Tai Chi Chuan Instruction in Vancouver, Clark County, WA

 Tai Chi Chuan Instruction in 2025-

The Yang Style of T'ai Chi Ch'uan

Private or Group Lessons

Instructor: Mike Garofalo, M.S., B.A.

Instructor's Qualifications

In Clark County, Washington State:
Vancouver, Battleground, Camas,
Orchards, Salmon Creek, Minnehaha,
Prairie Creek, Five Corners, Felida,
Sunnyside, City Center, Mill Plain

Contact Mike Garofalo by Email or Phone

Teaching and practicing the Yang Style
Taijiquan Short 24 Movements Form,
the Standard Long 108 Movements Form,
Cane, and Qigong

 

Cost for Lessons:
$20 per hour for one person
$30 per hour for two persons
Senior Citizen Discounts
Large Group Discounts
Long Time Student Discounts
Gratuities Always Welcome

 

Location of Lessons:
9102 NE 100th Street
Vancouver, WA 98662
Also at Nearby Locations

 

Websites: Cloud Hands Tai Chi Chuan

Blog: Cloud Hands Blog

Qigong (Chi Kung), Longevity Practice

 

 

Instructor: Michael P. Garofalo
Qualifications and Experience

I began learning Yang Style Taijiquan and
Qigong in 1986, and have taught these
Body-Mind Somatic Arts since 2000.
I also taught Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga
in Red Bluff, CA, from 2003-2016.

All of my Yoga and T'ai Chi Ch'uan
Classes Include Some Qigong
(Chinese Yoga) Practices

In 2025, I am 79 years of age.

 

I began learning Yang Style Taijiquan and Qigong from
1986-1990 with Sensei Frank McGourick in Whittier, California.
I studied Lui Ho Ba Fa and Qigong with Sifu Robert Moore from 1987-1990 in Whittier, California.
I studied Red Dragon Kung Fu from 1991-1993 with Sensei Tony Ippolito in Hacienda Heights, California.

I taught over 950 one hour classes of Taijiquan and Qigong in Red Bluff, California, from 2000-2017.
I also practice the Chen 18 Style of Taijiquan and Sun 73 Style
of Taijiquan, the cane weapon, and many Qigong forms.

Tai Chi for Diabetes Instructor Trained and Certified by Dr. Paul Lam in 2003.
Tai Chi for Arthritis Level 2 Instructor (Sun Style) Trained and Certified by Troyce Thome in 2006.
Advanced Tai Chi and Qigong training at workshops or classes led by Robert Moore, Paul Lam, Ken Cohen,
Patricia Long, George Xu, Elaine Waters,
Bill Helm, Doc Fai-Wong, Sher K. Lew,
Kevin Weaver, Troyce Thome, Yang Jun,
David Fetyko, and Brian Knack.

I taught Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga in Red Bluff from 2003 to 2016 for over 1,460 hours of one hour classes.
YogaFit Level IV Certified Yoga Instructor (Standard 200 Hour Yoga Alliance Curriculum Completed) in 2004.
Over 100 hours of additional yoga training with Dr. Paula Barros, Desiree Rambaugh, and at the Ananda Yoga Center.
All of my Yoga Classes include some Qigong (Chinese Yoga).

Personal Fitness Trainer Certified by AFAA 2007
Mat Pilates AFAA Certified 2005
Spin Cycling AFAA Certified 2005
Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) Certifications
SilverSneakers Trained Instructor 2012
CPR and AED certified from 1999-2017, 2024-.

Emergency 30-Day Substitute Teaching Permit, 4/1999-4/2017
Certified by the State of California Commission
on Teacher Credentialing.
M.A. Education, 40 units, CSU Chico.
M.A., Philosophy, 30 units at CSU Los Angeles.
M.S., Library and Information Science,
University of Southern California, 1968
B.A. Philosophy, CSU Los Angeles, 1967

Brief Biography

My telephone number in 2025 is 530-200-0750.

 

Qigong
(Chinese Warm-up Exercises, Chinese Yoga,
Chi Kung, Energy Development, Energy Work)

Eight Section Brocade Qigong (Ba Duan Gin)

Five Animal Frolics Qigong (Wu Qin Xi)

The Magic Pearl Medicine Ball Qigong

Ba Gua Circle Walking Eight Mother Palms

Entering Tranquility: Standing Meditation

Silk Reeling and Circles in Taijiquan

Temple Qigong

Dragon Qigong

Muscle-Tendon Changing Qigong (Yi Jin Jing)

Cloud Hands Website

Cloud Hands Blog

25 Steps and Beyond: Collected Works

 

Updated on April 12, 2025

 

Sun Style Taijiquan 73 Competition Form

Sun Style Tai Chun 73 Competition Form

Here are a number of my posts from 2020, 2017, and 2006 regarding my practice of this Tai Chi Chuan Form beginning nearly two decades ago.  

I have read a number of books about and looked at videos of people doing the Sun Style of Tai Chi Chuan.  The history of Grand Master Sun Lu Tang (1861-1933) is important to the development of the internal martial arts.  The Sun Style Taijiquan 73 Competition Form has many followers.  

Starting in February, 2020, I intended to begin classes in Vancouver led by Jill Ross on the Sun Taijiquan.  She teaches at the Cascade Athletic Club on Thursdays in Vancouver, Washington.  However, this class was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  She has studied and learned a number of Sun Style forms developed by Dr. Paul Lam.  

I attended the Tai Chi for Arthritis Level I and II weekend workshop in Pleasant Hill, California, in 2006. The workshop leader was Master Trainer Troyce Thome. She was assisted by Robin Malby.


Here is a post of mine from 2017:

"Recently, a couple of people have written to me regarding the Sun Style of Tai Chi Chuan.  In particular, they wanted information to help them in their regular practice of the Sun Style 73 Taijiquan Competition Form.  

All I could do to help them was to refer them to my incomplete webpage on the subject, which I first published in 2003.  That webpage provides information on the many books, and instructional DVD and VHS resources about this Sun Tai Chi form.  

One person, David Dight, expressed interest in finishing this former Sun 73 webpage project of mine.  Fine.  Onward.  Best wishes, David.  

As for me, I have not practiced the Sun 73 form since 2013, and I only learned to do a good solo performance up to Movement 40.  I enjoyed playing those 40 movements at home alone for a decade.  

This led me to reflect on the many Tai Chi and Qigong forms I have learned, practiced, and played since 1985.  I have learned many and have forgotten many.  Typical for a dilettante, some would say; and, rightly so.  Nevertheless, I dabble and enjoy. Better half of a new good boysenberry pie for a change, rather than just eating peach cobbler all the time.    

I taught the first 40 movements of the Sun 73 Competition Form to my Tai Chi students at the Tehama Family Fitness Center in Red Bluff, CA, from 2006-2010; and Yang style from 2002-2016.  I prefer variety: Yang 24, Chen 18, Sun 40, Yang 108, sword form, cane form, Qigong forms, and yoga vinyasa forms, etc. 

Many people do not have ready geographical access to, or the financial resources for paying for studying person-to-person with a current master of the Sun Style of Tai Chi Chuan.  Yet, they are eager to learn and practice the Sun Taijiquan Competition 73 form.  Using books and instructional media, you too can learn from the Masters.  

"With the development of information technology, the learners should further enhance their knowledge and perfect their skills through reading books and using the multimedia resources, such as video tapes and VCDs.  Sometimes, to some extent, you can master the competition routines even without a coach in person.  Quite a number of people are known to have learned and practice Tai Ji Quan by using the multimedia teaching materials and some even won places in competitions besides keeping fit.  But of course, if given a chance, it is always more beneficial to learn personally from masters."
- The Competition Routine of Sun Style Tai Ji Quan, Edited by Zhong Shan, p. 138. 

Only YOU can actually make the effort, learn, practice, do the work, do the lessons, memorize the movements, imitate, persist, exercise, play, practice, TRY, embody the skills, practice ... Gongfu (Kung Fu) "Mastery due to hard work!"




The following text was written by Mike Garofalo in 2006:

"Lately, I have been studying and practicing the Sun Style Tai Chi Chuan 73 Competition Form. I have been using instructional videotapes by Paul Lam, Liang Shou-Yu, Jesse Tsao, Men Hui-Feng, Li Cheng-Xiang, and Jiang Jian-Ye to learn the form.

Sun Style Taijiquan is done at a "lively step" pace. The average time for the performance of the form is around 6 minutes for 73 movements.

Complete Performance of Sun Taijiquan International Competition 73 Form

Time Performer Source

5:31 Liang, Shou-Yu Sun Style Taijiquan with Applications, VHS, 1996
5:17 Tsao, Jesse Tai Chi Sun Style Competition Form 73, VHS, 2002
9:22 Jiang, Jian-Ye Sun Sytle Tai Chi Competition Form 73, VHS, 1997
7:30 Lam, Paul Sun Style Tai Chi - 73 Forms, The Competition Form, VHS, 2000
5:42 Men, Hui-Feng Sun Style Tai Chi - 73 Forms, The Competition Form, VHS, 2000
3:52 Li, Cheng-Xiang Sun Style Long Competition Form 73, VCD


My favorite instructional videotape is Sun Style Tai Chi - 73 Forms. The Competition Forms. An instructional videotape by Dr. Paul Lam. Narwee, Australia, East Action Video, 2000. A competition form created by Professor Men Hui Feng of Beijing University based on the Sun style. "This detailed instructional video includes a demonstration of the set by its creator, Professor Men Hui-Feng. Sun style is characterised by its powerful qigong elements, agile steps and flowing movements." VHS, 103 minutes. Contents: Introduction to Tai Chi and the Sun style. Comprehensive instructions. Demonstrations of the complete set by Dr. Paul Lam from front and back views. A demonstration by the creator of the set, Professor Men Hu-Feng. ASIN: B000066G1T."

My webpage on the subject of Sun Style Tai Chi Chuan provides a list of the movements in the Sun Style 73 competition form.

Sun Lu Tang's original Taijiquan form was longer, 98 movements.  The 73 version includes a few new kick moves, but is otherwise 80% the same as the original.  Both of these two forms, and other shorter Sun Tai Chi versions (e.g., Dr. Paul Lam's 'Tai Chi for Arthritis' forms), are all the same style ... lively steps, feet close together, erect posture, turning-spins, and the "open and close" qigong move." 

Grandmaster Sun Lu Tang says, 

"There is great emphasis on the method of cultivating the body. All people - men, women, the old, the young - may practice in order to replace temerity with bravery, and stiffness with pliability. Those who are extremely weak, who suffer from fatigue and injury or illness, or who have weakened your qi from the practice of other martial arts to the point that you no longer have the strength to train, all of you may practice Tai Ji Quan. With practice, the qi will quickly come to a balanced state and will become strong, while the spirit naturally returns to a state of wholeness. Disease will be eliminated, and the length of life increased."
-  Grand Master Sun Lu Tang, A Study of Taijiquan, 1921, p. 60. 

World Tai Chi Chuan Celebration Day

Tai Chi Chuan enthusiasts celebrated "World Tai Chi Chuan Day" in Vancouver, WA, on April 29th.

Over 100 Taiji players gathered together today at Clark Community College in downtown Vancouver.

I spent time talking with many people at the event.  

Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Instruction in Vancouver WA

 

Michael P. Garofalo teaches Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan in Vancouver, Washington.

He teaches in the Orchard's Five Corners area of northeast Vancouver, Clark County, WA.

He teaches at his home.  He is retired.

Mike's Qualifications

Fees: $20.00 per hour per person

From 2000-2023 he has taught:

Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Traditional 108 Long Form

Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Standard 24 Short Form

Yang Style Eight Immortals Cane Form

Various Chi Kung and Warmup Sets

E-Mail for Mike Garofalo

Phone for Mike Garofalo: 530-200-3546

Honesty: The Secret to Transformation

"In my life, the world has constantly changed around me, whether I liked it or not. Carpets were pulled out from under me and sometimes, blankets wrapped around my shoulders. Change in the world is inevitable, but there is no power in experiencing it. Flowing with change is simply enjoying what comes our way or weathering a storm. It’s about being an observer and reacting (or not reacting) to the unrelenting ebbs and flows of life.

There is a difference between change and transformation. Transformation is where the power is. I have transformed many things in my life as well, and any time I want it to last, there is always one key ingredient- honesty. 

Transformation can begin only with brutal honesty. We have to be unafraid to get raw, get dirty and get real. We have to close the gap between who we want to be and who we really are in order to evolve.

What happens when we try to transform without being honest about where and who we are in life? Well, it falls flat, it fades away and we are back to the same lies we were telling ourselves before to get through the day. When we start facing the truth, then and only then, can we begin to create the life for ourselves that we imagine possible.

Transformation isn’t easy, but I can promise you, it’s possible. You can be the person you always wanted to be. You can have the relationship you have always wanted. You can be healthy, fit and happy. You can transform your life into the one in your dreams. First, you just have to be honest. When you can do that, no one will or could stand in your way, not even you."
- Angie Cherry, Yoga Teacher, Vancouver, Washington

Tai Chi Chuan Class in Vancouver, Clark County, Washington

Tai Chi Classes in 2021-2022

Would anyone like to study and learn with me, for free,
the Chen Taijiquan Lao Jia Yi Lu, First Form?
We would use the instructional DVD by Master Ken Gullette as our teacher.

The Yang Style of T'ai Chi Ch'uan

Instructor:  Mike Garofalo, M.S.   

In Vancouver, Clark County, Washington, USA

Contact Mike by Email (gwr2013a@gmail.com) or Phone: 530-200-3546

 
Practicing and teaching the Yang Style of Tai Chi Chuan 
The Standard Long 108 Movements Yang Taijiquan Form,
The Short 24 Movements Yang Taijiquan Form,
Cane Drills,

Website:  Cloud Hands Tai Chi Chuan     Blog:  Cloud Hands Blog

  Qigong

Instructor 
Michael P. Garofalo
M.S., B.A. Philosophy

I began learning Yang Style Taijiquan and Qigong in 1986, and have taught 
Taijiquan and Qigong since 2000.  I also taught Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga from 2003-2016. 

All of my Yoga and T'ai Chi Ch'uan Classes Include Some Qigong (Chinese Yoga) Practices

 In 2021, I am 75 years of age.

 

I began learning Yang Style Taijiquan and Qigong from 1986-1990 with Sensei Frank McGourick in Whittier, California.
I studied Lui Ho Ba Fa and Qigong with Sifu Robert Moore from 1987-1990 in Whittier, California.
I studied Red Dragon Kung Fu from 1991-1993 with Sensei Tony Ippolito in Hacienda Heights, California.

I taught over 950 one hour classes of Taijiquan and Qigong in Red Bluff, California, from 2000-2017. 
I also practice the Chen 18 Style of Taijiquan and Sun 73 Style of Taijiquan, the cane weapon, and many Qigong forms. 

Tai Chi for Diabetes Instructor Trained and Certified by Dr. Paul Lam in 2003. 
Tai Chi for Arthritis Level 2 Instructor (Sun Style) Trained and Certified by Troyce Thome in 2006. 
Advanced Tai Chi and Qigong training at workshops or classes led by Robert Moore, Paul Lam, Ken Cohen, Yang Jun, Patricia Long, George Xu, Elaine Waters, Bill Helm, Doc Fai-Wong, Sher K. Lew, Kevin Weaver, Troyce Thome, Brian Knack, and Ken Gullette.

I taught Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga in Red Bluff from 2003 to 2016 for over 1,460 hours of one hour classes. 
YogaFit® Level IV Certified Yoga Instructor (Standard 200 Hour Yoga Alliance Curriculum Completed) in 2004
Over 100 hours of additional yoga training with Dr. Paula Barros, Desiree Rambaugh, and at the Ananda Yoga Center.
All of my Yoga Classes Include Some Qigong (Chinese Yoga) Practices

Personal Fitness Trainer Certified by AFAA 2007
Mat Pilates AFAA Certified 2005
Spin Cycling AFAA Certified 2005
Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) Certifications
SilverSneakers® Trained Instructor 2012
CPR and AED certified from 1999-2017. 

Emergency 30-Day Substitute Teaching Permit, 4/1999 - 4/2017
Certified by the State of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing
M.A. Education, 40 units, CSU Chico; M.A., Philosophy, 30 units at CSU Los Angeles. 
M.S., Library and Information Science, University of Southern California, 1968
B.A. Philosophy, CSU Los Angeles, 1967 
  

Brief Biography

 

Cold and Homeboud in Vancouver

All the schools and libraries are closed for four weeks in Vancouver to prevent the spread of the flu.  All gatherings and sports events are cancelled.

This morning it is snowing.  There are about 3 to 4 inches of snow everywhere.

We have our home stocked with provisions and emergeny supplies.  Electricity and water are available.

Both Karen and I seem healthy and have a positive attitude.

May everyone stay healthy and weather this storm of a serious flu pandemic.  

Long Morning Walks

I enjoy walking in the early morning.  From 1998 to 2017 I walked on a country lane, Kilkenny Lane, directly in front of my home in Red Bluff, California.  This cul de sac lane is .32 miles from Highway 99W.  Occasionally, a car might use this country lane, and I move to the side of the road.  It is a very safe, peaceful, and quiet place with lovely landscaping and dramatic views.

I walked an average of four days per week and walked from two to four miles in the cooler morning hours; when I was not working part-time for the Corning Union Elementary School District.  When cooler evenings were in season, I walked in the afternoon or evening.  At night and Saturday mornings I taught yoga, qigong, tai chi, and other fitness classes at the Tehama Family Fitness Center.  I walked on this road from June of 1998 until we moved to Vancouver, Washington, in April of 2017; nearly 19 years.  


"Putting facts by the thousands,
into the world, the toes take off
with an appealing squeak which the thumping heel
follows confidentially, the way men greet men.
Sometimes walking is just such elated
pumping."
-   Lyn Hejinian, Determination


"Every day, in the morning or evening, or both, take a walk in a safe and peaceful environment for less than an hour.  The can be a great fountain of youth.  Choose a place to walk that has no kind of disturbance.   Walking done in a work environment and when your mind is busy is different; it is not as nutritious as the walking you do for yourself in the morning or evening in a quiet, peaceful, and safe place."
-  Master Hua-Ching Ni, Entering the Tao, 1997, p. 135

Looking to the northeast on Kilkenny Lane.  Mt. Lassen (10,000 feet) in the distance is capped with a little snow.  Late Autumn.    

"Walking is the natural recreation for a man who desires not absolutely to suppress his intellect but to turn it out to play for a season."
- Leslie Stephen

"Our philosophies must be rewritten to remove them from the domain of words and "ideas," and to plant their roots firmly in the earth."
- William Vogt

"If you look for the truth outside yourself,
It gets farther and farther away.
Today walking alone, I meet it everywhere I step.
It is the same as me, yet I am not it.
Only if you understand it in this way
Will you merge with the way things are."
- Tung-Shan

`

Looking west on Kilkenny Lane.  The red leafed autumn colors are from Raywood Ash trees. The Yolly Bolly mountain range (7,000 feet) is to the west of the North Sacramento Valley.


"The interior solitude, along with the steady rhythm of walking mile after mile, served as a catalyst for deeper awareness.  The solitude I found and savored on the Camino had an amazing effect on me.  The busyness of my life slowly settled down as the miles went on.  For a good portion of my life I had longed for a fuller experience of contemplation, that peaceful prayer of the heart in which one is able to look intently and see each piece of life as sacred.  Ten days into the journey, totally unforeseen, the grace of seeing the world with startling lucidity came to me.  My eyes took in everything with wonder.  The experience was like looking through the lens of an inner camera – my heart was the photographer.  Colors and shapes took on nuances and depths never before noticed.  Each piece of beauty appeared to be framed: weeds along roadsides, hillsides of harvested fields with yellow and green stripes, layers of mountains with lines of thick mist stretching along their middle section, clumps of ripe grapes on healthy green vines, red berries on bushes, roses and vegetable gardens.  Everything revealed itself as something marvelous to behold.  Each was a work of art.  I noticed more and more details of light and shadow, lines and edges, shapes, softness, and texture.  I easily observed missed details on the path before me – skinny worms, worn pebbles, tiny flowers of various colors and shapes, black beetles, snails, and fat, grey slugs.  I became aware of the texture of everything under my feet – stones, slate, gravel, cement, dirt, sand, grass.  I responded with wonder and amazement.  Like the poet Tagore, I felt that everything “harsh and dissonant in my life” was melting into “one sweet harmony”."
-  Joyce Rupp  



In Vancouver, Washington, where we have lived since April of 2017, I walk on my suburban neighborhood streets with our dog Bruno.  I walk on Clark County trails, at local parks, along the Columbia, and indoors on tracks and treadmills.  In the photo below, my dog, Bruno, and I are walking at the nearby Orchards Community Park.  Lots of trees mean lots of cooler, foggier, rainy days in Southwestern Washington, west of the Cascades peaks like Hood, Adams, St. Helens, Rainer.  Orchards Park is adjacent to the I 205 Freeway, so it is far nosier walking here than in Red Bluff because of the surrounding automobile, truck, suburban, and PDX airport jet sounds.  Vancouver is the largest suburb north of Portland.  A busy and noisy area!

"As I went walking
That ribbon of highway
I saw above me
The endless skyway
I saw below me
The lonesome valley
This land was made for you and me."
- Woody Guthrie, This Land is Your Land

The Ways of Walking: Quotations, Facts, Methods, Spirituality, Meditative

Compiled by Mike Garofalo

• Ways of Walking
• Walking Meditation
• Walking Quotations
• Walking Bibliography
• Circle Walking: Bagua
• Walking the Labyrinth
• Garden Walking
• Walking Qigong
• Walking Staff  

Fog in Red Bluff, CA

My walking path in October 2019

When I walk I nearly always walk with a wooden cane.  I keep one cane in my automobile at all times, and a number of canes and sticks around my home.  A stout wooden cane provides a modicum of self defense techniques, some balancing advantages, exercise for the arms, help for the knees, and looks cool.  Walking with a cane is carrying a potentially lethal weapon.  I've collected a lot of information on using a wooden cane in my hypertext notebook titled Way of the Short Staff.

Firstenburg Community Center, Vancouver WA

Last week, I visited the Firstenburg Community Center in Vancouver, Washington. This large facility offers a complete fitness center, many meeting and activity rooms, and an impressive indoor pool. The cost to me was $6.00 for an all day pass into Firstenburg. I walked the second floor indoor track for 30 minutes, and enjoyed the elevated views through large glass windows and from above the active basketball games.  Finally, I attended a very enjoyable one hour Tai Chi Chuan class conducted by Jill Ross from 12:20 to 1:20 pm.  We practiced the Yang 24 and Sword 32.  

After Taijiquan practices, I then browsed and borrowed two books from the spacious Cascade Park Community Library of the FVRL which is right next door to Firstenburg. There was ample available parking at Firstenburg, at 700 NE 136 Ave.., on the northeast side of the building.  Map View.

One could easily walk to nearby Leroy Haagen Memorial Park a bit north of Firstenburg for outdoor sidewalk and walking path jaunts.  

This is an excellent fitness facility.  The library is beautiful with many great reads, and superior inter-library request services and ebook lending.  There is a Kitchen Table Cafe and a Coffee Revolution coffee/tea room directly across the signaled street from Firstenburg, as well as a small food and drinks outlet inside of Firstenburg.  Plenty of restrooms.  Many fitness equipment options, lockers, large workout rooms.  

Firstenburg is less than a mile north of busy Mill Plain Blvd and scores of new retail stores and restaurants.  Firstenburg is about 8 miles from my home in the Orchards. I thoroughly enjoyed this outing, and this facility will definitely be part of my future pleasures. 

Firstenburg Community Center

Cascade Park Community Library

Leroy Haagen Memorial Park

Feldenkrais Lessons near Portland, Oregon

I have enjoyed taking many Feldenkrais' small group classes from a local Feldenkrais practitioner, Christine Toscano.  She is knowledgeable about Feldenkrais, acupuncture, qigong, meditation, Jungian psychology, and she is a song writer and singer.

I also practice this method alone at home.  I have also read a number of books and listened to audio CDs on the subject.

Mrs. Toscano teaches at her lovely studio on 20th Avenue at 14810 NE 20th Ave., Vancouver, WA 98686.  Phone: 360-798-5286.  There is a small sign at the street titled:  Feldenkrais Movement Center.  

If your are driving north from Portland, on either I5 or I205, exit at 134th Street in north Vancouver, Washington.  Vancouver is directly across the Columbia River from north Portland, and another suburb of the Portland Metropolitan Area.  The Feldenkrais Movement Studio is a block north of the Kaiser Permanente Health Center, and three blocks north of the Legacy Hospital Complex.  Highway 99 changes its name to NE 20th Ave at 134th Street.  

This clean and comfortable practice space is very welcoming.  The other older people are all pleasant and quiet.  The teacher provides clean mats and support pads. Lots of windows look out on a large beautiful yard.  

The Feldenkrais teachers I have listened to all talk you through a series of explorative gentle movements and techniques for drawing out attention/awareness implications.  You self-observe, track, monitor, listen, feel, and experience yourself, non-judgementally, in a relaxed state, with a coach encouraging subtle insights.  

I have read and studied many books and viewed and studied instructional CDs, VHS tapes, and UTube videos about Feldenkrais, Yoga, and Qigong.   

Mrs. Toscano recommended we read Chapter 5 of the book by Norman Doidge, M.D., "The Brain's Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity," (Penguin Books, 2016). The chapter covers the life and work of Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984).  He was a Ph.D. engineer, kudo master, movement therapist, author, and healer.  The chapter discusses some of the core principles of his theory and methods as follows:

"1. The mind programs the functioning of the brain.
2. A brain cannot think without motor function.
3. Awareness of movement is the key to improving movement.
4. Differentiation: making the smallest possible sensory distinctions between movements - builds brain maps.
5. Differentiation is easiest to make when the stimulus is smallest.
6. Slowness of movement is the key to awareness, and awareness is the key to learning.
7. Reduce the effort whenever possible. Relax.
8. Errors are essential, and there is no right way to move, only better.
9. Random movements provide variation that leads to developmental breakthroughs.
10. Even the smallest movement in one part of the body involves the entire body.
11. Many movement problems, and the pain that goes with them, are caused by learned habit, not by abnormal structure." 

Awareness Through Movement.  Easy-To-Do Health Exercises to Improve Your Posture, Vision, Imagination and Personal Awareness.  By Moshe Feldenkrais.  HarperOne, Reprint edition, 2009.  192 pages.  ISBN: 978-0062503220.  VSCL. 

Awareness Heals: The Feldenkrais Method for Dynamic Health.  By Stephen Shafarman.  Da Capo Lifelong Books, 1997.  224 pages.  ISBN: 978-0201694697.  VSCL. 

The Brain's Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity.  By Norman Doidge, M.D..  Penguin Books, 2016.

Change Your Age: Using Your Body and Brain to Feel Younger, Stronger, and More Fit.  By Frank Wildman, Ph.D..  Da Capo Lifelong Books, 2010.  240 pages.  ISBN: 978-0738213637.  VSCL. 

Embodied Wisdom: The Collected Papers of Moshe Feldenkrais.  Edited by Elizabeth Beringer.  Foreword by David Zemach-Bersin.  North Atlantic Books, 1st Edition, 2010.  256 pages.  ISBN: 978-1556439063.  VSCL.  

Northwest Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong Studio

Today, I attended classes at the Northwest Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong Studio in downtown Vancouver, Washington.  It has also been called the "Vancouver Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong Studio" in the recent past.  It was founded by Sifu Brian Knack.

The classes are as follows:

Tuesday Mornings:
Qigong       9 am
Taijiquan  10 am

Tuesday Evenings:
Taijiquan      5:30 pm Advanced
Taijiquan      6:30 pm  Beginning
Push Hands  7:30 pm

Saturday Mornings:
Qigong and Taijiquan  10 am - 11:30 am

The main senior teachers now are Bill and Sandy.  They are both very knowledgeable instructors.  Sifu Brain Knack now lives in rural Goldendale, Washington, (121 miles east of Portland) and comes to the Vancouver Studio occasionally.

Classes are held at the Vancouver Health and Wellness Building at 202 E. Mcloughlin Blvd., Vancouver, 360-607-8240. Also, some information on Facebook, but no website information in 2/2019.

All classes cost $40.00 per month per student.  A very reasonable price for so many classes.

Today, Bill led us in performing the Five Animal Frolics during the Qigong class.

I did not stay for Taijiquan - I was a bit tired and overcoming a chest cold.

Yoga and Mental Health

I attended a three hour workshop titled "Yoga for Mental Health" this Saturday.  The speaker was Eve Parker, LICSW and Yoga Teacher.

Ms. Parker provided a good overview of brain functioning, neurotransmitters, triggers, hyper and hypo responses to stress or trauma, healthy lifestyle choices, self-help and treatment options for types of mental health issues, balance, hierarchy of needs, coping skills, yoga practices suited to emotive-physical needs, yoga models, yoga breathing, etc..  She was very knowledgeable about psychology, a lively young speaker, well organized, and approachable.

She provided a 12 page handout and note taking materials.  She had set out a mat, blocks, bolster, and blanket for each of the 15 attendees.

We finished with yoga practices for 45 minutes.  Breathing techniques and postures for energizing, uplifting, and stimulating; as well as for softening, relaxing, releasing, and destressing were illustrated.

The Simply Yoga Studio has all the needed facilities, comforts, and supplies for group yoga activities.  There are many knowledgeable and experienced teachers at this Studio.

I also attended a 'Gentle Yoga' class for one hour in the morning, led by Eve Parker.  Quieting, restful, and some chair yoga movements.  A refreshing atmosphere at this Simply Yoga Studio.

I've been attending some yoga classes at three locations in Vancouver, Washington:  Simply Yoga Studio (6.1 miles) in Salmon Creek along Hwy 99; LA Fitness Gym (5.6 miles) in the Hazel Dell Market Center along 78th Street; and, the LA Fitness Gym (2.8 miles) in the Orchards Market Center along NE Fourth Plain Road.  There are numerous high quality and new fitness facilities and programs near my home in northeast Vancouver. 

I am enjoying myself, in a good mood, and trying to slowly but surely improve my physical conditioning, stamina, strength, and balance.  On the "mental health" side I want to reduce anxiety, become more fearless, and increase my self-confidence.  Reasonable goals for a fellow at 73 years of age?  Yes!