Hi folks,

We just released The Five Keys to Taoist Energy Arts with Paul Cavel which is a 10-week online course. Learn more here:

CLICK HERE: The Five Keys Course Overview

Here is a short video where Paul tells you about why he created the course:

CLICK HERE: The Five Keys Course Overview

I was recently in New Zealand and wanted to share some of my experiences while traveling. New Zealand is a beautiful country, one that I have wanted to travel to for a long time.

In this blog I talk about the qi glowworms, the Maori festival, Kauri trees and the Qigong Tui Na workshop I held in Auckland.

We arrived in New Zealand and one of the first places we visited was Waitomo. Waitomo is known for a few things one of which are caves with glow worms. Read More

In this video I talk about how I healed my own back with the Yang and Wu Styles of Tai Chi. I hope you find it useful. Bruce

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Tai Chi Master - Learn Tai Chi Chuan, Tai Chi Exercises and ...

Tai Chi Healthways in San Diego brings you the authoritative Tai Chi and Qigong. Free preview tai chi and qigong lessons on DVD clips. Feel the healing Chi! Jesse Tsao, the most respected true master in San Diego and former champion from China with nearly 40 years of Tai Chi experience, teaches in La Jolla, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Rancho Bernado, and Carlsbad area. Tai Chi Healthways is internationally recognized as a leader in tai chi (taiji) and qigong (chi kung) education. Our mission is to uphold and pass on the traditional teachings of this unique Chinese martial art and healing art. We are committed to setting and promoting the highest teaching standards in the industry today in order to preserve and carry on the classical teachings of tai chi (taiji) and qigong (chi kung). Tai Chi Healthways supports diversity and encourages the advancement of all styles of tai chi and qigong. Tai Chi Healthways and its associates provide a wide variety of styles and routines:

Traditional Chen Style Tai Chi (taiji) Sword Traditional Chen Style Tai Chi (Taiji) Dao (Broadsword/Saber) Traditional Chen Style Tai Chi Double Dao (Broadsword/Saber) Traditional Chen Style Tai Chi Guandao (Kwandao) / Long-Handle Saber

Chen Style Tai Chi (Taiji) Power Striking Traditional Chen Style Tai Chi (Taiji) Spear Traditional Tai Chi (Taiji) Eight Immortals Cannon Cane

Standard Combination Tai Chi (Taiji) - Form 42 Standard Combination Tai Chi (Taiji) - Sword Form 42 Standard Chen Style Tai Chi (Taiji) - Form 56 Standard Yang Style Tai Chi (Taiji) - Form 40 Standard Wu Style Tai Chi (Taiji) - Form 45 Standard Hao Style Tai Chi (Taiji) - Form 46 Standard Sun Style Tai Chi (Taiji) - Form 73

Simplified Tai Chi (Taiji) - Form 24 Combination Tai Chi (Taiji) - Form 48 Yang Style Tai Chi (Taiji) - Form 88 Simplified Sun Style Tai Chi (taiji) - Form 36 Tai Chi Sword Form (Taiji) 32 Wudang Tai Chi (Taiji) Sword Tai Chi (Taiji) Kung Fu Fan Qigong (Chi Kong) for Healing Tai Chi (Taiji) Symbol Tracing Hands Tai Chi / Qigong 36 Touch Points for Self-Healing Tai Chi (Taiji) Silk Reeling Qigong (Chi Kung) Essentials: Five Animal Frolics Qigong (Chi Kung) Essentials: Six Healing Sounds Qigong (Chi Kung) Essentials: Tai Chi Meditation for Self-Healing Qigong (Chi Kung) Essentials: Eight-Piece Brocades Qigong (Chi Kung) Essentials: Nine-Piece Tai Chi (Taiji) Gong Qigong (Chi Kung) Essentials: On-Chair Qigong 10 Forms for Better Health Qigong (Chi Kung) Essentials: Yi Ji Ching Qigong (Chi Kung) Essentials: Shaolin Luohan Qigong 13 Forms

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Compact Tai Chi (Taiji) - Sections I and II Compact Tai Chi (Taiji) - Sections III and IV Compact Tai Chi (Taiji) for Healing Compact Tai Chi (Taiji) for Wimps Compact Tai Chi (Taiji) on Chair

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BANGKOK: Thai stocks jumped on Tuesday, outperforming others in Southeast Asia, as higher oil prices bolstered buying in energy stocks and shares of Thai Airways International recovered from five sessions of falls after a positive earnings guidance for 2014.

The Thai index ended up 2.6 percent at 1,262.36, extending gains into a second day and bouncing from the oversold mark for the first time since Dec. 27, with its 14-day Relative Strength Index at 33.8 at Tuesday's close. The rebound helped the benchmark trim some of its losses since November amid ongoing political tensions while caution remained ahead of a mass shutdown of the capital on Jan. 13 by anti-government protesters calling for a reform of the political system to precede the election. Shares of energy firm PTT Pcl rallied 6.4 percent, the top gainer on the energy index, while Thai Airways jumped 5.7 percent after acting President Chokchai Panyayong saw the carrier returning to a profit in 2014. Other regional markets ended mostly lower, with Indonesia and the Philippines easing amid currency weaknesses. Singapore and Malaysia retreated from early highs in line with weak Asian markets. Vietnam edged up 0.2 percent, with banking shares rising after the government said a strategic foreign investor will be allowed to own a maximum 20 percent of a Vietnamese bank from late next month, from 15 percent now. For Asian Companies click; For South East Asia Hot Stock reports, click;

SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS Change on day Market Current Prev Close Pct Move TR SE Asia Index* 379.39 379.28 +0.03 Singapore 3120.88 3123.82 -0.09 Kuala Lumpur 1825.11 1829.18 -0.22 Bangkok 1262.36 1230.84 +2.56 Jakarta 4175.81 4202.81 -0.64 Manila 5947.44 5985.81 -0.64 Ho Chi Minh 510.12 509.10 +0.20 Change on year Market Current End 2013 Pct Move TR SE Asia Index* 379.39 388.37 -2.31 Singapore 3120.88 3167.43 -1.47 Kuala Lumpur 1825.11 1866.96 -2.24 Bangkok 1262.36 1298.71 -2.80 Jakarta 4175.81 4274.18 -2.30 Manila 5947.44 5889.83 +0.98 Ho Chi Minh 510.12 504.63 +1.09 * The Thomson Reuters South East Asia Index is a highly representative indicator of stocks listed in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Stock Market Volume (shares) Market Current Volume Average Volume 30 days Singapore 169,757,700 188,794,220 Kuala Lumpur 102,195,400 105,339,070 Bangkok 5,068,249 5,287,086 Jakarta 2,384,719,900 2,881,386,460 Manila 68,776 71,657 Ho Chi Minh 74,364 87,616- Reuters

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Southeast Asia stocks mostly weak

BANGKOK: Most Southeast Asian stocks retreated on Friday, along with weakness in broader Asia, with Thai shares hitting a fresh 16-month closing low as domestic political protests escalated. The Thai SET index ended down 0.5 percent at 1,224.62, recouping some of its earlier losses amid short-covering in large-caps such as Advanced Info Service and Kasikornbank. It was down 5.7 percent on the week, the worst since August 2013 and Southeast Asia's worst performer. Concerns over a possible delay in the Feb. 2 election and active short-selling helped spur Thursday's sell-off when the index plunged more than 5 percent. Anti-government protesters have planned mass rallies to shut down Bangkok on Jan. 13, calling for political reform before the polls while the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship would stage a mass rally to counter the planned anti-government demonstrations. Stocks in Singapore ended nine sessions of gains, falling 1.4 percent on the day and 0.6 percent on the week, while Malaysia lost 1 percent to a near two-week low, with a weekly loss of 1.4 percent, its first in seven weeks. Vietnam inched up 0.2 percent as real-estate stocks gained after the central bank cut home loan rates, with a weekly loss of 0.2 percent. Indonesia slid 1.6 percent to a one-week closing low while the Philippines was down 0.6 percent, both ending the week around 1 percent higher. SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS Change on day Market Current Prev Close Pct Move TR SE Asia Index* 379.67 383.33 -0.96 Singapore 3131.47 3174.65 -1.36 Kuala Lumpur 1834.74 1852.95 -0.98 Bangkok 1224.62 1230.77 -0.50 Jakarta 4257.66 4327.27 -1.61 Manila 5947.93 5984.26 -0.61 Ho Chi Minh 505.37 504.51 +0.17 Change on year Market Current End 2013 Pct Move TR SE Asia Index* 379.67 388.37 -2.24 Singapore 3131.47 3167.43 -1.14 Kuala Lumpur 1834.74 1866.96 -1.73 Bangkok 1224.62 1298.71 -5.70 Jakarta 4257.66 4274.18 -0.39 Manila 5947.93 5889.83 +0.99 Ho Chi Minh 505.37 504.63 +0.15 * The Thomson Reuters South East Asia Index is a highly representative indicator of stocks listed in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Stock Market Volume (shares) Market Current Volume Average Volume 30 days Singapore 133,084,900 190,505,640 Kuala Lumpur 96,226,900 110,109,077 Bangkok 5,265,556 5,322,809 Jakarta 2,186,911,500 2,946,130,917 Manila 74,931 71,601

Ho Chi Minh 55,600 92,815- Reuters-

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Southeast Asia Stocks: Down, Thai shares reel

Thai Chi

Relaxing Thai at Wafi 12Reviews

From Time Out Dubai Eating Out 2008

Eating al fresco on Thai Chis candlelit terrace alongside bubbling water features is a very soothing experience. But the limited choice of starters and main courses on the menu is slightly disappointing.

Theres nothing worse than a restaurant that tries to be a jack of all trades and a master of none. And thats the mistake that Thai Chi makes.

It offers both Chinese and Thai cuisine but doesnt excel at either. Neither does it offer a wide enough choice of dishes. This is made up for, however, by the great surroundings and friendly service.

On chilly evenings, the very attentive staff are even on hand to offer pashminas to ward off the Dubai winter. Main courses of sweet and sour chicken and Thai red chicken curry come in generous portions and are very tasty, but connoisseurs of Chinese or Thai food probably wouldnt come here to sample their favorite dishes.

However, those who want to dine out in pleasant surroundings with friendly staff and reasonable prices are well served at Thai Chi.

Time Out reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.

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Thai Chi in Wafi, Oud Metha, Dubai - Restaurant Reviews ...

Many of you may be unfamiliar with fenugreek, but it is quite common in Indian cooking. Fenugreek is used as both an herb (fresh fenugreek leaves) and also as a spice (fenugreek seeds). The leaves have a wonderful and unique flavor. Known as methi in India, these small leaves have a very slight bitter flavor and a fragrant aroma. The seeds are used in the preparation of Indian pickles, spice mixtures (masalas) and curry pastes. Fenugreek seeds are also known to aid in the digestion process. Fresh fenugreek or methi leaves are available in most Indian grocery stores. They are also available in a dried form (known as Kasuri methi) and can also be found in the frozen section.

The tamarind tree is native to India. It produces a large brown fruit or pod that contains the tamarind pulp. The use of tamarind (pulp) is very common in Indian food, especially in South Indian cuisine. It imparts a unique sweet, sour and tangy flavor that is absolutely delicious. Tamarind pulp has many health benefits and aids in digestion. It is high in both vitamins B and C and also calcium. Tamarind pulp is easily available in any Indian grocery store in many forms such as tamarind powder, tamarind concentrate and even dried tamarind pulp. If you are unable to find tamarind pulp, you can use fresh lemon juice as a substitute.

Jaggery is a type of unrefined sugar that comes from either the sugarcane tree or the date palm tree. In India, it is known as gul or gur. It is available in block form in most Indian or Asian grocery stores. If you are unable to find jaggery, you can substitute dark brown sugar.

MEHTHI CHI AMTI (Fenugreek Leaves Dal)

Ingredients:

1 cups chana dal (skinned & split Bengal gram dal) tsp black mustard seeds tsp cumin seeds 4-6 fresh curry leaves 3-4 small green Thai chilies, slit in half lengthwise, to taste pinch of asafetida (hing) tsp turmeric (haldi) tsp red chili powder, to taste 2 tsp kala or goda masala (you may use garam masala as a substitute) salt & pepper, to taste 3 cups fenugreek leaves (methi), finely chopped 1 tsp tamarind concentrate or paste tsp jaggery (gul), to taste 1 tbsp oil (vegetable or canola) cup freshly grated coconut for garnish freshly chopped cilantro leaves for garnish

METHOD:

In a large pot, combine the chana dal with enough water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring to a good boil, cover & let simmer for about 30-45 minutes or until done. The dal should be completely tender but not mushy. Set aside and let cool until needed. Alternatively, you could also make the chana dal in a pressure cooker.

Meanwhile in a saucepan on medium high heat, add the oil. When hot, carefully add the black mustard seeds. When the splattering stops, reduce the heat and add the cumin seeds along with the curry leaves, green chilies and the asafetida. Next, add in the spices (turmeric, red chili powder, kala masala, salt & pepper). Stir well & let cook for a few minutes. Then carefully add the cooked dal along with any cooking water. Mix well to combine all of the ingredients. If the dal is a bit too thick, add a little water as needed. The consistency should not be too thick or too watery. Then, using the back of a large spoon or ladle, slightly mash the dal against the sides of the pot. This will give you a nice creamy consistency.

Stir well to combine and add the fenugreek leaves, tamarind & jaggery. Reduce the heat to low, bring to a gentle boil & let simmer for 8-10 minutes until all the flavors have mingled. Garnish with freshly grated coconut & freshly chopped cilantro leaves, serve with fresh chapatis & Basmati rice.

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Methi chi Amti Recipe

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New York City said goodbye to one of its own Monday with an evening of stories, prayer, postures and song. The late artists family, friends and loved ones gatheredat the Apollo Theatre in Harlem for the showThe Power of the Heart: A Celebration of Lou Reed, during which they all were seated onstage. The audience was filled with friendly faces as well, including such longtime supporters as Clive Davis, Wallace Shawn, Richard Belzer, Salman Rushdie, Jim Jarmusch and Dr. John.

With rows of lit candles lining the front of the stage and a large black- and-white photo of Reed looming above, the event -- organized by Reed's wife,Laurie Anderson,and producer,Hal Willner --was an emotive farewell from start to finish.

PHOTOS: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2013

The wide-ranging celebration mixed old audio recordings, countless pictures and iconic film footage of Reed, along with new renditions of his songs and tender remembrances of his life. Reeds tai chi mentor, Master Ren Guang Yi, gracefully exhibited the 21 Form, which he had specifically created for Reeds practice in tight, urban settings. Later in the evening, his entire tai chi family would display the 21 Form as a devoted ensemble, onstage and off.

This special event, which took place exactly 50 days after Reeds passing, included heartfelt thoughts from Anderson and Willner, Reed's sister Bunny, friend and neighbor Julian Schnabel, a rabbi from Israel and even his surgeon from Cleveland (Reed died of complication resulting from a liver transplant).

STORY:Lou Reed's Death: 'He Was a Prince and a Fighter,' Says Wife Laurie Anderson

These musings were, naturally, interspersed with musical numbers that included Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye performing Perfect Day, Paul Simon singing the Velvet Underground classic, Pale Blue Eyes, and Blondie's Debbie Harry taking on the beloved "White Light, White Heat." Singer Antony and guitarist Marc Ribot performed a heartbreaking version of Candy Says and Reed's bandmate from the Velvets,Moe Tucker, read a letter from John Cale, who was unable to attend. Bob Ezrin, fabled producer of Reeds unforgettable Berlin album, read a Kaddish prayer along withWillner, accompanied by none other than Phillip Glass on piano.

The whole evening was extraordinarily respectful and high on sentiment, and the wonderful music performed was clearly only a part of a much larger celebration of Lou Reeds life. Anderson closed things up with a beautiful violin instrumental she had composed for her partner of 20-plus years, after which the whole gang got up and boogied to an extended version of Sister Ray led by Kaye and Ribot with Patti Smith singing. It was a fitting finale: Reed's love Anderson surrounded by her dearest friends, saying goodnight and waving goodbye.

Set List:

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A Last Goodbye to Lou Reed: Laurie Anderson, Paul Simon, Patti Smith Celebrate NYC Legend

BANGKOK: Thai stocks ended at a 14-week low on Friday as the domestic political deadlock spurred fund outflows while Indonesian shares faltered due to weakness in the rupiah and on worries over U.S. stimulus tapering. The Thai SET index was down 1.1 percent at 1,341.13, the lowest close since Sept. 6, with selling most active in large-caps and telecoms shares, such as Advanced Info Service and PTT. The benchmark dropped 1.5 percent on the week, with a year-to-date loss of 3.7 percent, making it Asia's second worst performer. Foreign investors were net sellers of 3.5 billion baht ($109.10 million) on Friday, taking their redemptions since November to around $2.5 billion and nearly $6 billion so far this year, much larger than in many neighbouring markets. The leader of a protest group trying to overthrow Thailand's government and scrap planned elections said on Friday the prime minister should either step down or be forced out, and his movement would then need around a year to push through reforms. Indonesia's index was down 0.9 percent at 4,174.83, the lowest close since Sept. 6, with foreign investors selling a net 341.2 billion rupiah ($28.38 million) worth of shares, Thomson Reuters data showed. Domestic buyers helped many markets regain lost ground, including the Philippines and Malaysia, while redemptions by foreign investors continued ahead of the Federal Reserve meeting on Dec. 17-18. The Philippine index ended up a tad higher at 0.08 percent after an earlier loss of nearly 1 percent. Shares of Jollibee Foods Corp jumped 3.1 percent, reversing Thursday's falls and leading gains on the index of 30 large-cap stocks. The benchmark underperformed its peers on the week, down 4.1 percent, falling for a second week. Foreign investors sold a net $34.6 million on Friday and a combined selling of $47.2 million on the week, stock exchange data showed. Malaysia's index edged up 0.4 percent at 1,840.35, recouping some of the losses over the past two sessions and near a record close of 1,842.82 hit early in the week. It rose for a fourth week, up 0.7 percent, making it the region's best performer during the week. The Malaysian bourse said local institution bought a net 115.6 million ringgit ($35.80 million) while foreign investors sold a net 116.7 million ringgit ($36.14 million) For Asian Companies click; For South East Asia Hot Stock reports, click;

SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS Change on day Market Current Prev Close Pct Move TR SE Asia Index* 388.32 390.23 -0.49 Singapore 3066.02 3059.04 +0.23 Kuala Lumpur 1840.35 1833.87 +0.35 Bangkok 1341.13 1356.21 -1.11 Jakarta 4174.83 4212.22 -0.89 Manila 5767.13 5762.53 +0.08 Ho Chi Minh 506.06 506.92 -0.17 Change on year Market Current End prev yr Pct Move TR SE Asia Index* 388.32 424.10 -8.44 Singapore 3066.02 3167.08 -3.19 Kuala Lumpur 1840.35 1688.95 +8.96 Bangkok 1341.13 1391.93 -3.65 Jakarta 4174.83 4316.69 -3.29 Manila 5767.13 5812.73 -0.78 Ho Chi Minh 506.06 413.73 +22.32 * The Thomson Reuters South East Asia Index is a highly representative indicator of stocks listed in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Stock Market Volume (shares) Market Current Volume Average Volume 30 days Singapore 274,630,600 219,173,977 Kuala Lumpur 115,997,900 126,811,153 Bangkok 6,210,995 6,368,263 Jakarta 2,682,784,000 3,190,937,700 Manila 96,092 73,691 Ho Chi Minh 67,670 94,073- Reuters

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Southeast Asia stocks -Thai stocks down, M'sia up

Thai men hold durians at a warehouse in Tien Giang Province, where the fruits are to be soaked in perservatives and smuggled to China and Indonesia. Photo courtesy of Tuoi Tre

Police in theMekong Deltaprovince of Tien Giang have fined a group of Thai and Vietnamese smugglers for soaking local durians in unsafe preservatives before illegally bringing them into China and Indonesia.

The chemicals and fruit have been confiscated.

The police said the eight Thai people and a Vietnamese dealer will be fined VND10-20 million (US$473-947) each for the undocumented export of the fruits to the China and Indonesia.

Thailand Commerce Company in Ho Chi Minh City collected the fruits at its warehouse in Tien Giang, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reported.

In one of Tuoi Tres visits, more than 20 Vietnamese were working for two Thai men. The Thaischosewhich fruitswere to be soaked in the strange preservative solution and the Vietnamese did the deed in a roomat the far end of house.

The durians were than tagged with Chinese labels, put in Chinese-language boxes and loaded ontoa truck.

The workers said each bucket (more than 40 liters) ofdark yellow liquidcould bathe 700 durians. The warehouse used around ten buckets a day and the solutions were mixed by the Thai bosses, according to Tuoi Tre.

A Thai man expressed anger and signaled the Tuoi Tre reporter to leave when the latter entered the room where the mixture was being made from unlabeled chemicals including some yellow powder, a yellow liquid, and a green liquid.

A Vietnamese worker said the mixture was said to keep the durians unspoiled for longer than normal, and to make them ripe all over.

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Vietnamese durians smuggled, soaked in dodgy preservative

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The Tai Chi Union for Great Britain is the largest collective of independent Tai Chi Chuan Instructors in the British Isles.

"The Tai Chi Union for Great Britain exists to unite Tai Chi practitioners, promote Tai Chi in all its aspects including health, aesthetic meditation and self defence and to improve standards and collate and disseminate information on Tai Chi classes and events in Great Britain and elsewhere." The Constitution of the Tai Chi Union

Founded in 1991 it has grown to include a national list of over 800 registered instructors throughout the whole of the British Isles.

The business of the Union is carried out by a democratically elected Executive Committee and a Technical Panel who deal with applications, technical enquiries and maintaining and improving standards.

Peter Ballam 5 Corunna Drive Horsham West Sussex RH13 5HG 01403 257918 email Secretary

For general information on tai chi or about the Tai Chi Union for Great Britain (TCUGB) and all correspondence regarding becoming a member of the TCUGB contact:

Ronnie Robinson Media & Membership Officer The Tai Chi Union for Great Britain 1 Littlemill Drive Glasgow G53 7GF Scotland UK +44 (0) 141 810 3482 email Ronnie

Aileen Cromar 62A Greenock Road Bishopton Renfrewshire PA7 5JB 01505 340402 Email Aileen

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The Tai Chi Union For Great Britain