movement
I offer classes throughout the year at Stoke D’Abernon Village Hall near Cobham. Please join the mailing list (subscribe at the bottom of this page) to receive first notice of future classes and special offers.
To book your place or ask questions contact me on 07944 872332 or liz@surrey-shiatsu.co.uk.
I have been teaching Tai Chi and Qigong in the Cobham area since 2018, and I look forward to sharing these beneficial practices with you.
Click here to read my article about the benefits of Qigong and Tai Chi.
Tai Chi in 7 Steps
9.30am-10.30am,Thursdays 14th January - 11th March 2027. All abilities welcome, including beginners. Drop in at £15 per class.
Explore a graceful, flowing Tai Chi formas you learn new movements week by week over 7 classes followed by 2 classes to focus on the flow. Build on strong foundations after a warm-up for flexibility, balance and grounding. As we repeat the whole form each week, with special focus on a couple of movements, you’ll soon feel how it all connects. Learn how to get your chi flowing for more vitality in your life. What do the movements mean? How do we know which foot to step with? How do we stay relaxed while learning something new?
Don’t worry, just bring your questions and we’ll go through them together with minds made calm, open and confident by the moving meditation that is Tai Chi Qigong. Come to the first 7 sessions to learn the form step by step, and in the last 2 sessions we can focus on flowing through the complete practice and feeling the energy.
Moving Meditation: Qigong and beyond
9.30am-10.30am, Thursdays 12th November - 10th December 2026.
All abilities welcome including beginners. £15 per class.
All abilities are welcome to these classes for energy and relaxation combined. Flowing from standing to seated, we’ll enjoy the whole-being benefits of:
Qigong for balance, posture and strength
Makka-Ho stretches for flexibility and meridian energy/chi flow
Shiatsu pressure points for nourishing self-treatment
Meditation for a harmonious mind through the Inner Smile and Healing Sounds.
The Eight Brocades Qigong
9.30am-10.30am, Thursdays 9th July - 30th July 2026.
All abilities welcome including beginners. £15 per class.
Discover an ancient tradition for modern life. The Eight Brocades is a flowing sequence of Qigong movements, a form of "standing meditation”. Qigong is a fantastic whole-body exercise its own right, and the ideal preparation for Tai Chi. As we develop balance, strength and flexibility the breath deepens, the mind is calm and focused, and the body is full of vitality.
Iron Shirt Qigong
9.30am-10.30am, Thursdays 26th March - 9th April 2026.
All abilities welcome including beginners. £15 per class.
Put on your Iron Shirt for increased strength, balance and flexibility! Iron Shirt Qigong is a series of standing structures or "standing meditation" where each posture is held for a few breaths before flowing into the next. A fantastic whole-body exercise its own right, it's also the ideal preparation for Tai Chi. The breath deepens, the mind is calm and focussed, and the body is full of vitality.
Private Classes
I can occasionally arrange private classes and workshops for individuals and groups. I teach Tai Chi, Qigong, the Makka-Ho Meridian Stretches, Shiatsu Self-Massage, Taoist meditation and practice for everyone, and Taoist women’s practices.
I teach a weekly Tai Chi Qigong class for members and guests at The Coach House Spa at Beaverbrook, where I also offer Meridian Massage as part of their Spa Days. Click here for details.
What's the difference between Tai Chi and Qigong?
You can think of Qigong as “standing meditation” and Tai Chi as “walking meditation”. The grounding and stabilising qualities of Qigong mean that as well as being practiced for its own sake, it is the ideal preparation for and companion to Tai Chi.
In Qigong we travel through a range of standing positions that get the energy or chi flowing through the meridians. I teach Iron Shirt Qigong, the Eight Pieces of Brocade, and Five Elements Animal Flow Qigong, which playfully expresses Taoist Five Element Theory through movements inspired by the totem animals.
In Tai Chi there is more stepping and changing direction, great for coordination. I teach Yang Family Style, 13 Movement, 5 Element Tai Chi Qigong. Tai Chi begins in the primordial stillness of Wu Chi. As we move we harmonise yin and yang, flowing through change before returning to the completion of stillness.
Both Qigong and Tai Chi bring mind and body into harmony through mindful movement and breath, while generating energy.
Makka-Ho Meridian Stretches
The six Makka-Ho Stretches are designed to promote the flow of natural energy or chi through the body’s meridians. They’re also great for improving flexibility, for the circulation and lymphatic systems, and the digestion. We start with a standing stretch and the rest are done on the floor. When I was learning Shiatsu we did these stretches before every practical lesson and I’ve found them a valuable practice ever since.
Shiatsu Self-Massage
Learning Shiatsu Self-Massage helps you trust your instincts and follow your hands. It feels great and can improve your physical and emotional health.
You don’t need to have anything wrong to benefit from self-massage. It’s an ideal daily practice, helping to improve the circulation of blood to the whole body. Massage stimulates lymphatic flow which helps our body eliminate toxins, it benefits the skin, and can include movements to take care of our joints and muscles. Massage also helps our bodies release the hormones that make us feel relaxed, safe and connected. I can teach you a selection of self-massage techniques and Shiatsu pressure points to help a range of aches, pains and common complaints.
