As I gaze out over Independence Mall from my 12th floor office window I see pale green buds beginning to show on the trees below. This sends my mind reeling with thoughts of warm days and practicing tai chi outside again with my friends. The form feels so different when your feet are touching the earth. My mind pushed past the gray, snowless winter toward the bright sun of the Jersey shore where we will soon be enjoying our Tai Chi Retreat Weekends once again.

I can feel the warm sand caressing my bare feet while I do my morning forms as the bright sun rises. Then I move to the cool grassy park with a light breeze not quite managing to blow away the sweat that collects down my spine as we run through the form "just one more time." At night the Chinese yoga and qi gong exercises are a relaxing finish to a day of exercise and learning ever new aspects and nuances of the Yang form from our Sifu, Chik Mason. We lay on the beach watching the stars, listening to the waves splashing before us in the darkness and drink in the salt air with every deep, slow breath.

These retreats are something I look forward to more each year. They set up my body and my mind to sustain the rigors of life in the city and a corporate job for the year to come. They also add something more intangible to my personality, smooths out the worn edges developed from stress. A weekend of Tai Chi at the beach is healing for the soul.

Call Josh at 215-462-7111 for information about upcoming retreats