World TaiChi and QiGong Day is held on the final Saturday of April annually. This year the date will be on Saturday 4/29/2023. It's a free event from 10 AM to noon! Join us to enjoy TaiChi/QiGong in Spring!
On this day, Taichi and Qiqong are practiced everywhere in the world. Join us to practice TaiChi and QiGong free at the 2023 World TaiChi and QiGong Day in Nashville. Free workshops are given by local instructors to the public free to celebrate.
2023 World TaiChi & QiGong Day Celebration
in person at Dragon Park (Sat. April 29 at 10 AM)
TaiChi, or Tai Chi Chuang (also written as Taijiquan) is an ancient form of exercise originally created as a fighting art. Today TaiChi is an excellent form of exercise with many health benefits. QiGong is also known as Chi Kung, practiced by millions of people worldwide everyday. QiGong means vital energy and breath skill. When practicing TaiChi, we also use QiGong methods.
There are various perspectives on how TaiChi works. Eastern philosophy holds that TaiChi unblocks the flow of Qi. When Qi flows properly, the body, mind, and spirit are in balance and health is maintained.
Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville has been honored to host this worldwide event in Nashville since 2004 with support coming from local TaiChi and QiGong practitioners and instructors.
We deeply appreciate all the participating TaiChi/QiGong instructors who volunteer their time and share their knowledge for the benefits of the public.
Please free register (click here) to let us know you are coming.
Note: Please bring water, wear exercise outfits and shoes to attend the event. Please also bring a hat, and/or lawn chair as needed.
FYI: World TaiChi & QiGong Day (WTQD) in Nashville 2004-2020 sponsored by CAAN photo book
Video link https://youtu.be/o0oQDWU6Fd4
Participating TaiChi/QiGong Instructors
Joe Rea Phillips: Joe Rea Phillips has trained in Chinese martial arts for almost 46 years and has taught martial arts including Taijiquan for 37 years. He has Black Belts in Northern Shaolin and Wing Chun. Phillips started his Taiji training with Yang style of the Cheng Man Ch’ing lineage and then switched to Chen Taij for the last 27 years. He is a Senior Student of James Cravens of the Chinese Boxing Institute International and has Instructor Certifications in Baguazhang, Taijiquan, and Chinese Boxing. In 2012 he became a 20th Generation Disciple of Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang who was awarded the rank of 9th Duan by the Chinese Wushu Federation. Phillips created and served as the instructor for the Vanderbilt Kung Fu Club while serving as music faculty of Vanderbilt University.
Julie Russell: Julie has been teaching T’ai Chi since the mid 1980’s, and has a Tuesday morning class at Dragon Park at 8:30am. All are welcome, especially those in the elder years. Her teachers are Chungliang Al Huang, and the late Cielle Tewksbury, She welcomes all beginners in this life-enhancing practice.
Cindy Hui-Lio, EdD: Dr. Hui-Lio offers Tai Chi And Qigong group classes and therapeutic private sessions at the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Vanderbilt Medical Center. She also teaches Tai Chi at the Blair School of Music and enjoys sharing this arts with the Alzheimer population and Metro school system. Her teaching interest centers on the subtilty of whole body movement for health and the applications of Tai Chi for improved quality of life.
Steven Heath: Steven has been practicing Tai Chi Quan for 27 years. His first teacher, TaiYang Cao, taught the Yang 24 form, then he studied with Tom Wang and Stephen Deppen. Later he sought to understand Tai Chi Quan as "The Grand Ultimate" martial art, he studied under Steven Alsup at the Chinese Boxing Institute International. Steven achieved black belt in Chinese Boxing(Kung Fu) in 2006. Later he had the privilege of meeting and learning from Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang, Master Victoria Windholtz, and Professor James Cravens. Steven also learned from Dr. Paul Lam, Larry Lee, and Andrew Plack. Steven has taught Sun Style Tai Chi Quan at various YMCA's across middle Tennessee, and a modified Chen style 23 form, and learned energy healing and Hanshi YiQuan. In 2017, he also had the privilege of meeting and learning from Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang’s son, Master Chen YingJun.
Peter Hodes: Nashville-based entrepreneur and Tai Chi enthusiast Peter Hodes has been studying and practicing Tai Chi continuously for over three decades. A Music City native with deep roots in the local community, he’s on a mission to share the many health benefits of Tai Chi with his hometown and beyond. As CEO and founder of Tai Chi River, Hodes provides a unique array of fun, accessible, beginner-friendly Tai Chi classes, with a flexible schedule of in-person classes for Nashvillians as well as online video classes for students around the world.
Jen-Jen Lin: Lin grew up in Taipei, Taiwan. She is the founder and director of Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville (CAAN), a nonprofit organization that promotes Chinese arts and culture.
She was first introduced to TaiChi in 1998 by Mr. Ke Shen Ma, a native of Henan Province, China, and later studied TaiChi intensively with Mr. Wenzheng Chen in Taiwan. She is on a mission to promote TaiChi and QiGong in middle TN. CAAN has been hosting “WTQD” in Nashville” annually since 2004. Lin teaches TaiChi on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at Sevier Park’s Community Center. In addition to TaiChi, Lin is an active choreographer and dancer.
Ryan Black: Ryan Black studied Tai Chi at Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming's Boston YMAA school of Traditional Chinese Martial Arts. With a lifelong passion for martial arts, Ryan trained in Taekwando, Wing Chun Kung Fu, and Kendo before discovering Tai Chi. Ryan is a strong believer in the transformative health benefits of Tai Chi for people of any age, but he recognizes that as we get older, it becomes an especially powerful practice. He is also interested in the benefits of Tai Chi for stress reduction and incorporates a mindful approach in his teaching of tai chi as well.
Anna Teeples & Laura Harper: Anna and Laura are co-teaching at the Tai Chi Nash, which is the local school of the international organization - Tai Chi Foundation. At the request of Professor Cheng Man-Ch’ing, Tai Chi Foundation was founded in 1976 to train teachers and use a team-teaching approach to teaching tai chi chuan. Continuing from the foundation set by the first local Nashville teacher, Peggy Watson, Laura Harper, and Anna Teeples now offerntai chi and qigong classes at the Tai Chi Nash.
Clint Hartzell