Practicing and Teaching Tai Chi classes has become my personal passion. I humbly share the story of my journey with you. Thank you for reading.
It All Began With Yoga Classes
I began my wellness journey in 1989 with my first Hatha Yoga class during my senior year at University. I combined my Yoga practice with weight training classes. I loved them both. What resonated with me the most was the persistent seeking of perfection of the form. Something that can never be attained. It became my passion. Getting lost in the concentration of technique, breath, and continuous improvement allowed me to clear my mind of minutia, stress, and anxiety—of which there were plenty.
I continued taking Yoga classes and self-guided weight training for a decade before I began to get an itch to try something new. At that time, I had never heard of Tai Chi but found an ad for a class near me. I signed up and took my first one-hour Tai Chi class—taught by a skilled and talented teacher from Maryland. The instructor was amazing, breaking the movements down step-by-step and micro-focusing on technique and form. It was clear that he had passionately studied for a very long time and was proficient in many styles and forms. To this day, he is still my Tai Chi brother, mentor, and friend. That was the day, in 1999, my mind and body fell in love with Tai Chi.
And this is where my Tai Chi journey began.
What is This Tai Chi and Why do I Love it?
Tai Chi is an internal Chinese martial art that originated in ancient China as a self-defense technique. Tai Chi is considered a soft, or internal, martial art, using energy, relaxation, and extension instead of muscle and force to bring in oncoming energy and redirect it away from your center. There are many colorful and debated stories of its origin which can offer endless hours of research and reading. The basic concepts are rooted in Chinese history, Confucianism, and Taoism.
Today, we mostly hear Tai Chi being studied and practiced for physical, emotional, and mental health benefits.
A Journey Into the Internal Arts
After studying the 24-form, also known as the Yang 24 or Beijing 24, for 2 years—just scratching the surface of this amazing, multi-layered art, my teacher moved from the area (insert heavy sigh here). I wanted to continue learning but the robust search engines of today did not exist in 2001 and not being well-connected to a Tai Chi community, I could not find another teacher in my area. I was also looking for a practice to participate in with my mother, who was not up for Tai Chi. She tried it. It is not for everyone. Enter Qigong, Pauline Reid, and Peaceable Dragon.
I discovered Pauline through a Qigong class offered through Fairfax County. The class was called Kuan Yin Standing, an amazingly beautiful form which, in time, I received permission to teach and still practice today. The form, Pauline and Peaceable Dragon introduced me to a community and a family I had never seen before. This experience opened a door into my future and my passion. This is when not only did my body and mind fall in love with Tai Chi (and Qigong) but also my heart. By the way, my mother also loves the Kuan Yin Standing form and still practices it when properly inspired 😉.
I felt the relationship and complement of Qigong and Tai Chi as well as Yoga, which I was also still practicing. Each practice enhances and influences the other. It just kept getting deeper, delving into the new exciting layers I was feeling. Through Pauline’s Qigong classes, I met my Reiki instructor (yup add Reiki to the love affair), Li Junfeng, and Peaceable Dragon Tai Chi instructors.
It is here in my story that I pause to express my overwhelming gratitude and appreciation for Master Li. His spirit and heart connect with the universe and all who study with him. I have studied many forms with him and my fellow Peaceable Dragons, and also teach a number of them. Anyone who knows me knows of my particular passion for Taiji Shen Gong. Taiji Shen Gong is a system of Qigong composed of three sections; Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, and has a special flavor and rhythm. A very rich and expansive form, movements are sometimes fast and sometimes slow. I particularly resonated with this form due to its close relationship with Tai Chi.
At this point in my journey, having studied the 24 form, and beginning to learn my first of many Qigong forms, I also started learning a different Tai Chi form from Peaceable Dragon instructors—the Cheng Man Ching (CMC) 37 form, named after its creator (also known as the Yang short form).
So I studied, and practiced, and practiced, and practiced—body, mind, emotion, and spirit—all invested in learning these arts.
Time out for a little background. There was (and is) another motivating factor in my study of these arts. In approximately 1991, I began attempting to manage chronic pain and anxiety that got louder and louder during the following years. I went to doctors and tried a variety of physical therapies and medications. They only helped a little. As I ramped up my internal arts studies with regular weekly classes, I began to notice that these practices seemed to be helping… a lot!
Inspired to begin sharing the wellness benefits I had realized, in 2002 I sought and received Master Li’s permission to teach the various Qigong forms I had learned from him and his senior instructors.
This was the beginning of my teaching journey.
During the next couple of years, I continued to learn and refine these practices under Master Li and several amazing Peaceable Dragon instructors—the most notable of which is Paul Rischard. I studied under Paul for many years and am forever grateful for his inspiring spirit, generosity, and insight. With Peaceable Dragon, I felt a sense of community and a bond, unlike anything I had ever experienced. I was invited into, embraced, and continue to cherish my involvement with my Peaceable Dragon family. I have developed deep, long-lasting relationships and have felt supported through some extremely difficult times in my life.
In 2004 I received permission to begin teaching Tai Chi and have been teaching Tai Chi ever since. I still enjoy offering workshops and occasional Qigong classes, but the passion I have for teaching Tai Chi reigns supreme. The influence on my life and my health has been amazing. I see and hear about the improvements my students are experiencing and I am honored to be a catalyst for their enhanced lives.
What Has Tai Chi Done for Me?
At the beginning of every Tai Chi class session, I remind my students that I am one of them. I have been managing a variety of health concerns during my life. Tai Chi, Qigong, Yoga, and Reiki are my therapies as well as my passions. I thank my students for allowing me the opportunity to be their Tai Chi teacher. Even my teaching is a part of my therapy. If you really want to deepen your understanding of something and take it to a whole different level, take on the responsibility of teaching to others. Knowing that I carry the responsibility of others causes me to be a better practitioner and person. It is my joy.
Tai Chi and Qigong have been widely recommended by places like the Mayo Clinic and Harvard Medical School to prevent and reverse health conditions related to aging. They are a great practice for fall prevention, arthritis, Parkinson’s, high blood pressure, poor sleep, back and neck pain, and chronic stress—among others.
I have personally struggled with and managed several chronic challenges that I credit my practices with for helping me. Tai Chi practice has personally helped me with anxiety and depression, cancer, chronic pain related to both injury and autoimmune issues and the struggles of menopause.
I revel in watching my students learn, discover, and improve their conditions and their practice. I watch as they have “ah-ha” moments and see the smiles and looks of determination on their faces. I hear amazing stories of their health improvements and acknowledged fall prevention. I see some beginners come in that can barely pick up one foot off the floor confidently and within a relatively short time, they are standing proudly on one leg, hovering their other foot above the floor with a Cheshire grin on their face. My students are mostly 50 and older. They want to live long and healthy lives. They want to remain active and upright and know that improving balance, strength, and stamina is the way to do it. Many also seek stress reduction and a social connection. I’ve had the honor of helping some of my dedicated students become instructors. I am so proud of them and excited that there are a few more quality Tai Chi instructors to share this wonderful art and help others.
I continue my studies, branching out to discover other local groups and instructors to practice with and learn from. There are loads of books and videos available to delve into. Each experience with pearls of wisdom and ah-ha moments to ponder, embrace and incorporate into my practice and my teaching.
What has Tai Chi done for me? It has improved my health—mentally, physically, and spiritually. It has given me a path to help others as I help myself. It has graced me with a community of amazing people. It has given me a sense of higher purpose. I know that when I am teaching, in that moment, I am the best version of myself.
To my instructors, my fellow practitioners, my students, and the worldwide Tai Chi community, I thank you and appreciate you. Go forth and practice!
About Peaceable Dragon
Peaceable Dragon is a consortium of instructors and students of the internal arts who seek to further develop and enhance their physical, emotional and spiritual condition. It is a collaboration of expertise in a variety of styles of Qigong, Taijiquan, Yoga, Meditation, and other Internal Arts. Participants focus on the awareness of a loving universal power within and the cultivation of that energy for the invigoration of individual and community health.
About the Author
Kris Brinker has been a practitioner of the internal arts in Northern Virginia—Tai Chi (Taiji), Chi Kung (Qigong), and Yoga—since 1989. She has offered various corporate, private, semi-private, and group classes throughout Burke, Fairfax, and Prince William, Virginia. She also offers online live weekly classes and on-demand video Tai Chi and Qigong courses.
Learn More about Kris.