Tai Chi for Beginners
in-person class for health & vitality
Join our 12-week in-person Tai Chi
class designed for beginners
-
URBAN GRACE CHURCH
Sept 6, 2025 - Nov 22, 2025
Saturdays: 11:00 AM-12:00 PM
Number of sessions: 12
Registration open - NOW until 11:59 PM (PST), Wednesday, September 3rd
Location: IN-PERSON at Urban Grace Church
902 Market St, Studio 301, Tacoma, WA 98402
The investment for this entire 12-week class series has two payment options:
PAID IN FULL: $300 (you’ll save $75)
or
3 MONTHLY INSTALLMENTS: $125/month
You’ll pay a $25 non-refundable deposit to register for the class. This deposit will go toward your class tuition amount.
Remaining tuition is due by cash or check in class.
Checks made payable to: Jeffrey Daniel
-
Other Important Information
Space is limited. Small class sizes mean I can give more individualized attention to every student in each class. Each person takes this work differently, and I prioritize holding space when extra support is needed. I recommend registering early to get a spot.
Parking: 2-hour free street parking on “Court D” behind Urban Grace Church
Building Access: You’ll receive further details after registration
How to register: Register online through the form below.
What to wear: Loose, comfortable clothing and comfortable shoes. You can go in socks or barefoot while in class.
What to bring: Refillable water bottle
Why Learn Tai Chi?
Increase energy
Increase vitality
Decrease fatigue
Pain reduction
More energy to spend doing the things you love
And MANY more benefits!
What’s covered in the class
Class Structure
Warm-up, stretching, standing
Form Work
Pushing Hands
Comments, questions, concerns, and closing
Warm-up, stretching, and standing (stand like a tree)
An active practice used to quiet the mind and relax the body. You’ll learn how to release tension in the muscles and joints while staying actively engaged. This method of warm-up helps you cultivate internal awareness, release unnecessary tension in the body, and increase energy in the body. We’ll also learn beginning-level qigong exercises to enhance relaxation and deeper breathing.
Form work
After we warm up, we take the energy we create in standing and start to circulate it through the body using flowing movements/postures in a specific sequence. The specific sequence (the form) trains your body and your energy to move and flow in specific ways. We use form work to exercise the body and circulate energy (qi) for health and vitality.
This class series will likely cover a section of Cheng Man Ch’ing’s short form (approx. 37 movements), but each class is curated to the needs of the group.
Partner work (pushing hands)
Beginning level Pushing Hands (Tuishou) is two-person partner work designed to help you notice your tension and stuck places and let them go. In my opinion, the only way to gain the true benefit and understanding of Tai Chi is to require at least a little pushing hands to see if you’re letting go and flowing. You’ll pair up with another person in class during push hands. This work will help expand your understanding of Tai Chi’s core principles along with the fundamentals of relaxation and balance.
Depending on the group, we’ll fold it in throughout, or we may focus it on the last half of the course.
Comments, questions, concerns, and closing
We’ll end with a question and answer period and close out.
* 2-3 water breaks are typical, and students are free to break when needed to care for themselves.
WHO THIS PRACTICE IS FOR:
People who’ve been interested in Tai Chi for a while or are picking it back up as a practice.
People who are curious about Tai chi and whether it’s something they want to pursue
Need to be able to walk up stairs (there is no elevator access to the classroom) and stand for 20-30 minutes at a time.
If you've been practicing a while and need a new perspective, please join! You will get what you need.
You can practice a minimum of 5-15 minutes every day outside of class.
Basic ability to move around and stand for a few minutes at a time. You’ll need a certain level of mobility to stand and walk around for most of my classes, unless otherwise stated, or the class is specifically seated.
You’re in your 40s,50s, or 60s, and want to age gracefully.
Chronic muscle pain or joint pain, but you are still able to use your muscles and joints.
Chronic mild to moderate anxiety.
Working through emotional issues, anger, and control problems.
Old sports injuries, but you’re still relatively active.
Want support in areas where medical support hasn’t worked.
Deepen and expand your meditation practice. Tai Chi brings sitting meditation practices into movement and action.
WHO THIS PRACTICE IS NOT FOR:
No self-defense or fighting art taught in this class. If you’re interested in that, let me know and I’ll get you on the waitlist for my self-defense workshops.
My classes aren’t well-suited for those extremely limited in their mobility. Group classes aren’t ideal for fused joints or extreme body limitations. If you have extreme body limitations, reach out to me about private sessions so we can build a curated practice for you to augment the work you do with your medical professionals.
Looking for this to cure all your ailments? These classes are for maintenance and improvement, not meant to replace medical professional support.
WHY SHOULD YOU WORK WITH ME?
I’ve been a devoted student of Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong for over 18 years and have taught for 8+ years to a wide range of students, including children, college-aged students, older adults, and retirees.
“My students find more awareness of themselves, gain a deeper sense of well-being, and harmony that serves them in their everyday life.”
Jeffrey Daniel, Tai Chi & Qigong Instructor
Tai Chi for Beginners Class FAQ
-
Click the “SIGN ME UP” button in the form below. You’ll be redirected to the checkout page to fill out the registration form, pay your holding deposit, and add a credit card on file.
-
The investment for this entire 12-week class series has two payment options:
PAID IN FULL: $300 (you’ll save $75)
or
3 MONTHLY INSTALLMENTS: $125/month
You’ll pay a $25 non-refundable deposit to register for the class. This deposit will go toward your class tuition amount.
Remaining tuition is due by cash or check in class.
-
We’ll meet in person every Saturday from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, Sept 6, 2025 - Nov 22, 2025, for 12 weeks.
-
Tai Chi is an effective means of exercise with slow, fluid and graceful movements meant to strengthen the body, ease the mind, release tension, and improve overall health and balance. flexibility, and stress reduction.
-
Anyone who is new to Tai Chi or Qigong, or who’s taken a Tai Chi or Qigong class in the past and who wants to dust off their skills and gain new insight, is welcome to register. No previous experience is necessary.
-
This is an IN-PERSON only class. No virtual options or recordings will be available.
-
This is an in-person only class. There won’t be a class recording to share. However, if you must miss a class or two, it's not a big deal! Please let us know ASAP if you will need to miss a class, and we’ll do what we can to support you to stay caught up. You can still gain a tremendous benefit even if you can’t be there for all 12 classes.
-
I’ve created a whole page dedicated to the many of Tai Chi and Qigong. Click this link to learn more.
-
When you register for the class series, it’s understood that you are paying for a spot for the full 12-week tuition. Classes are not prorated if you miss a class.
-
Please make all checks payable to: Jeffrey Daniel.
-
All students must have a credit card on file.
Cancellations must be in writing at least 72 hours before the end of the class registration period. We hold the space for you. You will pay a $25 holding deposit fee at registration, and it’s understood that you're attending. If you contact us to cancel less than 72 hours before the first class, we will not give a refund. No refunds after the registration period ends.
If you contact us in writing to cancel less than 72 hours before the first class, or drop out partway through the class, you still owe the full class tuition, and we’ll charge the credit card on file and send a payment receipt via email. In the event that the class is cancelled by the instructor, we will refund all holding deposits taken and any tuition balances paid.
Don’t see your questions answered here? Let’s talk!
Send a message in the form below or email: jeffrey@blueherontaichi.org
Possible topics covered:
Fundamental principles of Tai Chi
Proper alignment, body mechanics, and posture
Tai Chi stepping and walking
Three Circles Qigong
Learn more about Chi and energy flow, and how to form your energy centers
How to develop energy and circulate it through the body
Ideal time and frequency of training
Developing mindfulness and awareness of the body/mind
Breathe work
The Eight Energies
Concepts of Tai Chi, Wuyi, Tao, and Song
Basic two-person drill work
How to neutralize and redirect incoming force
Releasing tension in the body
Pushing Hands
Learn to manage and redirect energy with circles
“Real-life” applications, ways to apply the practice in your lifeTai Chi and Qigong have a massive range of benefits.
The “Official” Bio
Jeffrey is a Tai Chi and Qigong Instructor and creator of Blue Heron Tai Chi, based in the Pacific Northwest.
Jeffrey specializes in helping active adults with body pain and chronic health issues stay active as they age, gain more stability, balance, vitality, relaxation, and ease with stationary and moving meditative practices.
He offers his students a new perspective to relearn their movement and reconnect them with their body and mind.
A devoted student of Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong for over 18 years, he’s taught for 8+ years to a wide range of students, including children, college-aged students, older adults, and retirees.
Combining his many years of knowledge and study as a Tai Chi player with his training as a Certified Reiki Master Teacher, his unique approach folds in holistic energy flow and allows his students to become more aware of themselves and gain a deeper sense of well-being and harmony in their everyday life.
Jeffrey grew up in Washington and currently lives in the Greater Seattle area with his wife, two young boys, and two cats, and he can be found dreaming of squeezing in more pickleball time, enjoying a cup of coffee, or napping.
