Mary Martha leads tai chi group at the Omega Institute
Tai Chi Easy
Tai Chi Easy takes five essential movements from the traditional 108 movement Tai Chi long form, and distills these into a simplified form. This makes learning Tai Chi beneficial and fun to learn right away. These movements are practiced in a stationary manner. (standing)
Inner Yoga
Inner Yoga is the practice of meditation and inner listening while practicing the Yoga postures. These postures integrate stillness and movement. We use the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali to guide out practice. Like a map handed down over the centuries.
“What is Yoga? Yoga is the cessation of movements in the consciousness. Yoga is thus the art and science of mental discipline through which the mind becomes cultured and mature.’ B.K.S. Iyengar
TAI CHI 24 COMPETITION FORM Tai Chi 24 Competition form is a choreographed form of martial art. The class is on Thursdays and lasts for six months. Only students who are focused and willing to attend regularly are encouraged to take this class. Previous experience with Tai Chi and Qigong are required. The class is free.
Chi Gong Practice
Chi Gong can be literally translated as energy practice. It includes all kinds of internal and external forms that enhance the quality and increase the circulation of chi. It has two classifications, nei dan (internal) and wei dan (external forms) which enhance the quality and increase the circulation of Qi.
All of these practices promote good health by facilitating the body’s internal healing mechanisms.
Mary Martha’s Experience and Qualifications
Mary Martha is certified to teach Integral Qigong and Tai Chi by Roger Jahnke and is certified to teach the Ni family form of Eight Treasures. She assisted Dr. Jahnke training teachers for three years, at five week sessions at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies in Rhinebeck, New York.
After completing her apprenticeship with Dr. Jahnke, she began mentoring teachers in San Antonio. To date she has mentored eight teachers of Qigong and Tai Chi in collaboration with the Connections outreach program at The Village at Incarnate Word.
Read Mary Martha’s article on Chi Gong from Connections Outreach.
Mary Martha McNeel has been a student and practitioner of the Movement Arts of Yoga, Tai Chi, and Qigong since 1990. ‘I began the study of the self-care practices of Tai Chi and Qigong after a diagnosis of a near fatal condition. I began researching to find the best possible treatment and discovered that Yoga, and Tai Chi would be a beneficial part of a program for recovery. After recovery I began to study these healing arts with the objective of teaching and sharing with others. Insights through the years of study have supported my understanding of how these practices can be integrated into our own health care system, reducing costs and empowering patients to begin to think in terms of Wellness and feeling better.’
Mary Martha is currently teaching groups of people on the South Side and West side through the Connections outreach program at The Village at Incarnate Word. This program began in February of 2006. The first site was San Felipe de Jesus. The idea was to teach Wellness practices to under served communities empowering the community to begin practicing health based activities. The response was so enthusiastic, Mary Martha began to expand the program to Libraries and Learning Centers where English as a second language and computer skills are taught.
She is now teaching 7 Outreach classes per week. Mary Martha initiated 2 informal research studies of the effects of Tai Chi and Qigong on High Blood Pressure through the auspices of the IIQTC(Institute for Integral Tai Chi and Qigong) based in Santa Barbara, California. To date this program reaches roughly 150 people teaching Wellness based skills through the Movement practices of Tai Chi/Qigong and Yoga. To date Mary Martha has trained 8 Tai Chi Easy community leaders.
For the last eight years Mary Martha has taught Tai Chi/Qigong/Yoga at the University of The Incarnate Word.
If you are interested in practice schedules please visit the calendar on this site. If you are interested in teaching and sharing the practices attend the classes regularly.
