Start the new year off right! After several years of daily turmoil, stress and strife living with COVID, and divisions in so many areas of our society, are you ready to focus on bringing harmony, balance, and clarity into your life?
If feeling physically stronger, more agile, and flexible sounds appealing, you may be surprised to learn that there is a practice, based on sacred teachings, that has proven over centuries to be successful at yielding profound physical benefits — as well as mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.
With Tai Chi (Taiji), often referred to as meditation in movement, the slow, deliberate movements of the body activate Qi (vital life-force energy) and balance the natural polarity of Yin and Yang, resulting in bringing your whole being into balance and harmony.
Tai Chi is so much more than physical movement.
At its heart is the empowering and compelling Taoist teaching that honors simplicity, nature, and Wu Wei (non-action).
Join us for a transformative 7-week online course with renowned Tai Chi Master Helen Liang to discover the healing, harmony, clarity, and serenity that results from her teaching of Tai Chi.
Helen will masterfully guide you through 13 postures — eight fundamental energies/principles with five stepping patterns — teaching you the movements and the sacred ancient principles of Taoism that are essential to the understanding of Tai Chi.
Each week, Helen will teach you new movements. You’ll begin each session by reviewing the movements you learned in the previous sessions, delving deeper into the details and practices. After Helen’s repetitions and gentle corrections, you’ll move onto the new postures you’ll be learning that week.
As you’ll discover, each pose requires a change in breathing, concentration, and balance — while helping you cultivate inner peace.
While the movements are slow and gentle in Tai Chi, the practice addresses the key components of fitness — building muscle strength, flexibility, and balance — while also providing aerobic conditioning. When practiced regularly, Tai Chi is comparable to resistance training and brisk walking.
Helen will show you how to apply the principle of Wu Wei in everyday life — in personal relationships and in stressful work situations — so you can go with the flow of what each day brings, adapt to change, and let the universe play itself out through you.
Master Helen Liang is the eldest daughter of Grandmaster Liang Shou-Yu, and began training in traditional Wushu at the age of four, under his strict tutelage. At the age of 11, she was chosen to train with the Sichuan Provincial Professional Wushu School in China and since then, she has won many gold medals in competitions throughout the world. She immigrated to Canada in 1985 and has become one of the most revered Chinese martial arts experts in North America. Her deep wisdom and compassionate teaching style are grounded not only in her family lineage and extensive training, but also in her personal history of overcoming severe illness.
This course was so enlightening. I loved learning Tai Chi with Master Helen. She’s a wonderful teacher and really broke things down so they became rewarding to learn. The pace was perfect and I’m walking away with a beautiful experience of Tai Chi. I will look for ways to keep integrating the practice into my life.
— Lisa, Richmond, Virginia
In this 7-week transformational intensive, Helen will guide you through the fundamental Tai Chi skills and competencies you’ll need to successfully cultivate physical strength, mental clarity, and inner contentment.
You’ll connect with Helen and experience her teachings through livestreaming video via any connected device. This connection is easy to use and will enhance the impact of her transmissions. Can’t make it live? After each class, you can stream the video and audio recordings to enjoy anytime and anywhere at your convenience.
This course will feature LIVE teachings, interactive training sessions, experiential practices, and Q&A with Helen. Each session will build harmoniously upon the previous ones, so you’ll develop a complete holistic understanding of the practices, tools, and principles you’ll need to activate the vital life force within you... your Qi.
The practice of Tai Chi is the physical interpretation of the Tao philosophy — a teaching built upon the belief in unity of all things found in the universe.
In this opening session, you’ll learn the pivotal, spiraling, coiling force of Tai Chi as it first emerges in form. You’ll learn how this opening Tai Chi movement activates the Yin and Yang energies of the body and moves Qi throughout your being... and dive deep to discover the role of the mind in harmonizing the Yin and Yang polarities.
Helen will teach the fundamental elements of Tai Chi Standing Posture (Zhan Zhuang ), which is essential for building proper body alignment and cultivating your reservoir of energy.
In this session, you’ll:
You’ll review the Standing Posture, the first and second posture that you learned last week, and be introduced to the third posture — Ba He Liang Chi (White Crane Spreads Its Wings). As part of this posture, you’ll contemplate the image of the crane... in Taoism the red-crested white crane is a symbol of immortality and wisdom and is associated with heaven. The third posture helps bring clarity and calm to the mind and spirit. When you have a calm mind and you’re in a state of Yin, you generate fluid movements and power.
The third posture also contemplates the energetic skill of Peng — the first and foremost energy principle of the 13 postures, which allows the entire body to feel strong and solid, yet flexible and energized with springlike vitality.
In the fourth posture, Lou Xi Ao Bu (Brush Knee Push), you’ll explore the classic Tai Chi teaching of Wu Guo Bu Ji, meaning “not excessive” or “deficient,” and you’ll learn how balance and harmony can be maintained in your life when you don’t let things reach a critical point.
In this session, you’ll:
After reviewing the first four postures, you’ll move onto the fifth posture, Shou Hui Pi Pa (Playing Lute), and the sixth posture, Lu Ji Shi (Roll Back and Squeeze).
You’ll learn that when performing a form, your hands, legs, and feet are in constant transition between Yin and Yang in a continuous flow, mirroring the ongoing change in the universe that’s brought forth by the dance between the two opposites. You’ll also learn that inherent in every Tai Chi posture is an “opening and closing,” a powerful way to express the dance of Yin and Yang in your body.
The fifth posture is one movement that vividly demonstrates the notion of “opening and closing” and helps open up important energy gates in the body to promote smooth circulation of Qi in the spine, the Governing Vessel meridian, and out through the arms.
You’ll explore the mystic teaching of allowing and yielding through the energy of Lu. By contemplating on the energy of Lu, you’ll learn about realizing peace through non-resistance (acceptance) when you allow the events of life to unfold naturally. Once you’ve mastered the way of yielding, you’re empowered to resolve challenges by learning the technique of Ji (Squeeze).
In this session, you’ll:
After a review of the last six postures, you’ll learn Shang Bu Ban Lan Cui (Step Forward to Deflect, Parry, and Punch) and the eighth posture, Peng Lu Ji An (Ward Off, Roll Back, Squeeze, and Push).
Lao Zi teaches in the Tao Te Ching that soft overcomes hard. He uses water as a metaphor for this assertion: water is soft and flexible, but also has the power to erode the hardest materials like rock and metal.
You’ll explore the teaching of living with softness and flexibility through the practice of the seventh posture. To be like water also means that you’re able to adapt to different circumstances. The technique An, taught in the eighth posture, cultivates your ability to survive many different circumstances by adapting.
In this session, you’ll:
In this powerful session, you’ll learn the ninth, tenth, and eleventh postures — Yun Shou (Cloud Hands), Dan Bian (Single Whip), and Xia Shi (Snake Creeping Down).
Lao Zi teaches in the Tao Te Ching that everything around us undergoes a constant flow of transformation and change. All things obey the law of rhythm — expansion and contraction, rising and falling. This is the constant of nature, the Tao.
The continuous flow of the ninth, tenth, and eleventh postures mirrors the cyclic nature of the Tao’s endless motion and constant change, inspiring you to gracefully embrace life’s ups and downs.
These postures and movements help build coordination, flexibility, strength, and balance.
In this session, you’ll:
You’ll review the postures you learned in the past five weeks, then learn two more — Shi Zi Chui (Cross Punch) and Shang Bu Qi Xing (Step Up, Seven Stars). You’ll also learn the first two techniques of posture 13, Cai Lie Zhou Kao (Pluck, Split, Elbow, Strike)
A fundamental teaching in Tai Chi is internal three-unification and external three-unification. Internal three-unification refers to the heart unifying with the mind, the mind unifying with Qi, and Qi unifying with force.
External three-unification refers to the shoulders aligning with the hips, the elbows aligning with the knees, and the hands aligning with the feet. Through posture 12, you’ll learn how to harmonize, unify, and align the body.
In this session, you’ll:
In this final session, you’ll review all the postures taught in the course and learn the final two: Zou (Elbow — Strike) and Kao (Body — Strike). The techniques of Zou and Kao demonstrate two distinct kinds of power that cultivate a calm, grounding centeredness.
Tai Chi is founded on a teaching that harmonizes opposite energies. “Movement starts from the stillness and tranquility of the mind; the Jin (power/strength) should be rooted in the feet, generated from the legs, controlled by the waist, and expressed through the fingers,” these are the lines most often used to describe how power should be expressed in Tai Chi.
Helen will teach that the above sequence should be followed when you emit power (Fa Jin ) and that suppleness and relaxation is the source of power and strength.
After learning the last two techniques, you’ll practice the form from the beginning to the end, weaving together the essential features of Tai Chi 13 Postures to experience a free flow of the entire form.
In the session, you’ll
In addition to Helen’s transformative 7-week virtual course, you’ll receive these special bonuses with sacred teachings and instruction from a renowned Tai Chi master to complement the course and take your understanding and practice to an even deeper level.
Wuji Quan (The Fist of Wuji ), another internal style of Chinese martial art like Tai Chi, was long veiled in mystery. It is a precious teaching that was handed down through the generations of Helen’s family. In this video, Helen introduces in detail how this form can be practiced as an applied martial art, a health exercise, and a Taoist Qigong practice for inner cultivation. It’s a sacred form that’s rarely seen performed. Helen also shares with you a video recording of her performing Wuji Quan with her own music.
Register by December 27 to claim this bonus before it expires.
This exercise was originally passed down by a Buddhist monk from Sichuan province in China, where Helen was born. It’s an exercise routine that involves breathing, movements, postures, and the hitting/beating of important acupuncture points, energy centers, the 12 primary Qi meridians, and a few Qi vessels — to promote Qi circulation in the meridians and vessels, strengthen the internal organs, and vitalize the spirit.
Register by January 3 to claim this bonus before it expires.
Tune in to this powerful and instructive video recording featuring Master Chenhan Yang and his disciple Harry Zhang. Master Chenhan Yang is the president of the SYL Wushu Taiji Qigong Institute in Vancouver, one of the most renowned Chinese martial arts schools in North America. Harry Zhang is the recipient of several gold medals in national and worldwide Tai Chi and martial arts competitions. They demonstrate the martial applications of Tai Chi’s 13 postures, and illustrate how these techniques are applied in combat. Even if you’re not interested in combat or martial arts, understanding these applications will inspire you to learn the movements of Tai Chi as they appear in practice.
Register by January 8 to claim this bonus before it expires.
These essential guidelines for correctly learning Tai Chi were accumulated over the centuries by masters of the ancient art. This article is a combination of Helen’s own writing and excerpts from her father’s highly acclaimed book, Tai Chi Chuan: 24 and 48 Postures with Martial Applications.
— Faith LeLievre: “Helen Is a Very Encouraging, Very Supportive Teacher”
I felt I finally understood some of the fundamentals of Taiji when Master Helen explained them in this course. I have learnt Taiji for many years, but I felt the fundamental concepts had never been so well-explained before. Really grateful.
— May, Singapore
I benefited greatly from this course. I have been practicing Tai Chi for many years, mostly on my own. This course gave me a deeper understanding of Tai Chi and gave me some important ideas and principles that are greatly improving my performance of the art. I deeply regret that I did not have the opportunity to learn with Helen Liang many years prior to this. She comes from a background that positioned her to be a master of the complex art that Tai Chi is. She is also knowledgeable about Chinese culture and philosophical ideas as they apply to Tai Chi. Helen is very charming and engaging as well. Her lovely personality sweetens the whole experience. I would highly recommend this course to anybody who is interested in learning about Tai Chi (and this applies to more than those who are beginners). I would like to do more Tai Chi with her.
— Charles Asofsky, Kfar Saba, Israel
The details Master Helen taught about perfect basic form and the ways those details contributed to the goal of obtaining the Wu Wei state were superb. My Tai Chi practice was greatly enhanced, as was my internal balance and coherency of flow.
— Tom Rohn, Elgin, Oregon
Master Helen is a gifted teacher. Not only is she thorough, she is encouraging, and to watch her move through the form is inspiring.
— Jamie, North Billerica, Massachusetts
13-Posture Tai Chi for Harmony, Strength & Balance offers some of the most transformational online teachings available, within a thriving global community of learning and practice.
Join fellow students and practitioners to support and inspire each other as you integrate the teachings and practices Master Helen Liang will share in this powerful training.
You’ll join an international community on the leading edge of manifesting a world grounded in the principles of cooperation, harmony, and reverence for all of life.
Experience a unique opportunity to be mentored by and learn from Master Helen Liang, vice president of SYL Wushu Taiji Qigong Institute, from the comfort of your own home. Each class includes a livestreaming video option and will guide you to bring harmony to your life through 13-posture Tai Chi. Course sessions are on Thursdays at 1:00pm Pacific.
After each class, the video will be available for you to stream in a high-quality format. You’ll never have to worry about missing a session, and you can watch anytime and anywhere at your convenience.
After each class, the audio will be available for you to stream. You’ll never have to worry about missing a session, and you can listen anytime and anywhere at your convenience.
In addition to the high-quality videos and MP3 audios, you’ll also receive the entire class transcription after each session is completed. You can then review, print, and highlight the most important insights and practices you were given.
Between class sessions, you’ll have the option of completing related exercises, practicing new tools, and answering questions to accelerate your learning and integrate each week’s lesson.
Our exclusive Facebook online community is the perfect place to continue your discovery process after each class. Here, you can continue the discussion about your course materials and interact with your fellow students to take your exploration to an even deeper level.
We feel honored that Master Helen Liang has chosen to partner with The Shift Network to offer this exclusive LIVE online training. This is a unique opportunity to interact directly with a world-renowned Tai Chi master whose powerful insights and pioneering work are helping us heal and awaken ourselves and our world.
If you’re serious about exploring 13-Posture Tai Chi to cultivate physical mobility and mental stillness, then you owe it to yourself to take this one-of-a-kind training.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your own evolution, click the register button below to reserve your space now.
Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed! If you don’t absolutely LOVE 13-Posture Tai Chi for Harmony, Strength & Balance — or don’t feel that it meets your needs — please submit your refund request form on or before January 26, 2023 and we’ll happily issue qualifying customers a refund.
I am on old friend of Helen Liang’s father, Liang Shouyu. Twenty years ago, while attending a martial arts competition organized by the American Kungfu Taichi Magazine, Helen, who acted as the master of ceremony, interviewed me. I retain an extremely good impression of her. She seemed amiable and courteous, and spoke with great clarity. Her train of thought was methodical, especially when expounding her deep knowledge of martial arts. And when she performed the Liuhe Bafa style during the conference, I was very impressed by her natural and unrestrained style. Her movements were expansive and grounded in solid skills. To truly be able to disseminate the profound knowledge of Chinese martial arts culture outside of China requires not just a strong physical mastery of martial arts skills, a deep knowledge of the extensive martial arts principles and Chinese culture, but also a true moral character with an extremely open mind to convey all the details in a good command of the English language. Helen Liang has all these. It is for this reason that Helen Liang has received the esteem and deep respect from her many students abroad who have benefitted from her teachings over many years. I believe Helen Liang is the very best teacher to accurately spread the martial arts teachings to all foreign friends.
— Coach Wu Bin, president of the Beijing Wushu Academy, 2008 Beijing Olympic torchbearer
Master Helen Liang is one of the most exceptional teachers that I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. Her profound wisdom and knowledge comes from an impeccable bloodline and family of masters, as well as from overcoming her own personal challenges fighting cancer. What’s more, her complete fluency in English and Mandarin gives her a unique advantage when it comes to her ability to communicate sophisticated concepts across cultures. Few practitioners radiate positive energy and good Qi like Helen. She always inspires me with her optimism and enthusiasm for the arts.
— Gene Ching, staff writer for YMAA Publication Center, YMAA.com, and publisher of KungFuMagazine.com, Santa Cruz, California
I have studied with Master Helen Liang since 2005. In all classes I have taken with her I felt guided and supported. Helen masterfully teaches details and intent of each movement and connects it with Qi circulation. She is tremendously responsive to the needs and level of each student. When I first started, I was only keen on grasping the martial side of Taiji. Helen has been helping me grow and embrace all aspects – physical, energy, martial and spiritual.
— Anna Tikina, BA, MFS, PhD, director, research & admissions, BC Council on Admissions & Transfer
Helen has been my inspiration and guide on my martial arts, Tai Chi, and Qigong journey for over 15 years. Her insights and techniques apply not only to my forms and Qigong practice, but have improved my other fitness activities, posture, work focus, and overall self-awareness. Helen continuously refines and adjusts her teaching so that even review sessions are filled with new perspectives and new depth, a reflection of her own continuous self-improvement. She always provides the why behind the what, and challenges her students to not just do, but to always explore and understand why they do it. I look forward to many more years as her student!
— Manny Kiesser, Laguna Hills, California
Helen is a true Master and fabulous teacher who draws from a deep and profound understanding of Tai Chi and Qigong. I am amazed at her positive energy and kindhearted spirit. She greets her students with a friendly smile, empathy, and compassion. Those attributes naturally extend to her teachings, which makes learning the exercises much easier. Helen always provides the traditional Chinese medicine context so we understand the principles and philosophy behind the Qigong forms we are learning. I feel more relaxed, calm, and energized. I sleep better and am more productive at work. It is an honor to be her student.
— Matthew Schulte, St. Louis, Missouri
Master Helen Liang is a world-renowned Tai Chi, Qigong, and Chinese Martial Art master with more than three decades of teaching experience. She is the vice president of the SYL Wushu Taiji Qigong Institute in Vancouver, Canada. Helen is the author of numerous videos on Tai Chi, Qigong, Liu He Ba Fa (Water Style), and other internal styles of Chinese Martial Art. Her 24 Form Tai Chi, Beginner Tai Chi, for Health, Tai Chi, for Women, and Qigong for Cancer are all bestsellers on Amazon. Helen was featured twice on the cover of Kungfu Tai Chi, Qigong Magazine in the United States. She was also featured in the books Chinese Martial Arts Elites, Contemporary Famous Chinese Martial Artists, Kungfu Elements, and Extraordinary Chinese Martial Artists of the World.
In 2005, Helen and her father, Grandmaster Shouyu Liang, together with Channel M, Canada, created a one-of-a-kind instructional Tai Chi television series comprising 130 episodes for Canada’s multicultural community. The show, planned and written entirely by Helen and Grandmaster Liang, and hosted by Helen, has been picked up by stations across Canada and the United States. It was nominated for several Leo Awards, namely Best Lifestyle Series, Best Direction, and Best Host, and won the Best Lifestyle Series Award.
In 2017, Helen hosted another Tai Chi video for Canada’s national telecommunications company, Telus Corporation, to promote wellness to Canada’s diverse multicultural community. She has also been featured by many media companies, including Chinese Central Television (CCTV), Shanghai and Sichuan Provincial television in China, national pay-per-view features in the U.S., CBC, Fairchild Television, and Channel M in Canada, as well as numerous newspapers and magazines in the U.S., Canada, and China.
She was invited to demonstrate in the Opening Ceremony of the 10th World Wushu Championships in Toronto in 2009 and had received the special contribution to Wushu award. In 2013 and 2014 she obtained level 8th degree from both International Wushu Sanshou Dao Association (IWSD) and the World Organization of Wushu Kung Fu Masters. She was also awarded Outstanding Martial Arts Achievements by IWSD.
Q: What’s a virtual course?
A: It’s a great way to engage live and pre-recorded teachings and each other from the comfort of your home! All you need is a computer, mobile device, or telephone. If there’s more than one person in your household taking the course, you’ll each need your own connection. We use Zoom video conferencing to make it just like an in-person event, where you can ask questions and deepen your exploration of the course themes.
There’s no additional charge for connecting to Zoom with your computer or mobile device. Please note that dialing Zoom from your telephone is a toll call; your telephone service provider will charge you according to your existing long-distance calling plan. International access numbers are available.
“I’ve never seen a course so well put together ever...”
I had never participated before in an online course. The packaging, presentation, inclusion, and Facebook postings created a wonderful, safe cocoon within which to participate. I’ve never seen a course so well put together ever — not in all the years of taking college classes — and I had my doubts about doing an online course. The wealth of organization and ease of learning materials and support made this fun as well.
— Claudia F., Medford, Massachusetts
Can I still benefit from the course if I miss the live classes?
A: Absolutely! You can stream the recordings and download the transcripts of all course sessions, so you never need to worry about missing live calls. You can also engage with the full community and leaders in our private online community group.
Q: Can you tell me about the private online community group?
A: We’ll have a private online community group for all course participants that will support you in making connections with others, sharing insights, engaging in discussions, and completing homework assignments that can supplement your transformational journey. You’ll have the ability to share your experiences, projects, and growth throughout the course.
Q: Are there scholarships available for this training?
A: Yes, we always make a certain percentage of spaces available for partial scholarships, for those who otherwise would not be able to enroll at the regular rate. If you’d like to apply for a scholarship, please review our guidelines, which include a link to our online application form.
Q: What’s your refund policy?
A: Your satisfaction with The Shift Network and this course is our highest priority! We offer a satisfaction guarantee so that you can sample the course risk-free. The deadline to receive a full refund is January 26, 2023. To request a refund, please click on this refund request form and submit your request. Qualifying refunds will be processed within five business days and an email confirming the refund will be sent. However, we’d love to have a chance to address and resolve your concerns first. If there’s something we can assist you with, please email us at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help! (No refund requests accepted after the above date or with scholarship awards.)
Q: How can I reach Customer Support?
A: Please visit our Customer Support Center, where you should be able to find the answer to your question or the solution to your problem. And if you can’t, you can submit an online request form and we’ll get right back to you.
