the nicer activities in life because of her back condition. It was not a road I wanted to travel.

Tai Chi completely transformed my life; I started to learn the gentle movements of the Tai Chi Form which I found I could practise without placing additional strain on my back.

In addition the Tai Chi class taught special breathing exercises, there were many different kind that worked on every part of the body. Every exercise that I learnt I practised at home. I want my life back and to be pain free; I did not want the restrictions that I knew came from back problems.

The added bonus was that I found from practising Tai Chi was that not only did my back feel great; I became more relaxed as a person within myself. My health improved, beyond recognition.

I am fifty two years of age and have not been to the Doctors for over twenty years, that does not mean I never feel out of sorts, however, if I do, I use the exercises I know and the herbal treatments that are taught within LFA Tai Chi.

If you suffer from back pain then I suggest you practise the Taoist Walk every day. Details of which are available on our website www.lfataichi.com Further information on the Taoist Walk is included in all of our LFA Tai Chi books.

People with back problems should also look at their calcium intake, I personally follow the Chang Ming Long Life Health Diet. By omitting a few contentious foods from my staple diet, I have completely transformed my life.

In our Tai Chi classes we are also able to advise you on special herbal health treatments, for example a hot ginger bath can be very effective for the relief of back pain and other ailments.

If you are serious about getting rid of your back pain then I suggest you get serious about LFA Tai Chi.
Over the years I have witnessed many people benefit from practising LFA Tai Chi.
The only person who can help you is you! It is up to you to make the effort, LFA Tai Chi is not a magic wand, however, the movements work, all you have to do is apply the practise.

Remember at the age of fifty-two I am walking pain free, the only treatment I have ever used for my back is Tai Chi.

http://www.lfataichi.com

Sheila Dickinson
LFA President
Copyright 2005

lfa tai chi blog

2005-02-12T13:23:00.000Z

lfa tai chi blog

LFA Tai Chi For the Elderly

2005-02-12T13:18:00.000Z

Tai Chi has traditionally been thought of as an exercise for the elderly and although this is not entirely true because Tai Chi is suitable for all age groups.
Tai Chi is certainly beneficial for the elderly for many reasons, the most obvious one is that the movements are soft and gentle and they may be practised without placing a strain on the body.

In the West we are experiencing an aging population, with people living longer than ever before. Science has made remarkable leaps forward and Western medicine is able to prolong life. The question must be asked of the quality of the life the elderly are experiencing.

It appears that as we grow older we are taught to expect the onslaught of aches and pains, because the body is wearing out and therefore we can expect to have to wear glasses, or experience impaired hearing.

My question is why? Why must we accept this? LFA Tai Chi is based purely on Chinese medicine. The gentle movements keep all of the joints mobile without strain. It is important to keep the body moving and not allow the joints to cease up.
However there is so much more going on in the inside and a lot of this is affected by the fuel that we take into our body.

For example people suffering from arthritis have found that when they eliminate potatoes and tomatoes from their diet they have found great improvement in their condition. This information is given to people attending LFA Tai Chi classes or visiting our website.

Another consideration for people suffering from joint problems is the intake of tropical fruit. Fruit is very yin containing a lot of acid, and although it contains important vitamins and minerals, the acid contained in the fruits can have a harmful effect on your joints. Dried fruit contains the same vitamins and minerals without the harmful effect of the acid. All of this valuable information is available in our Chang Ming Long Life Diet and Recipe Book.

In our Tai Chi classes we work on developing the individual’s internal energy. The greater your body’s natural internal energy; the better the quality of the individuals health.

Tai Chi is like every thing else, the more you put into it the more you will get out of it. A person attending a weekly class; without practising inbetween classes will gain from the movements. A person who also practises a little every day will gain on a daily basis. This is because the person who practises every day is continually working on developing their body’s internal Chi energy. If you are unable to attend weekly classes, we have easy to follow videos and books so that you can practise in the comfort of your own home.

I am often asked how long or how often you should practise Tai Chi, if you think you have to practise for an hour each day; a lot of people will not have the time. If however when you put the kettle on to make a drink of tea you can practise some of the movements you have learnt. You will gain without having to make major adjustments to your life style.

Tai Chi is also excellent for improving your balance, a lot of scientific research has taken place in the United States regarding the positive affect that practising Tai Chi has on improving the balance of the elderly. It was found that people who practised Tai Chi were less likely to fall and Tai Chi students experienced less broken bones.

LFA Tai Chi helps to improve the mind, again the expression ‘ if you don’t use it you lose it’ is very apt.

Tai Chi works every part of the mind and body, using both the inside and the out. We have people studying LFA Tai Chi well over eighty years young.
Start practising LFA Tai Chi today and discover great quality of life, every day of your life.

Sheila Dickinson
LFA President
http://www.lfataichi.com
Copyright 2005

Tai Chi and your health

2005-02-12T13:17:00.000Z

Tai Chi and your health

LFA Tai Chi for Children

2005-02-11T09:55:00.000Z

Traditionally Tai Chi has been thought of as exercise for the elderly, however this is currently not so.LFA Tai Chi is beneficial for all age groups and if taught to children can help them easily adapt to the changing stages of their growing bodies.

Tai Chi is very helpful in calming children who are hyperactive; this is because the movements help to balance the child’s internal energy called Chi Energy. Children have an abundant supply of Chi energy, however it is important that it flows freely around the body, nourishing each of the internal organs. If the organs are not nourished properly one organ will draw energy from another thus diminishing the efficiency and balance within the body.

A balanced flow of internal energy will have a calming effect on the mind.
The movements of LFA Tai Chi also teach good posture from an early age and correct breathing patterns that will ensure healthy lungs that will last a lifetime. This will be especially beneficial for children suffering from asthma.

Co- ordination is also improved when a child practises Tai Chi with the added advantage of improving hand / eye skills that will help a child participate in other sporting activities.

When Tai Chi is taught to children it should be made fun; those of us who have the privilege of working with children know that they have active and curious minds. Because of the vast variety of activities taught within LFA Tai Chi, our classes will never be boring for children.

LFA Tai Chi is based on the principles of Chinese medicine. The LFA teach Tai Chi purely for health and is not competitive in nature. Tai Chi works on enhancing the health of the individual child, it also teaches the child how to relate to other children without resorting to force.

LFA Tai Chi promotes peace and harmony, in a time when bullying is rife in school.
It is the responsibility of parents to ensure that their child receives a well balanced diet. We live in a time of fast food, quick fixes, however I think it is important that we look at the long-term effect this can have.

The LFA Tai Chi Health Arts are able to offer advice about the advantages of eating a healthy diet. For further information please read the information on our website about the Chang Ming Diet.

In some of our registered Tai Chi classes we have whole families training together in the art of LFA Tai Chi. Sometimes it is the children who pick up the movements faster than their parents.

Children are like a sponge, eager to soak up new information. The lessons they learn in an LFA Tai Chi session can ensure that they develop into well-balanced adults, able to easily cope with the stresses of modern day living.

All parents want their children to be healthy, happy and well balanced. Practising Tai Chi should be as natural as cleaning your teeth, part of every ones daily routine.

Additional information about the health benefits of LFA Tai Chi will be continually featured on the LFA Tai Chi website. www.lfataichi.com
Our website is for the benefit of everyone and I encourage you to use it.

Sheila Dickinson
LFA President
http://www.lfataichi.com
Copyright 2005

Tai Chi and your health

2005-02-11T09:54:00.000Z

Tai Chi and your health

LFA Tai Chi can help you beat the winter blues

2005-02-09T15:26:00.000Z

Tai Chi can help counter the winter blues; the winter blues usually start around the end of October and continue through to February. This is because the earth’s natural energy (called Li energy) is at its lowest ebb as the weather changes and becomes colder and damper. The day light hours dwindle and we find ourselves travelling to work in the dark and coming home in the dark.

Taught within the LFA style of Tai Chi are the movements of our Tai Chi Dance this is not a dance practised to music although it can be. The movements of our Tai Chi Dance are designed to harness the earth’s natural Li energy and combine it with our own body’s internal energy.

This means that by practising the movements of our Tai Chi Dance our Tai Chi students are able to more easily deal with the effects of the seasonal changes. The LFA teach the Tai Chi Dance in an easy to follow format. Although our teaching methods are modern this does not detract from the powerful health benefits which are available to everyone who practises our Tai Chi Dance.

The movements of our Dance are more flamboyant than those of our Tai Chi Form (the movements are Yang). However the breathing we use is Yin, this ensures that the movements we practise are a true balance of Yin and Yang and that everything is in complete harmony.

The ideal time to practise our Tai Chi Dance is in the morning, this is because the movements help to activate and stimulate the mind. If you practise our Tai Chi Dance in the late evening you may have difficulty sleeping.

In these modern times we all need a continuous supply of energy, life is moving at such a fast pace. If we can’t keep up, our body tends to make us take a rest, how does it do this? Our bones may start to ache, we feel tired, and it is hard to get out of bed. Suddenly the latest flu bug is sweeping the nation.
LFA Tai Chi is not a magic wand, however it does help to keep your body going when others around you are falling down.

Within the LFA Tai Chi system we are also able to offer advice on natural herbal remedies for those who are suffering cold and flu’ symptoms. These can be found in the LFA Chang Ming Long Life Diet and Recipe Book.

Chang Ming is a diet which I have followed myself for over twenty years, it is not a diet in the traditional sense of the word. It is a healthy way of eating; it was devised over three thousand years ago. Our Tai Chi health diet was brought to the people of the West by Chan Kam Lee the last in the line of the Lee Family. It was his job to ensure that the traditions and health benefits of the Lee Family Arts where protected and handed down so that future generations may continue to benefit. In his wisdom Chan Kam Lee converted the Tai Chi diet so that the people in the West could also receive the health giving benefits of this diet.

If you would like additional information on our Tai Chi Dance or Diet please visit our website www.lfataichi.com

Copyright Sheila Dickinson 2005

Tai chi and your health

2005-02-09T15:09:00.000Z

Tai chi and your health

LFA Tai Chi Helps to Relieve Arthritis

2004-12-31T16:20:00.000Z

I personally have witnessed people join LFA Tai chi classes using walking sticks and today, they walk without their sticks and pain free.
The movements of LFA Tai Chi are often described as slow and graceful, yet within those movements are hundreds of subtle exercises that work the joints of the body without strain.

There is a saying ‘If you don’t use it you lose it’. We all know the importance of keeping the body moving. However, with LFA Tai Chi what you see is not what you get, the inside of the body is equally as important as the movements you see on the outside.

If you are suffering from arthritis you are probably in pain and want relief now. LFA Tai Chi can help although it is not a magic wand and it is up to you how much you want to be rid of the pain. We offer no magic pills it is up to you to practise the movements for yourself.

By practising our movements, you will find that on the inside of your body you will begin to activate your Chi energy, which is your body’s natural internal energy. We all have Chi energy from the day we are born until the day we die. A person with a highly developed Chi energy experiences very few illnesses and this is what we are all working towards.

Practising Tai Chi is like the time switch which turns your central heating system on, instead of the water flowing through the pipe and into your radiators, your Chi energy flows through your body and nourishes the whole of your body. If you want your natural heating system to reach all the parts of your body you need your time switch and your pump to be working efficiently.

The summertime is usually easier on arthritis sufferers than the wintertime when the cold and damp weather settles in. This is because the earth’s natural energy (called Li energy) is at its highest in the summer and at its lowest in the winter.

Using the movements of LFA Tai Chi can help you to improve your mobility throughout the year. The movements taught within our Tai Chi Form develop your Chi energy and gather Li energy.

Tai Chi students who attend LFA Tai Chi classes are also advised on external heat treatments these involve using the healing properties of ginger (see my Chang Ming Long Life Diet and Recipe Book). Many of our Tai Chi students who suffer from arthritis have also found that minor dietary changes have helped to improve their condition.

I personally follow the Chang Ming diet, its roots date back over three thousand years to ancient China. It was brought out of China in the nineteen thirties. Today it is taught within the LFA Tai Chi Health Arts.
Our Tai Chi is taught purely for health with the emphasis on the individual, the most important person to us, is you!

It is important not to force your body into uncomfortable positions; in our Tai Chi classes we encourage you to start with small gentle movements. Greater flexibility comes slowly over a period of time. If you attend a weekly class you will gain the benefit; if you practise a little every day it can change your life!

Sheila Dickinson
President LFA Health Arts
Copyright LFA 2004

http://www.lfataichi.com

LFA Tai Chi - The Way to Good Health

2004-11-26T08:36:00.000Z

LFA Tai Chi can help you when you think you have no way to turn and no one to help.
Did you know that the thoughts that we hold inside our mind have an impact on the quality of our health?

For example, the mind uses the same amount of energy whether it is happy or sad, the difference is in the chemical reactions it causes within the body. A negative frame of mind stops your body’s natural Chi energy from flowing freely around your body which in turn places a strain on the organs inside your body.

Doing Tai chi helps as no one wants to feel ill, however if we continue to re-run scenarios of our past or spend our time worrying about tomorrow that is where we are heading.
Have you ever noticed how a person suffering from depression holds their body? Do they look up or down? How do they breath, is it deeply or shallow?

Tai Chi helps you to use natural positions to improve your posture, the subtle changes which
LFA Tai Chi makes to your posture are very powerful and affect your physiological state, which in turn has a calming effect on the mind.

If you look at the breathing patterns of someone who is emotionally drained or under par,
you will find that their breathing is shallow.

To become depressed you have to place your body in certain negative postures, these postures
are working against the health of your body; you also adopt the shallow breathing patterns.
We all have choices; if you are seriously interested in improving the quality of your health then
make a start today by practising the LFA Tai Chi Form.

The first 10 of the Tai Chi form movements are shown on the video clip on our website http://www.lfataichi.com/ Labelled (‘What We Teach’).

The movements are there to help everyone. Do not take my word for it, why not try them for yourself. When I personally first started practising Tai Chi I found that if my thoughts moved to the negative side. I could easily switch them to the positive side by standing up and practising the first few movements of the Tai Chi Form which I had learnt.

LFA Tai Chi is not a magic wand, if you practise regularly; it offers you the potential to positively change the quality of your life.

Sheila Dickinson
President of LFA Tai Chi
Copyright LFA 2004

http://www.lfataichi.com/

LFA Tai chi

2004-11-19T14:21:00.000Z

LFA Tai chi

What is Tai Chi?

The answer to this question lies in another question, “What are you looking for?”

If you are not happy with any area of your life today, then LFA Tai Chi can help you.

I have been studying and teaching the LFA Tai Chi Health Arts for over twenty years. During this time I have learnt that the answer to all questions lies within each of us.

The above may sound like a bold statement, yet it is based on facts handed down over the centuries.

Because of the vast variety of benefits available to everyone who practises Tai Chi,

many articles have been written on the subject. The majority of the articles shroud the understanding of the art of Tai Chi in mystery. Today, Western Medicine is acknowledging that Tai Chi can help many ailments and recently an article appeared in the national newspapers claiming that doctors agreed that Tai Chi worked but they couldn't explain how.

I would like to share with you my own understanding of the LFA style of Tai Chi which is taught purely for health and is based on the principles of Chinese Medicine.

Your own body's internal energy (Chi energy), plays a vital role in the quality of your health. Chi energy is with you from the day you are born until the day you die. A person with a highly developed Chi energy experiences very few illnesses. That is what we are all working towards.

Most of us understand how our blood flows through our body and have a basic understanding of how our organs work.

Did you know that a person with highly volatile emotions, often has stagnation in the liver and gallbladder? The stagnation I am talking about is the stagnation of your Chi energy. This is because the flow of your body's internal energy is not moving freely around your body and nourishing your organs properly. My late master Chee Soo used to say ‘If you lose your temper or raise your voice you are ill.'

The movements of the LFA Tai Chi Form start to work on the development of your internal energy (Chi) from your very first lesson.

Our movements are simple to perform and once learnt and practised regularly, the health benefits will last you a lifetime.

Our Tai Chi Form provides the foundations upon which all the other aspects of our arts are based. It is the starting point of training, for all those wishing to improve the quality of their health.

To progress in any area of your life, your mind needs to be calm. If you are tense ideas will not flow freely and you will find the act of daily living a strain.

Because we teach these traditional movements in a modern way, you will find that your mind becomes calm, as you learn the mechanics, your balance and co-ordination will also improve. This is because your mind is pleasantly occupied with the constant repetition of trying to perfect the simple movements

Another vital aspect of our Arts is correct breathing, yet most of us go through our lives without even giving it a second thought. When I was at school I was taught to breathe in and pull everything in. If we analyse what is actually happening to the lungs when you use this type of breathing you will find that only the upper part of the lungs are being used.

This allows toxins to form and build up in the lower part of the lungs. If you watch a baby breathing you will notice that there stomach appears to expand as they breathe in and contract as they breathe out, this type of breathing allows the whole of the lungs to be used correctly.

When your lungs are working correctly, this helps the rest of your body to work efficiently, your blood will flow freely and your body's natural energy (Chi) will move around your body; taking care of your inner well being. You will also find that your mind is more alert and ideas flow easily to you, providing solutions to areas of your life which may be causing you strain. People who suffer from breath related ailments such as asthma have found great benefit from practising LFA Tai Chi.

Because the movements of Tai Chi are gentle and practised without strain they are suitable for everyone. We encourage people to progress at their own pace.

Remember if you are feeling under pressure in any area of your life today, your mind, body and spirit are not in complete harmony.

The movements we teach work, they have helped many people suffering from ailments such as arthritis, asthma, back pain,

balance, circulation, knee problems, low fertility, heart problems, hip problems, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, insomnia, neck problems, M.E. M.S. shoulder problems, thyroid, stress and many more. These ailments will be covered in greater depth in future articles. The subject of the LFA Tai Chi Health Arts is vast and the knowledge and information I have to share with you has already helped many people. I have many written testimonials from people who have already reaped the benefits of practising LFA Tai Chi.

Sheila Dickinson

LFA Tai Chi Health Arts President and master Instructor.
http://www.lfataichi.com

Copyright LFA 2004