For readers who haven’t read earlier articles, Laingholm Eleven is a home studio where I offer Tai Chi and Meditation classes in a large converted living room. Despite teaching professionally in the past I’ve decided to run the classes here on a non-commercial basis, so there are no fees and our only advertising has been via the Roundabout, community notice boards, the web site and word of mouth.

The classes have been going for about 1.5 years now and we have a group of several regular participants as well as new participants who periodically come to try the classes. This article is an invitation to those who are looking for a new hobby to fill some wintery evenings.

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Laingholm Eleven has now been open for over one year and we have recently celebrated its first birthday – thanks to Tai Chi class participants for making delicious vegan cake and cookies and making it a special occasion to remember.

Reflecting back on the first year of L11, many of the classes have been very enjoyable and some have even been a highlight of my week. The new teaching approach and curriculum structure have worked very well – I found that the participants are able to focus much better and get more enjoyment out of the class. It is very satisfying to see class participants incorporating the practice into their lives and reporting the benefits they’re getting out of it. I’ve also met some interesting people and we’ve shared many interesting conversations by the fire during the now customary after-class tea sessions. Just for fun we’ve sampled various interesting brews of tea.

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The classes are continuing as usual at Laingholm Eleven and the wood burner is keeping us nice and warm on these cold and wet winter evenings. A few new people from Huia, Laingholm, Titirangi and Woodlands Park joined our Tai Chi class last month. A warm welcome. In this article I will focus on meditation – the core practice for increasing awareness in many Eastern traditions.

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