January 27 Prototype

January - March 2027

24 Posture - Short Form

Monday Mornings 10-11:15 am

Sid Olufs - Instructor

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 Tuishou (Push Hands)

Monday Evenings 5:30-6:30 pm

Starting October 5, 5:15-6:15 pm

Jeffrey Daniel - Instructor

Registration Link

This class focuses on tension release, mental training, and foundational rooting drills for health and healing rather than martial applications. We will work with a partner to explore the dynamics of energy, practicing exercises to foster deeper release and mindfulness alongside drills and push hands techniques to learn how to dissolve and neutralize force. The emphasis is on expanding our understanding of Tai Chi’s core concepts, relaxation, and central equilibrium, while developing sensitivity, connection, and flow.

Students of all levels and experience are welcome.

Beginning 108 Posture - Long Form

Tuesday Mornings 10-11:15 am

Sid Olufs - Instructor

Registration Link

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.

If you have further questions, you can contact Callista directly at callista.brown@plu.edu

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 4:45-6 pm

Class will reconvene on September 15th.

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.

The 8 Brocades and Foundation Form

Wednesday Mornings 9:30-10:30 am

Bobbi Youtcheff - Instructor

Registration Link

Join us in our continuing journey into the 8 Brocades, a gentle set of eight qigong movements that are paired with our breath. Each movement helps us reduce our stress and anxiety as well as improve the flow of vital energy within us. The Foundation Form explores how to shift your weight with ease into each of the movements.

Everyone, from beginners to advanced students, benefits from joining in.

Qigong

Wednesday Evenings 5:30-6:30 pm

Starting October 7, 5:15-6:15 pm

Jeffrey Daniel - Instructor

Registration Link

A continuation of our current group, keeping movements simple to maximize awareness and qi circulation, and transitioning forms from choreography into a living, spontaneous flow. This class focuses on developing the lower dan tian and qi flow in our standing and moving Tai Chi forms. Each class will include standing practice to help us access, sink, and build qi, as well as moving Qigong and Tai Chi forms to circulate qi throughout the body.

Tai Chi Sword

Thursday Afternoons 3:45-4:45 pm

New Class Begins on Oct 1

Jeffrey Daniel - Instructor

A dedicated space to learn the Yang Style Sword Forms gradually from start to finish, along with related qigong methods to develop focus, will, and qi sensitivity. Tai Chi Sword helps deepen the mind/body connection, improve balance, and develop greater internal power as you learn to extend your energy through the sword. These forms also help test your release of tension and develop the integration of the whole body and mind.

Continuing Long Form

Thursday Evenings 5:00-6:00 pm

New Class Begins on Oct 1

Jeffrey Daniel - Instructor

A dedicated space for long form development and refinement, taking a deeper look at its internal components. We will go through the whole form twice, once with verbal guidance and a second time in silence to develop inner awareness. In between, we will address questions and discuss specific sections.

This class is best for those with some familiarity with the long form, but beginners are welcome if they are comfortable jumping into a more advanced group.

Xie Techniques - Set 1Workshop

Friday Mornings 10:00-11:30 am

September 11 - October 30 (8 weeks)

Bill Mc Cabe - Instructor

The class will be a followup to the energy dissolves and intends to address the issue of "what next." In other words, once an incoming attempt at penetration occurs, what response will neutralize further threat.

Anyone can partake, but you will be better prepared if you've participated in our prior sessions.

Content will include flow, push hands, moving and executing, dissolving, and returning. The techniques introduced are inspired to a degree by the late Master Bing Xie.

If you wish to see some samples of what you'll be doing, view any of the following:

Anyone wanting to participate that is not currently taking classes please consider a payment of $100 for the eight week session.

Advanced Concepts/Applications

Friday Afternoons 3:30-4:30 pm

New Class Begins on Oct 2

Jeffrey Daniel - Instructor

Focused on using the skills developed in tuishou toward more complex partner practices, investigating internal methods to dissolve, redirect, and counter incoming force. We will explore applications such as the 12 dissolves, step drills, energy isolation exercises, grab and joint lock defenses, and Da Lu.

This class is best for those with some tuishou or prior martial arts experience who want to develop intermediate to advanced internal skill and softness.

Advanced 108 Group Practice Session

108 Posture - Long Form

Saturday Mornings 8:15-9:15 am

Bryan Smith - Instructor Emeritus

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 9:30-10:30 am

Bryan Smith - Instructor Emeritus

The theme of the class is: Starting at the Beginning

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 awareness.

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).

Bagua Zhang

Saturday Mornings 10:45-11:45 am

No class on October 3rd

Abrian Curington - Instructor

Baguazhang is one of the three internal Chinese Martial Arts, along with Xingyi and Tai Chi. It blends various fluid movements with stepping patterns performed in a circle, focusing on improving balance in movement and spinal flexibility. Students will learn a blend of stepping fundamentals and natural body alignment while performing patterns of varying complexities, largely from the Jiang Rongqiao family style.

Though most Baguazhang practitioners learn another internal martial art before beginning Baguazhang, beginners are welcome.

Introduction to Tai Chi

Saturday afternoons 12-1 pm

Jane Trancho - Instructor

Great Class for Beginners

This 12-week course is designed for beginning students with little or no experience. It brings students through the fundamentals of qigong, standing and stances, the tai chi walk, some basic postures and a simple form while introducing aspects of tai chi that make it one of the oldest “internal martial arts.”

Pay Tuition and Register Here

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