Fall 2024 and
Winter 2025 Schedule
October, November and December 2024 and
January, February and March 2025
24 Posture - Short Form
Monday Mornings 10 am - 11:15 am
NO CLASS ON 12/30
Sid Olufs - Instructor
&
Tuesday Evenings 6:15 pm - 7:15 pm
NO CLASS ON 12/24 or 12/31
Kat Wood - Instructor
Great Class for Beginners
This class focuses on the Standard Tai Chi Chuan 24 Posture Short Form. A wonderful form to learn for beginners looking to start their Tai Chi journey. Helps to develop a basic sense of body-mind awareness, balance, and flow within the Tai Chi movements. Most begin with the Short Form and “graduate” to learning the Long Form after they feel a bit more comfortable with the basics as practiced in the Short Form.
Beginning 108 Posture - Long Form
Tuesday Mornings 10 am - 11:15 am
NO CLASS ON 12/24 or 12/31
Sid Olufs - Instructor
This class is for those looking to move from the 24 posture short form into the Long Form. We’ll proceed relatively slowly, focusing on the fundamental principles of Tai Chi Chuan, the basics of stepping, moving from the base and waist, and the general feel of flow through the forms.
This offering is somewhat different from our Tai Chi classes. Here is the registration process:
1) If you are paying the monthly fee for classes at the Center, then please register using the registration form to let us know how many people will be there. Your monthly tuition covers the donation.
2) If you do not attend our other classes at the Center, we request that you register so we know how many are attending, and we request a donation per class in an amount of your choosing. You can donate through the website's "Donate to the Center" option, or you can donate by cash or check in person.
Merlino Meditators
Tuesdays 4:45 pm - 6 pm
NO CLASSES 12/17-12/31
Callista Brown - Instructor
Each meditation session will include somatic protocols in the lying down meditation position, sitting meditation, and compassion practices. Sometimes we’ll practice walking meditation. Brief dharma talks and discussions will address features of the practice or connect meditation to everyday life. Our primary focus will be on deepening our meditation experience on and off the cushion.
If you are joining a Merlino Meditators session for the first time, please send an email to callista.brown@plu.edu so that we can meet you at the building door at 4:35 pm. That will give us time to help you set up your meditation space. We have blankets available for the lying down posture, and cushions, benches, and chairs on hand for sitting meditation.
All meditation practices are led by Callista Brown, who is trained in the Tibetan Buddhist lineage of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Reginald A. Ray, and Caroline Pfohl. If you are a beginning meditator or practice in a different tradition, you are welcome to join us. All practices are guided.
If you have further questions, you are welcome to contact Callista directly at callista.brown@plu.edu
Tai Chi Movement
Wednesday Mornings 9:30 am - 10:45 am
NO CLASS ON 12/25 or 1/1
Bobbi Youtcheff - Instructor
Great Class for Beginners
Tai Chi is best learned with a sense of play! This class’s approach to exploring Tai Chi Movement will include a variety of ways to tap into the body-mind connection through Tai Chi postures and flowing forms. This class is ideal for those with at least some fundamental Tai Chi experience, and for those looking to better develop their balance and cultivate and work with their energy.
Advanced 108 Group Practice Session
108 Posture - Long Form
Saturday Mornings 8:15 am - 9:15 am
Bryan Smith - Lead Instructor
Not so much a class as it is a place for those familiar with the Long Form to practice with a group of other practitioners. To begin with, we revisit our traditional drill work and will then proceed into the Long Form itself. We typically make it through the entire form 2 to 3 times with short breaks between each recitation of the form.
Beginning 108 Posture - Long Form
Saturday Mornings 9:30 am - 10:30 am
NO CLASS ON 12/28 or 1/4
Bryan Smith - Instructor
The theme of the class is: Starting at the Beginning
The "Beginning 108 Class" that meets Saturday mornings 9:30AM-10:30AM will be
re-starting November 16 (with a transition class on November 9). The focus of the class will be twofold:
1. Developing kinesthetic awarenesses associated with Tai Chi movements and
2. Learning, from the beginning while applying the aforesaid awareness, the
full sequence of movements in the Yang 108 Long Form.
The class will be appropriate for complete beginners as well as for those who
know the physical movements but wish to also work on developing internal awarenesses.
Logistically, the class will run in 7 week blocks: meeting for 6 weeks and then
taking a "break week" off (although Bryan will be there most of the "break" weeks
for those who just wish to come by for a place to practice and/or chat while
sipping Corina tea or coffee).
Continuing 108 Posture - Long Form
Saturday Mornings 10:45 am - 11:45 am
NO CLASS ON 12/28
Sid Olufs - Instructor
This class is ideal for those already familiar with the Long Form and are looking to refine and deepen their current understanding of the forms. A typical class usually consists of one or two recitations of the complete form with discussion and instruction on important focuses and details inside of the movements.
Yang Sword Form
Saturday Mornings 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Sid Olufs - Instructor
The Yang style 54-posture sword form is useful for encouraging students to focus their intention beyond the body, out to various parts of the sword. A famous saying from Yang Chengfu is: do not separate your mind from the sword therefore your spirit can be focused.
Here is M. Xie BingCan performing the form: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjlDZlXfKP4
A tree as great as a man’s embrace springs from a small shoot;
A terrace nine stories high begins with a pile of earth;
A journey of a thousand miles starts under one’s feet.
— Lao Tsu
