For anyone who is still considering putting someone forward for the Ronnie Robinson Bursary please note that the final date for these nominations to be with us is 28th February.
We will let the lucky recipient know as soon as possible after this date.
Hopefully, now that the 2019 programme has been released, you are excited about next year’s event.
As well as pondering which of the many workshops you would like to attend why not consider somebody you may know who may be faced with some difficulties in being able to join you. Check out the Ronnie Robinson Bursary page and see if you are aware of someone who would benefit from this is annual award.
This could be a great opportunity for the right person. This year’s recipient was keen for us to share with you just what it meant to her so here is what she said. Thanks, Zsa Zsa.
Tai Chi Caledonia 2018, Ronnie Robinson Bursary, with gratitude and love from ZsaZsa x
I had wanted to find a good Tai Chi class for years so when I joined Ken Houlker’s class in Deal, Kent in July 2016 I was content that I had found the right teacher. Ken introduced me to Gill of Bright Moon Tai Chi and I then began classes with her as well. Between my two brilliant teachers I was attending 3 classes per week and my Tai Chi practice was taking form. In September of that year, 2016 I was then diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a bit of a shock for someone so young; I was 43 at the time. I declined much of the conventional treatment that was suggested to me and opted instead to follow the Gerson Therapy after having a full mastectomy and auxiliary lymph clearance on the left hand side. My journey back to wellness included my usual 3 classes of tai chi per week. I considered my protocol tight and organised, having investigated and researched everything. I was stunned in December 2017 when I met with my consultant to discover that the cancer had returned. This time I was advised to begin hormonal treatment medication and to be referred to an oncologist. The oncologist advised that I take a full course of three weeks of daily radiotherapy. I did so in April 2018. My skin in that area is now sensitive and although most ladies wear a prosthesis my thoughts are that if it is uncomfortable for me, it is likely to be uncomfortable for others, therefore I shall lead the way by opting out of wearing a prosthesis altogether. I’m not sharing these details for anyone to feel sorry for me but to give a little background as to how Tai Chi has been instrumental in helping me to turn my life around. Yes, there have been several other components to my positive transformation but the most important aspect to consider, know and utilise when moving from a state of healing and into a state of wellbeing and out into the open fields of flourishing is that to harness the mind is everything. This too is true with Tai Chi. The better able I am to relax and concentrate my mind the better able I am to connect to my source and to flow in good form. We all will have challenges in life and we can each overcome them once we know that our mind holds the key. Tai Chi practice helps us to achieve balance and teaches us how to rise above any obstacles.
I never expected to be awarded the Ronnie Robinson bursary and was quite taken aback when Gill called me to relay the good news. What a gift. I arrived at Stirling campus for TCC 2018 and my first impression was that I felt I had come home, that I belonged. There were smiling faces looking out to me as I slowly drove my car up the road and took in the sights of all the chalets and participants already practicing on the grass. The week’s event exceeded all expectations and I wish to express my gratitude once again to Al and Aileen for organising such a great event, Ken and Gill for putting me forward and Ronnie Robinson, who despite not being there in his physical body was very much there in spirit. Thank you.
On Saturday I was up sharpish at my usual time of 4.44am, eager and excited to begin training. With such a rich array of talented and inspirational teachers it was a tad tricky to come to a decision as to which workshop to join but I am so happy that I began my Callie experience with Yanira Masich. Yanira’s session was on the ‘5 words of self composure’. I found Yanira’s teaching calming, peaceful and relaxed. The way Yanira spoke and moved helped me to concentrate my mind. I really loved her workshop and enjoyed the exercises within the group. From there I went to move my spine in interesting ways with Tina Faulkner-Elders in ‘spine circle’. The week definitely made me realise that I have a fair bit of work to do in that area. ‘Root down – connect up’ with Gillian Reid came next. Gillian’s wisdom and movement was nothing short of mesmerising, I knew then that I was definitely going to work with her for the rest of the week. I then attended another of Tina F-E’s workshops ‘hip circle’ this I found to be a little more challenging than her previous workshop. Watching Tina in class and later at the demos was motivational because the flexibility in Tina’s body is unreal. Knowing the practices she uses to achieve this flexibility is fascinating. I then met Helmut Oberlack for ‘3 external harmonies’. Helmut’s teaching style is very generous. He allows for you to feel at ease immediately and to experiment with how your body feels to know correct posture. He was a cool influence, easy to understand and patient in his approach. My last workshop of the Saturday was with Bob Lowey ‘5 Animal Exercises’. I really enjoyed Bob’s energy and charisma; he was clear and calm and made learning easier than normal in the subtle way. On day two I began with Gillian Reid’s session on ‘Building and guiding qi’. I loved this class and felt really good during and after it. I then moved to ‘Xing Yi Quan 5 Elements’ with Birinder Tember. This was quite different to anything that I had tried in the past and I thoroughly loved every moment. I felt suitably challenged and happy when I was finally able to create the movements needed to be free. I went to Enrico Colmi ‘Neigong of 5 Dynamics’ next which was interesting as it demonstrated to me the importance of being centred, balanced. Gillian had another workshop ‘The Empty step’ and I went to that one of hers too. Having seen Angela Menzel in the demos on Saturday night I went and asked if her workshop would not be to vigorous for me to attend. She assured me it would be fine. It was a ‘Bagua Workout’ and my first introduction to bagua and lots of fun. Glass coffee tables will forever make me smile. The final workshop was with Luigi Zanini, ‘Xiao Yinjinjing’ this was much harder than it looked and holding some of the postures made my legs tremble but at the end of it I felt invigorated. I also loved Luigi’s early morning qi gong session. I went to bagua on one morning with Simona Longeri and Sergio Uzzo and it was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed myself but the qi gong was on at the same time and I really wanted to attend that too. Most mornings I went to qi gong. I watched the push hands but didn’t participate because I couldn’t risk a slipped hand or too much pressure on my left hand side. Hopefully I will participate in push hands next time. I chose to work with Gillian and learn some Bio Spirals and Angela and learn a bit more Bagua. Two great choices I think because I loved their teaching so much. The standard of teaching at Tai Chi Caledonia was exceptional and it was a gift to be able to learn from such brilliant instructors. Kind and warm hearted individuals, I wish I could have worked with all of them. It was therefore a real joy to watch the demos in the evenings during the weekend. I filmed a fair few forms and made sure to use the # when I uploaded them to social media. Thanks to everyone concerned – the teachers, helpers and all participants… Tai Chi Caledonia rocks.
will take place between Friday 5th July and Friday 12th July next year. Book early to avoid disappointment.
The weekend demonstrations by this years teachers are too big to upload to this site but they can be viewed on the taichicaledonia Facebook page.
The General Data Protection Regulations introduced in the UK in May 2018 require consent to be specifically given for organisations to use and hold personal data.
For any Tai Chi Caledonia event, consent to the use of your data is inferred by your submitting it on the booking form or by email. However, consent given in this way is restricted to using it for communicating information about that year’s event only.
In future years we will introduce a tick box on the booking form to provide opt-in consent for Tai Chi Caledonia to retain your data for as long as it is relevant to the Tai Chi Caledonia family activities and to use it in both the current and future years. Use of this data is, and will continue to be, restricted to providing you with information about the Tai Chi Caledonia family, namely the event itself and any workshops/seminars which may be presented by teachers from these events but separate from the events themselves.
Any personal data that we hold is restricted to name, address, telephone numbers, age and email address as provided by you by email or on the event booking form. This information is held on a secure database accessible only to the organisers of Tai Chi Caledonia. We do not and will not share it with any other organisation or individual. The forms on which this data was submitted are destroyed after each year’s event.
Any photographs and videos of workshops during the event may be used for publicity purposes. Some of these may be published by us on our website and our Facebook page and shared with our colleagues at the European Taiji Forum ( https://taiji-forum.com ) who may use them, again for our publicity purposes, or to illustrate the topic being covered by the material. No personal data is shared with the Taiji Forum. If you do not wish your image to be used you can inform the organisers at the start of the event or at any point during it.
NO FINANCIAL DETAILS ARE HELD OR PROCESSED BY TAI CHI CALEDONIA.
If you require that we remove any personal information we have collected about you, please email your request to bookings@taichicaledonia.com and your data will be removed in a timely manner where possible within the limits of the law.
For more information please see our Privacy Notice.
By popular demand Luigi Zanini has kindly agreed to present two workshops on Xiao Yijinjing
The link on the weekend programme page will now take you to an updated programme which reflects this.
If you intend on joining us this summer and have not yet booked, I would suggest that you do this ASAP as we are rapidly filling up the rooms in the Spittal Hill chalets.
And no, this is not a marketing ploy that Ronnie would have been proud of! 
As people arrive at all sorts of times on the Friday we do not provide any food that night. Here is some information that might help you, whether you are a newcomer or an old hand.
The Italian restaurant and chip shop at the foot of the hill is closed for its summer break. So what are the alternatives?
The William Wallace, the pub at the foot of the hill, is currently looking for a chef and so it is hard to say if they will be serving food or not. I wil try and update this nearer the time, if possible.
However there is a new place just to the right on the main road as you leave the university main entrance. This is The Meadowpark Pub and Kitchen. Aileen and I had a lunch there last week and it was very nice. They serve food until 10pm on Fridays but advised that booking would be a good idea.
The website is www.themeadowparkstirling.co.uk
email info@themeadowparkstirling.co.uk
Telephone 01786 834084
If you go straight through the roundabout at the foot of the hill and go along the 3rd road on the right, Easter Cornton Road, you will find The Birds and Bees, which some of our people have used in the past and found to be good. It’s about a 10-15 minute walk from Spittal Hill and is a gastropub pub serving steaks and a British pub menu.
The website is www.thebirdsandthebees-stirling.com
Telephone 01786 473663