Create space for your spirit to thrive
Have you felt this way:
- your job or to-do list is the center of your life
- you have no feeling of purpose or that you've lost a lot of the joy you used to feel
- your spark and curiosity are missing
- you feel over or under emotional and have a lack of emotional connection
- you feel chronic tension in places and flaccidity in others
- you are tired, irritated, and done
I felt all of this.
And you can read more of my story here.
But even better, I'd love you to try the practice of Taiji and see if you notice your own shift.
Here's how this practice drops you right into the center of your life. Try this movement with me. Notice the subtle shift that takes place. If you can do it in this short video, you can do it in the rest of your life.
Upcoming Classes
A meaningful practice goes beyond the physical movement. You have to be moved in every way - physical, emotional and mental - in order for your spirit to thrive. Join me and connect to your own inner quiet and wisdom that comes from the full depth of a mindful movement practice.
Please note: All classes are VIRTUAL
NEXT SESSION: Advanced Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi
Join me and explore the full Guang Ping Yang Taijiquan form! These are easy 30-minute drop-in classes every Wednesday and Friday.
For students who have learned Taiji 64, this is an exploration beyond the movements. Sense qi, settle the nervous system, relieve stiffness and stagnation in the body, and watch it release in relationships, at work, and at home. This is the work that will open places of deep holding, and create freedom and access to joy. And as you find peace and balance in difficult postures you will begin to live those practices feeling ease and contentment in everyday life.
Advanced Guang Ping Yang
Wednesdays; Fridays
Wed Oct 30 - Fri Dec 20
Skip Dates: Nov 27 & 29
12:30-1:00 ET
14 Classes - $80
20% Discount for SWL Monthly Membership Holders
This practice is virtual.
ALL CLASSES WILL BE RECORDED AND ACCESSIBLE TO ENROLLED STUDENTS VIA THE ONLINE COMMUNITY
NEXT SESSION: Taiji For Balance Virtual Class
SPECIAL NOTE: This is not only a virtual live class; you'll also have access to my online course with hundreds of videos to help you between our sessions. You will also have access to class recordings saved and posted in my online community.
Taiji For Life Balance
Tuesdays
6:00p - 7:30p ET
November 12 - December 10
$80
Free for SWL Monthly Membership Holders
This practice is virtual.
ALL CLASSES WILL BE RECORDED AND ACCESSIBLE TO ENROLLED STUDENTS VIA THE ONLINE COMMUNITY
Beginning Guang Ping Yang Taijiquan
Guang Ping Yang Taijiquan is a 64-movement set that takes about 2 full years to learn.
Yep. It's a commitment. But it's one with deep gifts you'll take with you for the rest of your life.
I began learning this form from Pakinee Sukwattana. I still remember I had to learn a "pre-taiji" series of movements, before the actual form.
I was NOT happy. I wanted to dive in! I didn't want "pre-taiji"!
(Just so you know, the reason I began taiji was because I thought, perhaps, it would create some patience. Clearly, I needed it.)
But what I also remember is sitting down in the stillness of the room and watching the class move through the set. I was mesmerized by my teacher's movements. She was clearly skilled, and the peacefulness of witnessing this strong fluidity washed any doubts away. I had found my home.
Beginning Guang Ping Yang Taijiquan
Tuesdays
January 7 - February 25
6pm - 7:30 ET
This practice is virtual.
ALL CLASSES WILL BE RECORDED AND ACCESSIBLE TO ENROLLED STUDENTS VIA THE ONLINE COMMUNITY
Upcoming Workshops and Special Classes
Please note: All workshops are VIRTUAL
Winter: A Quiet Practice
The longest night of the year...it's quiet, dark, a time for honoring the quiet.
This is considered Yin. It represents pauses, contemplation, femininity, darkness, fear, solitude, cool, listening, and witnessing. It is the opposite of summer's energy: Yang, bright, loud, rambunctious, communicative.
We aren't encouraged to spend time in contemplation. How many times at work have you been told to take 30 minutes to meditate on a project or
Quiet is necessary for internal harmony. "Only in darkness can we find light." (I'm pretty sure someone somewhere said that! 😁 I did a quick search, but nothing came up.) When you're already in the light, there's nothing to find. There's no mystery!
So here's what we're going to do: we're going to celebrate our longest, darkest night. We are going to celebrate the dark. Celebrate the quiet. Join together and celebrate the introvert within us - we all have it. We'll center into our breathing, tap into our sage essence, and spend some time honoring the gifts of Yin.
In so many Eastern practices there is an infatuation with light. It's always prioritized. I'm going to be honest here: I don't like it.
Darkness is important to occupy.
It's half of the Taiji Symbol. ☯
We are supposed to experience darkness! Whether it's filled with fearfulness, or quiet witnessing, or cultivating inherent potential. Yin is part of our existence and it's part of our work to find our comfort in its potential and power.
Join me for a quiet meditation, gentle movement, and community.
Saturday, December 21, 2024
10 am ET
This class is live and virtual. It will not be recorded.
FREE ONLINE COMMUNITY
The work we do to transform our lives cannot be done alone. We are rich resources that can learn, rely on, and share with each other. This is what the SWL Community is all about.
This is a free-access online place to explore taiji (Tai Chi), qigong, and meditation. It is also a special place for certified instructors of Taiji For Balance.
We all try to use language that is rooted in the culture of the practices we do daily, but we explain those in terms that our Western upbringing has in common.
This liminal space is special.
Western Mindfulness tends to focus on stress reduction (e.g., Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, MBSR), science-based approach, and therapy, with a focus on practical and goal-oriented results.
Eastern Mindfulness is rooted in spiritual traditions connected to deeper spiritual development and involves meditation as a path toward wisdom and insight, focuses on the interconnectedness of life, and looks to a holistic balance of mind, emotions, body, and spirit.
What we see when we create a ven diagram of these is that we all want the kind of internal harmony that emanates outward toward others. Both approaches have great gifts.
Simply put, a compassionate, non-judgmental space reduces anxiety and stress on its own. It creates community, safety, and connection.
I hope you join me here.
MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP
I remember back when I closed my brick-and-mortar studio. It was one of the most difficult decisions I ever had to make.
My mother was suffering from dementia and her husband had terminal cancer. I didn't think I had the capacity to continue building a business and caring for someone with whom I had had a difficult past.
I loved the studio with it's suspended wood floor (heated in the winter!) giant light-filled windows, flower and herb garden, but mostly the incredible students I had learned so much from.
I couldn't fully let it go, so I chose to move my classes to an online/virtual space. It was a lot of work and I had great help.
Two months later, COVID arrived.
I look back on those hard days and decisions and realize how grateful I am for the path that emerged.
Students continued to learn as I taught virtually and joined my in-depth online courses through membership to continue their learning.
Having 24/7 access was vital to them. The non-judgmental approach felt like they were still in the studio. Being able to review and relive the in-depth information was priceless.
If their comments sound like what you're looking for try the membership for free for 30 days. You won't be charged unless you stay with us.
With a monthly membership you'll have 24/7 access to Taiji For Balance - Levels 1 and 2; Baduanjin Qigong; Meditation, Select Workshops Recordings, and future courses.
And if you aren't sure, you can read more about it below:
Hi!
My name is Lucy. And over 25 years ago, Taiji saved my life.
It shifted my perspective and brought awareness, clarity, and love. I am forever grateful.
I now teach these practices to anyone longing for genuine openness, ease, and a fulfilling life.
My guided meditations, easy to follow videos, understandable philosophy will gently shift you away from anger and guilt, releasing behavior that no longer serves you.
Taiji For Balance: Learn More“Lucy Bartimole changed my life. I initially came to Shift to work with Lucy for the physical benefits of tai chi, specifically balance and strength - both of which have increased over the past 3 years. However, along the way, I really began to learn and appreciate the other aspects of tai chi, specifically the mental and emotional aspects of tai chi. Learning how to pay attention to my breathing and listening my body has brought me mindfulness, an ability to choose to react (or not), and a sense of peace and connectedness to the world.”
-Mary Jo Burkhardt
