Summer timetable

 See website for details.😀

 It's more accessible, more informative, better integrated. Check it out at www.ahigherporpoise.com.😀

Autumn class timetable

There are a number of changes to classes starting from September. The new class timetable is listed here. Although we are moving towards a new normal, there is still a mixture of indoor, outdoor and online classes.

Now that I can plan classes with a bit more certainty, though, monthly discounts are back!😀 This is for all face-to-face classes except for the Guild Hall class which will continue in the park for now. As classes can be cancelled at short notice because of the weather a monthly discount wouldn't work. I hope to hear soon about when we can move back into the Guild Hall and will then be able to plan accordingly.

The all-classes monthly pass is also back at £30/month. This is well worth it if you plan to attend more than one class a week and includes online classes as well as face-to-face ones.

The price of single online classes is going up from £3 to £4 but there will now be a discount rate for these as well. There will be two online courses.

On Monday evenings at 7pm, there will be an 8 week introduction to Yang style 8 step form, running from 7 September to 26 October.

And on Thursday mornings at 10am, there will be a 10 week course on Yi Jin Jing Health Qigong, running from 3 September to 5 November.

You can book the whole courses at the discounted rates of £24 for the Monday evening tai chi and £30 for the Thursday morning qigong. You can also continue to book classes one at a time as you attend, but the price is now £4/session.

Indoor tai chi is back (soon) :)

It has been announced today that from 25 July indoor gyms, leisure centres and other indoor exercise will be allowed.

This is good news but it doesn't mean that all indoor classes will be starting up again from that date as procedures need to be agreed with each centre for the safe start-up of classes.

Dates I have so far are as follows:

Wednesday 29 July: 2.30pm class at Hurst Dance Studios will restart. Until then it will continue in Leyland Park.
Tuesday 1 September: 10am tai chi at Leigh South Community Centre will restart. Until then it will be in Pennington Park.
Wednesday 2 September 10am qigong at Leigh South Community Centre will restart. Until then it will be online.

I will let you know dates for other classes as I get them.

Merry Christmas and things to look forward to in the new year :)

Happy holidays! There will be no more classes until Monday 6 January (except for one at Park Royal Spa and you need to be a member of the health club).

Enjoy the season and keep doing tai chi and qigong.

There will be lots of new and exciting things happening in the New Year. We will be starting the 8 step form on Wednesday afternoons at Hurst Dance Studios in Hindley and on Monday evenings we will be starting the Tai Chi Kung Fu Fan form at the Captains Lane Community Centre in Ashton-in-Makerfield.

Although the Monday extra half hour has been free up until now I will be starting to charge £3/session from the new year, making it £9 if you stay for both classes. There is still a 25% discount for paying monthly and it is included in the £30 for all classes in a month offer.

I am still looking into starting a daytime sword class sometime early next year. This will probably be on Mondays after the Guild Hall class in Walkden - I just need to get the paperwork sorted out first.

It is worth booking early for the Deyin Taijiquan Institute Chinese New Year Spring Festival on Saturday 25 January as it is always popular and is free to Deyin members (membership is only £20/year). There are tai chi and qigong workshops throughout the day given by Deyin instructors.

This is followed by an evening of celebration with food, demonstrations, raffle and lion dancing. Then on Sunday there is an opportunity to get a taste of the Mandarin language and calligraphy, with qigong in the afternoon. There is a charge for the evening celebration and Sunday workshops.

If you are interested in health qigong and would like to take it further there are one-day workshops on different forms at the Chinese Culture Centre in Telford on 11/12 January and 8/9 February. These workshops are aimed at instructors and would-be instructors but are open to all serious practitioners.

And if you are interested in the martial applications of tai chi, Angela Howarth will be running a series of weekend morning workshops in Liverpool.

Qigong for beginners - upcoming courses

Just like tai chi, qigong is a great exercise for health and relaxation. It is suitable for all levels of health and ability and can be adapted to the individual.

Coming up at the beginning of April are two 10 week courses on Yi Jin Jing muscle and tendon strengthening exercises, one daytime, one evening.

The courses are designed for beginners and no previous knowledge is required. Just like tai chi, though, more advanced students can benefit from going over the basics of each move.

Both courses are great value at £50 for the 10 week course. And if you book by 1 March you get £10 off!

The daytime class is on Wednesdays, 10am-11am, at Leigh South (TocH) Community Centre, 32 Hope Carr Road, Leigh WN7 3ET, and runs from Wednesday 3 April to Wednesday 5 June.

The evening class is on Thursdays, 6pm-7pm. at Hurst Dance Studios, 51 Market St, Hindley, Wigan WN2 3AE, and runs from Thursday 4 April to 6 June.

Click below to get your early booking discount now or email for more information.

For the Wednesday morning classes in Leigh:

And for the Thursday evening classes on Hindley:

Qigong course - Wu Qin Xi or Five Animal Frolics

Wu Qin Xi or Five Animal Frolics, as its name suggests, is a joyful qigong form, suitable for all ages and abilities. In various stretches the qigong player endeavours to get into the spirit of each of the five animals: the powerful courageous tiger, the playful carefree deer, the calm steady bear, the clever nimble monkey and the graceful agile bird.

There will be a 6 week course on Five Animal Frolics at Leigh South (TocH) Community Centre, 32 Hope Carr Road, WN7 3ET. It will be on Wednesday mornings, 10am-11am, starting 24 October.

New class starting in St Helen's

Starting 4 July, there will be a tai chi/qigong class on Tuesday mornings at 10am at the Ormskirk Street United Reformed Church in St Helens. It is aimed at beginners but all levels are welcome.

New classes starting

I've recently started teaching a small, friendly class at Heald Farm Court, Sturgess Street, Newton-le-Willows WA12 9HP. It is Monday afternoons 1.30pm-2.30pm and is a mixture of Chinese health qigong and tai chi. It is suitable for beginners and is now open to the public so get in touch if you would like to know more about it.

I will also be starting a class in on Monday mornings in Salford soon and will post details once everything is finalized.