TaiJi (T’ai Chi) & Qi Gong
Twelve Rivers Acupuncture Presents
Revised Fall 2024 TaiJi & Qigong Schedule
About: Taiji, also known as T’ai Chi, is a slow-moving, meditative exercise used to increase strength & flexibility, improve balance, coordinate the mind & body, and improve health. Originating as a martial art in China, Taiji is often practiced today in a more slow and intentional manner. It can help to decrease chronic pain and reduce the impact that stress has on our mental and physical health. According to Harvard Medical School, the benefits of Taiji include: better balance; significant reduction in back pain, pain from arthritis, and pain from fibromyalgia; a reduction in age-related cognitive decline; improved mood and a significant reduction in anxiety; and a healthier heart.
Location:
Indoor classes are held at Twelve Rivers Acupuncture, 176 Mountain Ave, 2nd Floor, Hackettstown, NJ 07840.
Outdoor classes are held at Schooley’s Mountain Park (back parking lot), 91 East Springtown Rd., Long Valley NJ 07853.
Please note that outdoor classes will be moved indoors in the event of rain or inclement weather.
Schedule for Ongoing Classes
Taiji (Beginning level) Wednesday evenings, 6:45 - 8pm Indoor class - September 18 through December 11 (see below for description).
Qigong (All levels) Thursday mornings, 8:30 - 9:30am Outdoor class, weather permitting. We will move indoors end of Oct / Nov.
Taiji (Intermediate level) Thursday mornings, 9:30 - 10:30 am Outdoor class, weather permitting. We will move indoors end of Oct / Nov.
Taiji (T’ai Chi) Beginners
This class is a 12-week long series that will consist of warm-ups, silk-reeling exercises, standing meditation, Taiji walking, and form practice. Beginning students will learn 16 posture Yang style form. Balance, strength, coordination, whole-body movement, flexibility, and reinforcing the basic Taiji movements will be the focus of this class. On Wednesday, September 18 we will hold a free, informational class for anyone interested in signing up the for 3-month series which will run from September 25 - December 11.
Qigong
Qigong, which translates to “Energy work,” consists of exercises which focus on combining the three aspects of breathwork, body movement, and intention. These exercises are gentle, slow-moving, meditative sets that aim to harmonize the body’s energies, build the strength of the internal organs, calm the mind, and heal the body. They are health-cultivation practices that focus on internal awareness and health. In addition to qigong, this class will include silk-reeling exercises that are good foundational skills for learning Taiji. This is an excellent foundational class for those new to Taiji and Qigong, as well as for those already practicing Taiji who want to strengthen their foundations and gain a deeper insight into the internal mechanisms.
Cost / Tuition
One class per week $75 / month
Two classes per week $120 / month
Pay-per-class / drop-in (available for Qigong class only) $20 / class
Wednesday evening Beginners Series $300 for 3 months
Registration
Please call Twelve Rivers Acupuncture at (908) 850-1400 to register, or email Beth Leatherman at twelverivers.acu@gmail.com.
Teacher Biography
Beth Leatherman has been doing Taijiquan and Chinese martial arts for over 19 years. She is a long-term disciple of Grandmaster Henry Moy Yee. She is a certified instructor and Sifu in the Moy Yee Kung Fu lineage.
Beth joined Moy Yee San Jong (Brooklyn, NY) in 2005, where she got her first introduction to Taiji and Wing Chun kung fu. She did the Bai Si ceremony with Grandmaster Henry Moy in 2006. She trained in a wide range of martial arts while at Moy Yee San Jong, including Yang and Chen style Tai Ji, Tai Ji push hands, Tai Ji Gim (straight sword), Wing Chun, Shaolin, and various other weapons forms. As a senior disciple, she taught Tai Ji at Moy Yee San Jong from 2007-2011, and at St. Joseph’s College in Brooklyn, NY from 2010 – 2011. She was recently honored to receive her Jiu Pai, which is the certification to teach and open a school in the Moy Yee Kung Fu lineage. She has been teaching Taiji and Qigong classes in Hackettstown since 2019.
Since having her two daughters and moving to New Jersey, Beth has founded Twelve Rivers Acupuncture and has continued to train her Tai Ji every day. She has experienced the profound healing effects of regular Tai Ji practice, and hopes to share this experience with her patients and students.
