Winter Newsletter Dec/Jan

Greetings and Happy New Year! I am sitting in a hotel room in LA waiting for an early flight tomorrow morning to Costa Rica to begin our adventure to the Caribean side of the country and then our Tai Chi and Qigong Immersion Retreat week.

Last year at this time, this was merely a dream of returning to Costa Rica and launching a retreat for students to come and enjoy the beauty of this place and people and immerse themselves in practice. And, here we are, to my great joy, I put the plan together and many of you not only said yes, but embraced this wonderful journey along with me.

I hope the coming training is the beginning of a series of annual escapes to beauty, culture, and deep work. (ie: China next June & July to Celebrate Grandmaster’s 70th Birthday!!!)

In another couple weeks we’ll be on our way back and diving back in to Wise Orchid’s studio to share this practice we love. Below are a few of the new and continuing classes, along with links for registration. Register early and let me know you want me to come home.
Also, thank you to my dear friend Sophia who designed our retreat T-shirts! I gave her a picture of a Quetzal taken through a spotting scope that suggested a yin yang and look at the beautiful thing she created. Hurray! By the way, Sophie is the one who created our Wise Orchid Energy Swoosh Logo! Quite a talent.

Saturdays at the studio are shifting a little for Winter Session. We’ll start with Spiral Qigongat 9am and then follow with Chen Tai Chi – an all levels class at 10am, then wrap up Saturday’s classes with a round of Sensing Hands training.

Weapons/implement training with return in the Spring with classes back outside where there is room to spread out and reach in all directions.

Wednesdays at 6pm, Join Rusel at the studio for an Intro to Tai Chi – Fundamentals for Beginners.
And Mondays at 10:30am, Viola will continue her Tai Chi for Seniors and Beginnersclasses exploring the principles of practice through the Yang 24 form.

Lastly, let 2018 be an opportunity for deep healing. Let it begin with you. With me. And our community through our commitment for positive change within ourselves and everything we touch. Qigong is one of my chosen paths to reach this goal.

Join me on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7:30am at the studioWednesdays at 10:45am in Burien, and Wednesdays at 6:45pm at South Seattle College. Hey Seattle, can you feel the Wednesday Qi fest happening.

Well, those are some of the highlights of the upcoming Winter Sessions.

Reflecting on 2017 we did some great work together with workshops raising funds for the ACLU, for Conservation Northwest, The Southern Poverty Law Center, as well as Mercy Corps and Kin On Eldercare. Thank you all for taking part and supporting these great organizations doing good work on a local and national, as well as international level.

We passed our one year anniversary at the studio quietly, though inside I am grateful every day I walk in the door, so happy to have a space to nurture this practice and community and myself.

Be well everyone and keep up the practice while we are away.

Here are some links to videos to keep you moving.
– First our friend Master Art Baner’s Ba Duan Jin, 8 Brocade Qigong
– Silk Reeling with Master Wang Haijun
– And, of course, Joint Lubrication Qigong with Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei

Now, off to our rest before another long day of travel. Be well friends and see you in the New Year.

Much love and appreciation,
Viola

World Tai Chi QiGong Day 2012, Beacon Hill, Seattle, WA

Part the Wild Horse's Mane, Yang Tai Chi's 24 form, World Tai Chi Qigong Day 2012

One World ….  One Breath ….

What an incredible morning!  Saturday, April 28, 2012, World Tai Chi Qigong Day, I woke to the forecast of clouds and occasional showers.  I was braced for the changeable spring weather of Seattle such as we had last year, with a torrential downpour just before we got started and then brilliant sun.  This year, I brought sunscreen just in case, and the skies did not disappoint.  Down to just a t-shirt and no hat, you’d think it was already summer in Seattle.

And so we arrived at Jefferson Park, not knowing how many people would be able to come.  I know weekends in the spring are a slam of opportunity as we  come out from under the cover of winter… You have many options and obligations of things to put your energy toward.  But you came, you practiced, and together we created some positive qi and inspiration to all our bystanders at Jefferson Park.  I thank you all who were there in person and in spirit, joining in the wave of healing circling the planet.  With 35+ people in attendance and several dozen onlookers, we had an amazing turn out!  Folks came from Bellevue, Auburn, Renton, Burien, West Seattle and around Seattle proper as well.

We practiced some Joint Lubrication Longevity Qigong exercises, Silk Reeling, Tai Chi Walking, and then jumped into some Yang 24 Tai Chi form, Topping it off with some Chen Taiji Laojia Yilu and the finale’ the Yin Yang Medical Qigong!  Whew!  Such a treat to have two hours to play together in the park!

2012 World Tai Chi Qigong Day Participants, Jefferson Park, Beacon Hill, Seattle,WA

Yang 24 Tai Chi Group at WTCQGD 2012

Wise Orchid Taijiquan & QiGong, World Tai Chi Qigong Day Seattle 2012 Yin Yang Medical Qigong

for more pictures, check out my flickr page

Thank you to Rusel DeMaria and Leo Manzano for taking these great pictures!

Spring 2011 Newsletter

Travels to Shaolin Temple 2011

Dear Friends of Wise Orchid Martial Arts,

Spring is approaching and as the light returns I thought I would send out a wish for you all to be in good health and spirits experiencing the renewal that this time of year brings.  With so much desperation and difficulty in the world, I hope that you are continuing to cultivate peace and goodness in your own lives and in your own way.

Viola’s Travels and Class Cancellations:

With Spring comes the Eugene Chen Tai Chi Camp!  Yes, Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei will be giving his annual training camp in Eugene at the end of this month, followed by a Chen Tai Chi Summit in Los Angeles.  I will be attending both back to back, so mark your calendars; there will be no classes for Wise Orchid Martial Arts on the following dates: March 23rd & 24th and March 31st through April 5th.

NEW and Continuing Classes for Spring 2011:

When I return, there will be new sessions of Tai Chi starting at South Seattle Community College, Delridge Community Center, Renton Senior and Activity Center and the Burien Community Center.  Of course, classes will be continuing down in the ID and at Fauntleroy.  But the exciting news is that a New Class will be starting on Beacon Hill at the Jefferson Community Center, Mondays & Wednesdays at 11am to noon.  In this class I will be offering the Chen 18 form, along with Grandmaster Chen’s Longevity Exercises, Silk Reeling, and Chen Style QiGong.  Please come and join us in learning this wonderful style and form.

Why Chen Tai Chi:

I began my journey some 18 years ago now with Yang Style Tai Chi.  Not by choice, but because the teacher that came most highly recommended to me in town taught that style.  After less than a year of practice learning the Yang 24, Master Leung introduced me to some Chen Style Tai Chi.  For me it was love at first spiral.  I had loved the introduction of Tai Chi through the structure and grace and openness of practicing the Yang form, but discovering and learning Chen Style was… expansive beyond belief.  I began to better understand the development and movement of qi.  Through the spiral movements of the form, I felt my practice deepen, my spirit grew lighter, and my roots deeper.  I was able to incorporate the foundations I had learned in Yang Style to this new found love of spiraling open and closed, learning about flow, and the potential of my own strength and connection on a whole new level.  I would really enjoy sharing this art with you as it will only deepen your own understanding and practice of Tai Chi.

Thank you for joining me on this part of my journey and doing what you do to make this world a better place.

All of my best,

Viola Brumbaugh

….  expand & flourish!