Yoga and tai chi classes in Portsmouth
SERVICES
Welcome to Seven Stars Internal Arts
Yoga and tai chi classes in Portsmouth - beginner classes, advanced classes, yoga video and DVD - start anytime!!
Our chief instructor
Andy Cullen has over 25 years experience in the Chinese internal arts.
He has gained the title of 'sifu' (translated as' teacher' or 'master') of yang style tai-chi chuan and is the founder of Seven Stars Yoga (adapted from a style taught to him for over 10 years by one of his tai-chi masters). He also holds a black belt in kung fu. He opened his classes in west London in 1992 and opened a school in Spain in 2006. He now lives and teaches in Portsmouth.
Tai Chi
Style
There are a number of tai chi styles, usually named after Chinese family names such as Yang, Sun, Wu, and Chen, of which Yang style is the most widely practiced.
We teach Yang family style tai chi chuan, although we borrow aspects of other styles where we judge them to be appropriate
Classes
Our beginners classes typically start with a warm up of either yoga or chi gung. The main focus of the class will then be to progress the student through whatever form they are on. Our tai chi syllabus is rather extensive; containing much more work than one can touch on in a single lesson. Therefore the instructor could decide to teach a breathing and meditation exercise one class, and practical application with a partner the next.
Benefits
Practicing tai chi will reduce your feeling of stress. Tai chi will improve circulation by encouraging the heart to pump more strongly (as opposed to faster). It will keep your glandular and nervous system healthy and of course exercise the muscles ligaments and tendons. It will improve your posture and balance and of course develop your chi. One of the most important benefits is that you discover an incredibly enjoyable and engrossing pastime. The main reason people keep doing tai chi year after year is that they really enjoy it!
Tai chi 10 week beginners courses £40
Sundays starting February 6th March 6th
Mondays starting February 7th March 14th
Yoga
Style
To answer the first question we always get asked, the style of yoga we teach is Seven Stars Yoga. It takes its name from the seven major joint locations of the body. They are the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles. Where as most styles of yoga are derived purely from Indian sources, Seven Stars Yoga also draws much of its influence from Chinese health practices, especially those concerned with developing chi. (chi gung.) For those already familiar with other styles of yoga, you will find very little real difference between our style and most other mainstream styles. We practice the cat stretch and the cobra and the bridge just like everybody else.
We will guide you through various postures (ways of standing, sitting or lying down that hold you in a certain shape), holding each for 30 seconds or a minute, then move you on to the next. The postures are taught in a set pattern that will safely exercise your entire body. Each week the Instructor will focus on a different posture and you will practice it with an experienced partner. In this way, your abilities and understanding of yoga will increase week by week.
Classes
We often ask people after their first class what they thought of it, and 99 times out of 100 they just say they really enjoyed it. We do not want to promote heavy philosophies or weird religious practices, nor will we get someone to sit on your back and tie you in a knot. Our classes are very straightforward. You just have a very enjoyable stretch, gently exercise all the muscles in your body, and without you being aware of it you will become physically stronger, mentally relaxed and a lot healthier.
Feel better?
You will feel better about yourself just because your body will know you are doing something of great benefit, rather than destroying it with lethargy and over indulgence. You will look better, move more freely and more confidently and be happier.
Tone up?
Yes you will, if you keep coming regularly to the classes. There is no great secret to it, if you come once a month, dont expect too much (although you will still be very welcome - once a month is better than nothing)! If you attend 2 or 3 times a week, you will of course achieve great results. The way we exercise the muscles is to create heat in them and hold it there, rather than pumping them up and down. This will make your muscles and your tendons and ligaments strong. The by-product of this is that you will tone up and appear healthier.
Loose weight?
The physical benefits of any exercise are always a reflection of the amount of physical work you do. If you want to lose weight, you must practice or attend classes regularly. If you do, you will. If you dont, you wont. (Weight loss is of course as much to do with a balanced diet as it is about exercise)
Beginners Yoga – start anytime £20 for 5 weeks
(one class per week)/£6 walk in
Mondays 6-7pm
Wednesdays 8-9pm
Thursdays 6.30-7.30pm
Advanced yoga
Mondays 7-8pm
Service Categories
Tai Chi, Yoga
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