I am an academic researcher who spent many years searching for a sustainable mind–body practice to support balance, clarity, and overall wellbeing.

During my PostDoc at the University of Cambridge in 2016, I had the pleasure of practicing Qigong at Clare Hall. That experience sparked a lasting interest in gentle, non-martial mind–body disciplines that cultivate both physical vitality and mental focus.

Although it took some time to find the right path, everything aligned in 2024 when I moved to Banbury and discovered Tai Chi Chih (TCC) classes at the local community centre. What began as a personal practice soon grew into a deeper commitment. With the generous guidance and mentorship of local TCC teachers Adam, Lesley, and Laurin, a group of four of us completed our accreditation and are now sharing TCC classes within our communities.

It is an absolute pleasure to be part of both a local and a worldwide community of like-minded people. There is a wonderful momentum for TCC here in the UK — we regularly welcome 30+ participants to our sessions, while also offering smaller classes that allow for more individual attention.

If you are curious about Tai Chi Chih and would like to experience the benefits for yourself, I would be delighted to hear from you. Please feel free to get in touch and drop me a note — you are very welcome to come and give it a try.

As an academic researcher, I’ve begun integrating my newly discovered love of TCC with my long-standing affection for theology and religious studies.

You might be interested this article I wrote.

A short intro follows:

In this study, I use Tai Chi Chih (TCC) as a case study of mind–body practice, interpreting it as an expression of the fundamental human need to experience wholeness and healing, as well as to discover our mental and physical potential. Rather than viewing it merely as a technique of movement or relaxation, I approach it as a holistic discipline that integrates bodily awareness, intentionality, and inner experience.

I also argue that defining the present era as a secular age is erroneous. Although contemporary societies are often described as having moved beyond religion, such a characterization overlooks the persistence—and transformation—of spiritual needs and expressions. To substantiate this claim, I suggest that the current fascination with mind–body practices, widely embraced as pathways to mental and physical health and well-being, can be understood as an expression of a basic human desire for forms of experience traditionally associated with religion.

From this perspective, the modern search for well-being reflects not the disappearance of spirituality, but its relocation. Attention shifts from institutional, doctrinal forms of religion toward informal, individualized, and experiential modes of spirituality. In this context, Tai Chi Chih may be seen as a representative example of this transformation: a contemporary practice through which individuals pursue integration, healing, and meaning outside formal religious structures, yet in ways that resonate with enduring religious impulses.

See all UK teachers here.