Information, News, and Events
Posted November 17, 2025 The theme for the weekend was Rising and Falling. Friday morning was spent on improving our own Tai Chi by building on skills learned during Tai Chi Week in Nanaimo last July. By the end of this workshop, Doug Overholt, Susan Carson and David Carson, our workshop leaders, said that they noticed distinct improvement in the wave-like, up and down motion throughout the set as we stood up tall and then relaxed down to do deeper sits. On Friday morning, detailed information was presented on the first 17 moves with an emphasis on rising and falling and turning the circle. Friday after lunch we had the opportunity to tour the amazing gardens (in the sunshine!) and do a set on the lawn outside, and then we returned inside to continue our training - Repulse Monkeys gave us more practice at feeling the ups and downs both externally and internally. Saturday morning began with review, and then we focused on Partitions. After lunch, Doug Overholt presented an informative slide show on the lineage of Mr. Moy and his tai chi. There was also a short session on single and double Push Hands - a first for some and a practice opportunity for others. Most participants attended and enjoyed a Chinese banquet on Saturday evening, and Susan Carson wowed us there when she stood tall in her rhinestone cowboy boots. On Sunday morning we reviewed moves containing tor-yus that have us "stand up, sit, step, turn" plus we practiced the Separations (kicks) using the mantra "stand up, balance, kick, step." After lunch, we broke into four discussion groups - How to Celebrate CTCA's 20th Anniversary in 2026, Gentle Tai Chi, Beginner Tai Chi, and Continuing Tai Chi, and it was great to share ideas and brainstorm together.
"It was so beneficial to have a focused workshop for instructors. We got to work on many aspects of tai chi in detail, and we had time to focus on how external movement enables internal movement." Anne McKay (Kelowna) and Mary Lou Bevier (Salt Spring Island) 
Posted November 10, 2025 During the course of the day Doug Nettleton graduated us from single push hands to double push hands. Make no mistake, we were challenged; however, we also learned to appreciate how patience and practice (and laughter!) will help improve our understanding of the toryu and ultimately our own tai chi. Feedback indicates that the day was a success, not only for the fabulous catered lunch, but also because we are returning to our locations to encourage more members to play with push hands, every day, just as Master Moy did. "Yesterday's workshop helped to explain in deeper detail what some consider to be an intimidating exercise, myself included. I look forward to further classes on 'Push Hands'." Orangeville ON "I thought it was great to learn more about push hands and can see how it will help to improve our toryus. I like that we were asked to change partners because we can learn a lot by doing it with different people. Time seemed to fly by..." Stayner ON "It was nice to be with a mixture of members from our area; it was a day worth repeating!" Orangeville ON 
Posted October 18, 2025 Our work was spread out over a leisurely four days, and included two sessions with instructors, one day with the larger group of both continuing and beginner practitioners, and also guest spots in two classes (a beginner and a continuing/foundation class). The workshop theme of 'Opening and Connecting' left us lots of room to explore concepts of letting go, allowing relaxation, staying connected throughout while remembering and incorporating roundness/circularity in the moves, elasticity, and much more. With the larger group, we spent the morning working on 'opening' (releasing, stretching, expanding), and the afternoon on 'connecting' (balance, timing/pacing, internal movement). The instructor sessions were vibrant with interesting queries and rich contributions from this enthusiastic group. We spent time to ground ourselves, exploring the benefits of first setting up a solid base for standing postures to begin the work. Releasing (letting go, relaxing) was a continuous emphasis (i.e. releasing in order to generate the stretch), and was approached as a way to help fuel movement without unnecessary tension. We also spent time on sitting with special emphasis on softening the lower back to implement the sit. Exploring ways of working with the bars as a great tool to help with the sitting process, we were able to put more focus on the inner hips (a.k.a. the inguinal crease/the kua) - minimizing the push, maximizing the release. As requested by the instructors, we explored the 5 Animals and Mr. Moy's 'order of training' with them, and we played a bit with applying their qualities to the moves. We also dipped into the External Harmonies. So much to do! Lots to think about, lots of fun, and a lifetime of exploration! Of particular note was being at the beginner class during which Robin had a chance to do some work with the new people - a special treat as he generally works with continuing students these days, and was inspired by their fresh enthusiasm and focus. Many of the instructors and continuing students also attend this class regularly, providing support for one another no matter what the class level, and revealing a strong sense of community that deeply impressed us. Big thanks, Timmins practitioners, for your open hearts and minds! Robin Fulford & Scribe Wendy White 
Posted October 5, 2025 A delicious lunch was provided by Mensch Catering in Lake Cowichan. Each day started with David Carson leading us through the jongs to get us warmed up. We then split into our respective groups with those wishing to work on the first half staying upstairs with Susan Carson and the remainder of the group trooped downstairs with Doug Overholt and David Carson. Peter Lambiris was also in attendance and his quiet assistance with some moves was much appreciated. Susan Carson worked with a group of 20 participants, brand new for some and a refresher for others. They worked slowly through the set from the beginning to Child Delivers Letter. For those of us that popped upstairs while their group was in session, we were impressed with the flow. They didn't look like they had just learned it! Doug focussed on the second half. Some variations were noted by all of us, but that made it part of the fun of learning. Challenge that brain! Copious notes were made...by this writer. And oh, those changes...I need to work on getting the body to learn them. One more time! Particular attention was paid to exploring ideas on opening the body to allow internal movement. Many questions were asked and answered. We learned how the names of the moves relate to the action/intention of movements. Doug emphasized that we be precise on the form. This will provide room for the internals. A huge thank you to Doug, Susan and David! Your dedication and commitment are a gift to all of us. And, of course, thank you to Mr. Moy for sharing this practice when he came to Canada. It has provided a common bond amongst participants and lasting friendships. Submitted by Sharon Anderson 
Posted October 17, 2025 Connections? We found many. Several workshop participants were already familiar with the second half of the Lok Hup set, and they worked to fine-tune and extend their understanding of the movement. Mehrab encouraged the group to notice internal connection. He coached people to stretch farther than accustomed, for in stretching we have the chance to strengthen and align our bones, and this alignment aids connection. A few of us were attempting these moves for the very first time. As someone new to teaching Beginner Tai Chi this year, the experience was for me, an excellent and humbling reminder of the challenges new students face in approaching a seeming mountain of new moves. As such, I also kept a keen eye on how Mehrab and My chose to instruct the group. Mehrab mentored several instructors in the group by involving them directly in the facilitation, asking them to call moves, explain sensations and reach for improvement of their own movement through guided repetition. Always his guidance was delivered with a supportive, playful and generous spirit. We witnessed immediate improvements to form as a result of simple, subtle adjustments. If you were in attendance, I am sure you will remember seeing a dramatic example of Anne-Marie's alignment falling into place while Pulling the Ox's Tail with Mehrab's simple instruction to "move the Jade Pillow back". We had excellent examples to follow! Another stand-out example was when one of our local students who had undergone a knee surgery asked for some general guidance to help her with her knee movement. Mehrab asked her to do a row of Parting Wild Horse's Manes and directed the instructors in the room to observe the muscles behind her knees as she moved. My moved through Manes in harmony immediately alongside the participant, silently guiding the pace and movement with her own fluid example. Then Mehrab asked 3 more instructors to join the moving pair, essentially surrounding the participant on all sides with silent support. It was impactful to see these 5 women move across the room in unison, tacitly adjusting their individual movements to construct a fluid, moving whole. "Work together" was Mehrab's frequent refrain over the weekend...and so we did. And so we shall in the weeks and months ahead as we foster this practice together. Warm thanks and a smile from all of us here in Kelowna to My and Mehrab for making the journey to teach us. Thank you also to all who participated in this Tai Chi family gathering, and last, but certainly not least, to the CTCA for supporting this endeavour to grow and learn together. Laura Widmer 
Posted August 6, 2025 The 2nd week in July (7-11) over 40 instructors and instructors-in-training gathered at the Bethlehem Retreat Centre (outside of Nanaimo BC) for full days of learning, laughter and more. We made new friends, strengthened old friendships and deepened our tai chi knowledge and practice. The grounds of the retreat centre helped to calm us all and focus on the instruction of Susan Carson (Ms. Lumbar) , Doug Overholt (Mr. Thoracic) and David Carson (Das Botte), all former students of Master Moy. For early birds at 7:15 a.m. there was a choice of meditation or Lok Hup. Then on to breakfast, a morning of tai chi, lunch and afternoon of tai chi and then optional Sword, Sabre or a walk, relaxation, dinner (more 108!) and then optional meetings after dinner - Gentle Tai chi, Teaching Tips, Branch Coordinator meetings or a walk around the lake or your choice of other activities. We were entertained daily by our very own stand-up comedian and head organizer, Susan Stenson. In the West we are working on standing up, sitting, timing the turn, alignment and connection. We worked with donyu and toryu and brush knees as well as jam jong, push hands, and sitting meditation to put these principles into action. The main theme during this week was connection of the spine, dropping inside, and the movement of the hands - finding the plum line so that the sit and step are balanced and natural with no need of a balance step. The instructors ranged in age from 50 to 84 and no one was using a balance step. As well as maintaining stillness in the upper body, checking that the turn is actually to 45 degrees and that the hands are in front of that centre line makes an enormous difference in finding the sit and makes the stepping happen with ease. The final morning session was spent doing Total Recall, a review exercise attributed to Brent from Cochrane. We shared our learnings and experiences and the whole group then reviewed the moves being recalled. The wind-up was emotional as we celebrated our week of deepening connections with each other and were thrilled to hear that Bethlehem Centre is already booked for July 6-10 of 2026. Save the date!  In London ON, at Fanshawe College, Central Region held its 5 day Instructor Training Week (June 30-July 4) to great success with 100 instructors in attendance. (There were also a general tai chi workshop and a lok hup workshop bookending the instructor event.) Numerous workshop leaders were helping out, fulfilling the overall plan including: male and female approaches to tai chi movement for sitting and stretching; group stations that participants circulated to for toryu, donyu, snakes, standing meditation and push hands; group activities for beginner instructors; meetings of sub-regional locations; approaches to teaching the physically challenged; best teaching practices and exploration of the various levels of tai chi experience. Evenings were also alive with a variety of activities, both informative and participatory. Of note were Carole Martin's revealing presentation on how our fascial system (the biggest organ of the body!!) can play a huge role in our tai chi movement; and Andrew Moore's crisp and detailed explanation of the 5 Animals and how we realize them in our tai chi. Karaoke night could possibly be one of the more memorable events with the whole gang laughing and singing "Bohemian Rhapsody" at the top of their lungs. 'Sends shivers down my spine, body's aching all the time!' Participants continually remarked on how much they were learning and how much they could take back to their locations. As well, the connections that were made between these Central instructors bodes well for the future, both in the short and long term. There will be follow up sessions, both Zoom and in-person, to build on all the work that was accomplished during the week. The CTCA Annual General Meeting was also held at Fanshawe. We wished long time board member Brent Armstrong a fond farewell after many years of stellar service, and welcomed new board members Susan Stenson (Duncan Location, BC) and Mark Niesner (Oakville Location, ON, onto the CTCA Board. Our hard-working John Pariselli finished his term on the Board and now is full throttle ahead as the Chair of the IDT. Finally, a shout-out to Andrew Moore for putting so much effort and time into the Fanshawe event. He now has time to change his winter tires. Sherri Nettleton and I travelled around Nova Scotia prior to the Kentville General and Instructor Workshop (May 23-25), preparing local instructors and the region's three main instructors (Janice Pyke, Pat Corkery, and Andrew Schnare) for what was to come. The main workshop began with a meet and greet on Friday evening. Preceding the meet and greet Sherri, Janice, Pat, Andrew, and I met to discuss and work out together on the material that would be presented in the main workshop. The workshop was a general workshop open to all members but the goal was to provide training to the local instructor base. To this end, the instructors in attendance were provided with a binder outlining the material being presented with copious space for personal notes. An extended version of this binder was presented to the regional instructors who assisted. Special thanks to Sherri for putting those binders together. The overall theme of the workshop was "Tai Chi-Deepening Your Understanding". The methodology was to: observe, listen, feel, understand, and see the big picture. The first four followed Master Moy's teaching methods. Master Moy would say: "You watch. You try." If the student didn't get it he would describe it with a translator or have someone else who got it describe it. If the student still didn't get it, he would impose the correct movement by physically manipulating the student. These correspond to visual, auditory, kinesthetic learning modalities. Lastly, he would say: "you understand?" The "big picture" concept came out of recent research identifying: "Observing, thinking and understanding" as a preferred learning modality for older seniors. We reviewed the material from the previous year's workshop - in particular: taking a longer step and the move sequence: 1) Right Foot Kick; 2) Hit Tiger at Left; 3) Hit Tiger at Right; 4) Right Sole Kick; and 5) Strike Ears with Fists. The main material for the present workshop included: 1) Donyus: drop elbows, come down on top of your hand, sit under your hands, and come up under your hands. 2) Toryus: drop elbows, sit, lead with your hands, spiral down, and turn to move. 3) Move application: Grasp Bird's Tail, Apparent Close Up, Carry Tiger to Mountain. Because of the "back and forth" quality, these moves are easiest to apply the toryu skills practiced. Follow up regional workshops are planned to review the material presented and extend the concepts of "spiral down and turn to move" first to Brush Knee and Parting Wild Horse's Mane and then in a subsequent workshop to Repulse Monkey and Wave Hands Like Clouds. Doug Nettleton 
Posted May 13, 2025
Friday was the instructor workshop. Of note is Deborah McLaren's presentation of "Gentle Tai Chi", based on the experience of an insightful group of instructors from Duncan/Chemainus (Vancouver Island). They are developing a program that is born out of necessity as so many of their new participants' abilities fall between the seated set instruction and a regular beginner course. These new tai chi-ers are mobile but not enough to join the typical beginner class; they need a much more detailed approach to movement, one that builds incrementally at their own pace. There are various reasons participants choose this Gentle Tai Chi class to begin their tai chi journey, such as, balance issues, fear of not remembering, lack of confidence, and lack of stamina. Two instructors facilitate a more one-on-one approach. The main intent is to 'meet people where they are' to increase body awareness, and to help them meaningfully apply tai chi to their daily lives. A detailed description of Deborah's and Martha Jean Clarke's findings, as well as a summary of their first course, is available by contacting the Duncan/Chemainus location. The instructor component involved a vibrant group of western instructors who proved to be both eager to learn and, in turn, to share their learning. About 40 of us participated in a variety of discussions and exercises designed to take us to a new level with our personal tai chi and to challenge and inform our present teaching methods and perceptions. The usual suspects of donyu, toryu and jam jong underpinned many of the discussions. A number of the instructional topics touched upon were then picked up in the general workshop which followed. David Carson began the instructor session by sharing his favourite word - "connection" - which we all felt more of at the conclusion of Friday's work. The push hands and jam jong components of the instructor workshop were then more fully explored in the general workshop. Since the pandemic, there has been a renewed interest in both push hands and standing (jam jong). Doug Overholt gave a detailed presentation of the jam jong posture, the nuances which were new to many. Training local instructors in both push hands and standing is growing rapidly. It is inspiring. 
Taskmaster David Carson had us doing rows upon rows of Brush Knees and Partitions with Susan Carson's dictation of "STAND, SIT, STEP, TURN"; the mantra was effectively drilled into our psyches. Susan took centre stage in demonstrating the different aspects that we then put into our movement. It was a great example of team teaching. Additional highlights are the Lok Hup and sword practice at lunch. With the background of stately mountains, vast blue sky, and brilliant sun, it was a spectacular setting for 'Swirling the Inner Universe'. What a treat for me to stay on in Kelowna for a few days after the workshop to soak up a bit of that local paradise, and to have the chance to teach two classes, Anne McKay's and Jackie Meyers'. These smaller groups gave me a chance to continue with the direction of the weekend workshops. I did refrain, however, from bellowing out "MORE ROWS OF BRUSH KNEES!!!!"" Many thanks to the workshop leaders, David, Susan, and Doug, and to all the Kelowna gang who made the event possible - especially the food team and their CTCA Kelowna Cookies! Robin Fulford (CTCA Workshop Coordinator) 
Posted April 10, 2025 Waking up this morning to a winter storm I imagined we might have five or six people at class today. At noon, winds were gusting to 50km/hr and one of our beginner instructors said the roads where she lived were horrible and she wouldn't be in. Many of our members live out in the boonies, so I was surprised to see such a good turnout. I asked the class if we should practise what we worked on during the weekend, and the response was an enthusiastic yes! Our approach was to try and recreate in sequence what we practised on the two days. It didn't take very long before a lot of it started coming back, and with the class giving suggestions, we felt that we had successfully remembered most of the instructions given to us for: jam jongs, tiger's mouth, tor yu's, commencement up to single whip, softening the knees, turning to move, connecting the hands and feet to lift the spine then sink, and turning the forearm bones.  Spirits were high at the post workshop dinner with fifteen attending. Tai chi stories were shared - health recovery being the topic most widely discussed. There were also questions about how soon we could have another workshop. Someone asked if we had to wait until next spring. Hopefully not. Although participation (46) was less than last year's workshop (56) the Arnprior location had a higher percentage of the whole this time with 32 attending. Also in attendance were members from Sharbot Lake, Perth, Almonte, Carleton Place and Orleans. It feels like with this workshop our location has made a leap in the right direction. Many of our newer members have now felt the benefits that one can achieve through working intensely on one's tai chi. Momentum is high, people are excited. Our sincere thanks to Tom Daly and Valerie Way-Nee, and to the CTCA Instruction Committee for sponsoring the event. Bill Ogilvie 
Posted March 20, 2025 The weekend consisted of 4 separate events:
Tom Daly and Valerie Way-Nee were there for the duration - hosting and facilitating all the sessions. We had the pleasure of introducing a new instructor to the CTCA, but long time practitioner, Ron Rotteau. Ron and his partner Joan Warren, who is also an experienced instructor, moved from Toronto to Peterborough. We are thrilled to have them enlivening our tai chi practice. We gave the floor to Ron numerous times throughout the weekend. The exercises and the transfer of those exercises into the moves of the set was priceless. We had all levels of tai chi people in the room and yet all of us were trying to do, trying to mimic, trying not to get overwhelmed. All of us scrambling to try new approaches to movement was entertaining and enlightening. Ron's insights complimented Tom and Valerie's theme of working on simple exercises and foundations to understand connections in our bodies. In turn these feelings manifested in the moves of the set: Toryu's, crossing hands (arms) a little higher, first three moves, Parting of Wild Horse's Mane, Repulse Monkeys, Raise Hands to Step Up, Stork Cools Wings, and more. Thank you to all who came, to all the members that assisted with the weekend, and to the enthusiasm and openness participants exhibited to try new approaches to practicing our arts. Valerie Way-Nee 
Posted February 15, 2025 With a variety of experience in the room, instruction was given in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Warm-ups led into a set, in order that Brent and Gord could assess the groups' needs and prioritize their day's plan to address these. Toryus focused on turning the hips and squaring in order to allow a better sit and better spinal rotation whilst not letting the hips poke out to the side. This led into a series of brush knees that also emphasized the use of the balance step to set up the body position and control it for the next move. Progression into the connection of the arms to the body and spine followed, and moves included Repulse Monkey. After a tasty lunch of soup, sandwiches and apple betty dessert, donyus seemed a little bit harder! Gord's hope of 70 donyus per person may not have materialized. The workshop continued into Parting Wild Horses' Mane. The final set of the day was instructed to be much slower to enable the group to concentrate on positioning and applying what had been taught. This started well, but it appeared that the 'tigers' had other ideas to run off and find lunch left-overs, only to miraculously appear later in the set to have their ears boxed for running away prior to closing! The group ended the set together, to much laughter and feelings of a job well done by all (especially group leaders for holding it all together!). A big thank you to all the team at Innisfail and Brent and Gord for putting together a fun and informative day. PS: for the record, all 'tiger's have been accounted for and returned to a safe location! Jackie D. - Cochrane AB On February 8th, Innisfail / Red Deer hosted a well-received workshop in Innisfail led by Brent and Gordon from Cochrane. They gave us a better understanding of turning the spine with arms and hands following, transfer of weight and more. As well, advice was given to individual participants at all levels from newer members to seasoned instructors. Personally, I received help with the toryus in opening the hips, squaring and settling. We were left with feelings of increased energy, renewed commitment, and a sense of gratitude for tai chi and its leaders in our region. Myrna G. - Innisfail AB
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