Jane Turner

I have been practicing Tai Chi since about 1998, initially because I was interested in alternative methods of exercise and the culture and traditions which accompanied Tai Chi. I was working in a very high stress/risk profession at the time and found the release of tension and stress extremely useful. I had also suffered with hip and pelvis problems for many years and found that these were considerably reduced as I increase my practice of Tai Chi, saving me a fortune on osteopath and chiropractor bills!

At first I studied the Yang simplified 24 Form under an excellent teacher, Trisha Barber whom had learnt from a master in Beijing. It was she who encouraged me to teach and so in 2001 my new career took its first steps.

I continued to study Tai Chi, learning the short and long forms of the Wu Dang, and then the Sabre Form, under a 2nd line teacher of Dan Docherty, and have attended a few workshops of the master himself. I have travelled in Asia, visiting Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia, and some of the exercises in my classes are taken from these experiences.

I have a very holistic approach to exercise. I teach students of all ages, abilities and fitness levels in the principles of Tai Chi, providing learning experiences which enable students to meet their goals within an environment that supports all individuals. Tai Chi is a complex and vast subject which encompasses both physical and mental exercise, as well as internal energy flow. It is a slow and gentle exercise, yet simultaneously extremely powerful. It can also be therapeutic for many ailments, illnesses and stresses, thereby attracting a wide range of people interested in learning it and I thoroughly enjoy helping them achieve their goals – even ones they didn’t know they wanted at the first lesson!

In 2010 I passed the Diploma for Teaching in the Lifelong Learning sector to further my development and build upon my teaching strategies. This has helped reach even more students with their diverse idiosyncrasies to pass on the joys and benefits of Tai Chi.

I have personal experience of how helpful and rehabilitating doing gentle Tai Chi can be. I was diagnosed with cancer in 2016 and was doing my Tai Chi exercises whilst still in hospital after a major operation.
Throughout the summer I had chemotherapy, followed by radiotherapy and was able to continue teaching one of my local classes throughout. It helped me enormously with my recovery, mentally and physically helping restore the equilibrium and balance within.

More recently I spent 4 days in hospital with Covid in November 2020, and again I found my Tai Chi/Qi Gong exercises and breathing invaluable in dealing with that, long covid and recovery.

I hope this inspires anyone who is not sure whether to take that first step in learning Tai Chi to do so. I look forward to hearing from you.