BONSAI CHI

No.  You go at your own pace and the exercises can be varied to suit you.  For example, we put our arms forward at head height, if this causes discomfort in your shoulders then you lower it and put them forward at chest height.  You’ll soon find that by increasing your flexibility and building muscle tone you’ll be able to do them at head height.

Nothing, I suggest wearing loose comfortable clothing such as jogging bottoms, leggings and a t-shirt, whatever you feel comfortable in.  We do use hand held items such as a ball or stick, which if you’re in your own home hopefully you’ll have a suitable alternative, however you can still do the exercises without them.

No, not at all. The exercises are built up move by move, always restarting at the beginning. If you miss a move then you can pick it up when we start again.

Once we’ve gone through all the moves a few times, I’ll say ‘keep it going’, and we continue the drill until I say ‘last time through’.

There are physical classes where you join in with other Bonsai’ers, alternatively there are sessions held online via Zoom.

You’ll join with audio but not video, so your name will appear on the screen.  This allows me to say hello and ask how you are, and for the other members to say hello as well. 

When we’re ready to start I mute everyone’s session, except mine obviously!  My video is pinned to the session, so depending on the view you have (speaker view, gallery view), my video will be the main one you can see.

You’ll be following me for the entire session, if you think you’ve missed a move then just wait until we start from the beginning again.

We all do that sometimes, myself included!  Most drills are designed to work both sides of the body, as long as you do both sides then you’re fine. 

Kata is slightly different, I talk through which arm or leg we’re moving for each step so you can follow visually and by my verbal instruction. 

It’s a set series of moves that we learn by rote.  Kata is practised in various martial arts, and each move has a purpose.  For Bonsai Chi it allows us to learn a series of moves, normally about 12 maximum, which when memorised means we can practise it without conscious thought, mindfulness exercise.

The exercises and drills vary each session, there are similarities between them however the sequence of moves will be different.  Once we’ve started a kata we normally practise that for about 4 weeks, so if you miss a session you’ll soon pick it up in the next one.  And we revisit previous ones regularly, you soon find once you’ve started you quickly remember the moves.

Please message us with your contact details, phone number or email, and we’ll be in touch so we can forward you the necessary details.  We look forward to you joining us soon!

To take part in a Bonsai Chi class you should just wear comfortable, loose clothing, such as jogging-bottoms and a t-shirt.