Internal Arts Madeira

02/12/2025

Class Cancelled for Wednesday, 03 December

Hello to all! Please note that the Wednesday Qigong class is cancelled this week.

My sister is coming to visit and I need to pick her up from the airport.

See you on Thursday!

28/11/2025

Even in this age of instant online video of every topic under the sun, I believe that books can be valuable sources of information regarding Tai Chi, Qigong, meditation, and etc.

While it can be next to impossible to learn Tai Chi from books, they are useful reference materials regarding Tai Chi theory, as well as the history of the art.

Qigong lends itself better to the printed medium and over the years I have picked up many techniques and methodologies from the books in my personal library.

Books are also a wonderful supplement to in-person training with your instructor.

I've decided to start posting here the names and descriptions of the books that have most influenced and/or helped me in my exploration of these arts.

These will be accompanied by links to Amazon, should you wish to purchase them yourself.

Full disclosure: I am an Amazon Associate, so these are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The first book I would like to highlight is the one that got me started into a deeper investigation of Qigong and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM):

"A Complete Guide to Chi-Gung: Harnessing the Power of the Universe" by Daniel P. Reid.

I serendipitously found this book in 2006, when I was recovering from a serious illness that came close to ending my life. I was perusing the shelves of a consignment book shop and came across a massive trove of titles from Shambhala Publications.

This one seemed to jump out at me and just a few minutes of flipping through the pages and reading random excerpts convinced me to immediately purchase it.

Daniel Reid has a deep knowledge of Qigong and the information in this book started me down the path to recovery. I had previously practiced Qigong, but my instructor rarely gave in-depth explanations of what we were doing and why. Daniel Reid accomplished that and more.

The book is well-written, with clear illustrations and descriptions of numerous Qigong techniques.

I'm actually on my fifth copy of the book, having worn out two previous copies, and I've given away two others as gifts.

If you would like to purchase your own copy, you can do so here:

which literally means “energy work”: is a system of cultivating health, vitality, and longevity that is based on the fundamental principles of Taoism and the laws of nature. Practiced by the Chinese for thousands of years, works with the energy found in all living things to help rid ...

24/11/2025

True...

☯️

23/11/2025

This image is from a creator who specializes in financial topics, but it's just as applicable to Tai Chi as it is to investing.

I often mention to others that even though it may not seem like it, they are making incremental progress every time they practice Tai Chi.

It's hard to predict when, but the day will come when they suddenly realize that they've "got it." They can remember the sequences. The weight shifting feels natural. Their body, limbs, and breath are coordinated and harmonized.

One day, you can't figure out where to put your feet...then the next day everything works.

This phenomenon is almost inevitable, provided you are patient and practice with regularity and intentionality.

The only sure way to not arrive at this moment is to quit.

14/11/2025

It's unfortunate that I had to cancel all of this week's classes at Madalena do Mar due to poor weather conditions. One of the problems with practicing outside in nature is...well...nature doesn't cooperate.

This serves as a good reminder that one should not practicing Tai Chi or Qigong outdoors in bad weather. In particular, avoid exposure to strong winds, thunderstorms, and heavy rain or snow. In fact, I don't even practice indoors when the weather outside is particularly nasty.

Traditional Chinese Medicine theories claim that these kinds of weather conditions can negatively influence your qi and body, and are not conducive to energetic practices.

Do keep in mind that "bad weather" is subjective; what one person considers to be a storm is just a breezy day to another.

Take for example "strong wind." As a rule of thumb, I consider the wind to be "strong" if I have to exert physical effort to resist it. However, I weigh about 100 kilos, so what I consider to be a light wind might feel overwhelming to someone half my weight.

This is something I have to be mindful of when teaching because my students come in all shapes and sizes, and is why I tend to err on the side of caution when it comes to class cancellation.

I don't think I will have to cancel class this weekend (Sunday, 16 November) in Funchal, and I hope that next week things will be back to normal in Madalena do Mar.

12/11/2025

Class canceled today (12 November) due to bad weather.

It is currently raining quite heavily, and the weather forecast is predicting a 75% chance of rain at 08:00.

Tomorrow should be better…I hope!

10/11/2025

Classes in Madalena do Mar will likely be cancelled this week due to rain.

I will send out messages here by 07:30 on each day to confirm any cancellations.

Sorry! It's that time of the year again...

07/11/2025

Different style, but same lesson...

04/11/2025

I've mentioned a few times (and I have written here in my bio) that I've been practicing Tai Chi for over 18 years, but I'm 53 years old. So then, what was I doing before that?

Well, a bit of everything.

My martial arts journey started in my late teens with a short stint in a Karate dojo.

Soon afterwards, I joined the US Army, where I was lucky to have a Judo blackbelt as one of my first roommates. It wasn't very long before I was hitting the mats with him, both figuratively and literally.

One reality of life in the military is that servicemembers relocate about once every three years. Unfortunately, Judo was not an option at my next duty station, so I decided to train in whatever style was available.

I kept up this pattern for the next decade and a half, progressing at various times through Taekwondo, Hapkido, Arnis, Krav Maga, Kickboxing, and Wing Chun before eventually settling on Tai Chi.

On the one hand, this was a wonderful path because it exposed me to so many arts and instructors. On the other hand, I often felt quite frustrated because I would attain an intermediate level of proficiency in an art, only to be forced to move and start all over again with something new.

What cannot be denied is that I learned to adopt (and adapt to) a beginner's mindset.

I'm intimately familiar with how it feels to be the new person in the class who doesn't know his left hand from his right foot. I've repeatedly been the person who does everything wrong and goes the opposite direction from everyone else.

I also know a few other things. For example, none of the other students really cared about my errors, being more concerned with refining their own techniques. They had all been through the same process at least once, so understood my situation.

I've never forgotten this lesson and it has left me with great compassion and admiration for people who are courageous enough to try something new, especially if doing so makes them feel self-conscious and awkward.

This discomfort passes. You just need to trust the process, and keep trying.

The only way to not improve is to stop practicing.

02/11/2025

Along with regular Tai Chi, Qigong, and meditation practice, I think it's also critical to walk as much as you can.

There is something genuinely satisfying about moving under your own power, unassisted by any kind of vehicle, machine or mechanism.

I also believe that moving at a walking speed reconnects us with the world around us.

It's even better if you do so with intention, mindful of your surroundings, with no podcast or music in your ears to distract you.

I do my best thinking while walking and it's rare for more than a day to go by in which I don't amble about my environment.

01/11/2025

I came across this series of slides earlier in the week and wanted to share them with you. All credit to the source, Justaichi.com.

They do a good job of explaining the various stages practitioners pass through on their Tai Chi journey.

It also appears to be a condensed and simplified outline of a detailed article Chen Xiaowang wrote on this topic, which you can find here:

http://www.shou-yi.org/taijiquan/5-levels-of-skill-in-chen-taijiquan

One of Chen Xiawang's top disciples, Jan Silberstorff expanded this into a book, which can be purchased from Amazon here (not an affiliate link):

https://www.amazon.com/Five-Levels-Taijiquan-Xiaowang-Chen/dp/184819093X

A word of caution though would be to not obsess too much on what stage you might be in. It's better to focus on meaningful, regular training and let the process take care of itself.

Always keep in mind that even being at Stage One is an extraordinary achievement compared to the general population!

31/10/2025

I have noticed that regular Tai Chi practice does help me sleep better.

However, that practice is done early in the day.

I don't recommend late night Tai Chi (or Qigong) sessions as they can raise your energy levels and actually make it more difficult to sleep.

I like to finish with my training at least two hours before bedtime.

Research suggests that exercise is beneficial in managing insomnia, but current guidelines don’t specify which types may be most effective. A 2025 study found that yoga, tai chi, walking,...