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I am the President and Master Instructor of the LFA Health Arts. However if I won the lottery tomorrow and had no need to work I would still teach our Health Arts and train T’ai Chi Instructors. For me the Arts are my way of life, practising the gentle movements on a daily basis means that I have not visited my doctor for over twenty years. Today I am in my fifties, I have been married to Malcolm for thirty six years we have three grown up children and three grandchildren.

All Instructors teaching within our Association, keep all the money they earn from their classes. However we hold regular monthly workshops where the revenue is ploughed back into the LFA Association to produce more books and DVDs to help students with their training. This also enables people who are unable to attend classes to reap the many health benefits on offer from our Arts. I currently have eight books in print and five dvds. Our latest dvd which teaches the Reflected Moon Set, will be available by the end of November.

The movements have already been used by many people in our classes.to relieve insomnia and stress. In addition, our new exercise book complete with case studies will be available in the New Year. Our Association also offers a free internet TV ChannelÌý teaching examples of our medicine chest of over six thousand specialised exercises. In addition, the first ten movements of our T’ai Chi Form are also taught completely free of charge on our TV Channel. Membership of our Association is free to everyone and members receive newsletters including health advice and herbal remedies. I have been teaching workshops in the Hull area for the past twelve years, I also teach workshops in Edinburgh, Newcastle and Reading.

Nearly everyone who comes into one of our classes needs something fixing. Most people think that T’ai Chi is a relaxation art or a martial art. It certainly offers relaxation. What we teach is purely for health, we have testimonials from the people whom we have helped, who were suffering from back pain, arthritis, asthma, insomnia, stress, high blood pressure, M.S. and M.E. etc.

We live in an instant society where popping a pill is the easiest option. However I know from the people attending my classes that the pills, do not always work, or sometimes there are side effects and another pill is needed to counter the side effects. The pills may be working today, but what about tomorrow, when the drugs need to be stronger. I do not possess a magic wand; I offer gentle movements, specialised breathing techniques, herbal remedies and dietary advice.We are an ageing society, it is quality of life that counts, I intend to go on teaching until the day I die. There is no room for
retirement in my future, life needs to be lived. This very moment will not come around again, so enjoy it and live each moment in the now.

From every picture arises a question, I would like to ask you a question. When was the last time you suffered from a headache, migraine or rubbed your
eyes from eye strain after hours of computer or paper work?

Practising, 'The Eye of the Hawk'

Look closely at the picture and you will see people seated with their hands and head in various positions. They are practising one of our classic breathing exercises called The Eye Of The Hawk, the exercise involves specialised breathing techniques and the use of acupressure. This exercise has been used very successfully in helping people who suffer from migraine, headaches and eyestrain.

This is only one exercise of over six thousand exercises which we have available for the relief of many different ailments; once learnt by the individual, it is there for them to use for the rest of their life. They are also able to help friends, so it snowballs and what started as a small way of improving the individuals health, could in the long term, help to take the strain off the National Health Service. The exercise is easy to learn, just follow the ten easy steps below, in less than the time it takes a kettle to boil; you have a remedy with no side effects.

Eye Of The Hawk Breathing Exercise

Starting position either sat on the floor or in a chair with the legs crossed your left leg furthest away from you, place your hands on your knees.

1. Breathe in through the nose as you expand your stomach; this moves your stomach out of the way of the lower part of your lungs. At the same time place your fingers and thumbs together.
2. Breathe out through the mouth as you pull your stomach in, this helps to squeeze all the stale air out of the lower part of your lungs. At the same time return your hands to your knees.
3. Breathe in through the nose as you expand your stomach, at the same time place the first three fingers of each hand on your temples.
4. Breathe out through the mouth as you pull your stomach in and close your eyes.
5. Breathe in through the nose as you expand your stomach and open your eyes.
6. Breathe out through the mouth as you pull your stomach in and return your hands to your knees.
7. Breathe in through the nose as you expand your stomach and place your index fingers in the two hollows at the base of your skull.
8. Breathe out through the mouth as you pull your stomach in and tilt your head back.
9. Breathe in through the nose as you expand your stomach and straighten your head.
10. Breathe out through the mouth as you return your hands to your knees.

Repeat all ten movements three more times.

The proof of the pudding is always in the eating. During our summer course 2007, one of the students from Coventry had been suffering from migraine for two days prior to coming to our course. Her husband came to one of our Instructors and asked if the LFA could relieve this. Half an hour after being taught the above exercise and repeating it four times, the husband thanked the Instructor for the information saying his wife’s migraine had completely disappeared.