Heart to Heart by Mitzi Orr

What has practicing Tai Chi done for me? before and after open heart surgery:
My name is Mitzi Orr and with my husband Colin run the Tai Chi Qigong Health Centre based in Gorleston. I teach and practice Tai Chi on a regular basis at the club and also at our Monday and Friday Rejuvenation Clubs. My story begins when I was just 2 years old. I caught the then prevalent disease of diphtheria, which left me with a murmur in the mitral valve of the heart. Heart disease ran in the family anyway so genetically I did not have a good start. However I got on with life, came through the war years, married and raised a family of four children. Off and on over the years I had occasion to see a heart specialist just to keep an eye on what was going on. I went through a great deal of stress in my life, especially in the later years, which added to the problem. In 1994 I had a massive heart attack with complications, brought on by stress, during which I was resuscitated twice.
During the recuperation period I began to look around for some form of exercise which would help in my recovery. I attended a holistic fair at one of the Hotels in Great Yarmouth during which I watched a demonstration of Tai Chi and Qigong. That was it! I joined the Club and from that moment on I was hooked. I learned how to breathe properly in the Qigong exercises and the beautiful soft, flowing, gentle movements of the Tai Chi form gradually healed my body and mind. I learned how to relax and free myself from stress. If I had not been a practitioner of Tai Chi and Qigong I would not be telling this story today.
However Tai Chi does not perform miracles and of course my heart was still in a bad condition. The valve began to deteriorate and I developed atrial fibrillation. I was advised by my doctors to keep up the practice of TaiChi as they believed this was helping me.
Eventually I had open heart surgery at Papworth on the 17th March 2006 when I had two valve repairs (mitral and tricuspid) and a single bypass. The surgeon, doctors and nurses were amazed at the good condition I was in and also my calm state of mind. In fact, I was so relaxed that as I left the ward for the operating theatre I was singing ‘Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye’!
The doctors advised me to get back to Tai Chi practice as soon as possible, which I did. I truly believe that Tai Chi and its related philosophy pulled me through. I’m now a young 74 years old going on for 44!

Author: Heart to Heart by Mitzi Orr – Chief Instructor at the Tai Chi-Qigong Health Centre

MC @ the TCQHC Association

Ten Year Members

The 14th of January 2009 was a special day for two of our association club members. Dr William and Moira have been with us for ten years now and this makes them the club’s longest active serving members. Their dedication and commitment to the Tai Chi Qigong Health Centre is commended to say the least. They both walked through our doors and joined the club on 13th January 1999, since then much water has flowed under the bridge, both acquiring their yellow badge achievement with William (better known as Willy) being part of the Tai Chi in Action Display Team. Both practice along with the Yang Cheng fu Tai Chi form, various Qigong sets, the Dayan Wild Goose, Taiji Stick form and now are going through the rigours of learning the Yang Broadsword form. Even though they both have busy work schedules they have shown continued club loyalty throughout the years. Well done and thank you for continuing to promote Tai Chi with the TCQHC.

MC @ the TCQHC Association

The Hawthorn Bush

As you can all guess by now we are great bird lovers. Our new garden is attracting various birds, so far visitors include Hedge/Tree Sparrows, Chaffinches, Black Birds, Collared Doves, a pair of white Pigeons along with their sisters the Feral Pigeon, a very timid Robin, Pied Wagtails, Gold Finches, Green Finches, Blue Tits, Wrens, Magpies, Starlings (scoundrels of the bird world as I like to call them) plus a couple of crows who occasionally pop in, the biggest of them all has been a Grey Heron.But to encourage our friendly visitors even more especially in the nesting season we plan to plant some Hawthorn Bushes, considered to be a very good habitat and supply of fruit for the cold winter months.
The Hawthorn Bush (Crataegus oxyacantha) or May bush is a beautiful tree and a useful herb in herbal medicine. There is a lot of folklore surrounding the hawthorn and it is called the fairy tree in Ireland. It is seen as bad luck to ever cut down or disturb a hawthorn tree. People in Ireland tie pieces of ribbon or other little gifts on to the tree as a part of a pagan ritual which was adapted by Irish Catholics. One would often see a may bush growing near holy wells and sacred sites, it would be these trees that people tend to decorate with "prayer" ribbons and beads.
MC @ the TCQHC Association

Pink Footed Geese & Dayan Wild Geese

We have been blessed to be on the flight path of skein after skein of pink footed geese flying over our home in Belton, Norfolk, these beautiful birds arrive in October after traveling 800 miles from Iceland to winter in the fields and coast of East Anglia.

Hearing the unmistakable noise of the geese we rush outside just as if it were the first time we saw them. Every time it warms our hearts as we look up to witness these wonderful birds. It really is something to behold sending a chill up the spine as they noisily pass overhead in formation, stragglers falling in line as they make their way to or from their feeding grounds. It makes you realize how beautiful and majestic nature is. You cannot miss this marvelous sight as the unmistakable noise is tremendous as they fly overhead.

Mitzi teaches the Dayan Wilde Goose Qigong and relates to these wonderful birds as they fly over in formation, visually connecting to the ancient Chinese set of Qigong movements with the Pink Footed Geese from Iceland. There’s no better way to usher in 2009. We look forward to seeing many more skein in the future brightening the short winter days.
MC @ the TCQHC Association

2008 TCQHC Round Up

Seasons greetings to all our readers.


What a great finale to the club year: The hall was buzzing with festive Qi, this was helped along with Sid’s now popular tin of chocolate biscuits and Mitzi’s roses chocolates.

Our special thanks to Anna for doing her Pam Ayres sketch, we thought she did really well considering the acoustics are not up to much in the hall. Also a special thanks for your appreciation of the Broadsword demonstration; your thunderous applause for both events was much appreciated. special thanks to (snaps) Ben Lynes for taking plenty of memorable photos of the club group, of Anna on stage and the Broadsword performance.

Thank you all for your Christmas cards and best wishes for the season, although two of the cards didn’t say who they came from!

All in all it’s been a very good year for both the TCQHC, now an Association, and the Monday Rejuvenation and Tai Chi club with the new Friday Rejuvenation Club being launched in Belton on 6th February 2009.

The social side of the club saw the New Year in at the Furzdown hotel, with plenty of cheer going round, this was followed by the club boat trip in September when the boat ran out of beer but not water when I thought we may have gone aground waiting for the bridge to go up. From that you can guess everybody had a great time! I still have plenty of photos of that trip to upload on the website new ‘Pictures Galore’ page. Once I’ve managed what seems a mammoth task I’ll let you all know.

MC @ the TCQHC Association

Home at last

After many months of absence from our blog we are back on line and hope to submit regular updates on the Tai Chi-Qigong Health Centre which is now an Association; our abbreviated title is the TCQHC Association.

To say the least it has been hectic in the Orr household; moving home and settling in our new residence base in Belton Norfolk. It’s been hard work especially as we had to completely renovate and redesign the large garden. Yes we are garden lovers and one of the joys of the day is to sit at the breakfast bar in front of the large kitchen picture window and watch the many varied birds that visit the garden, a pure delight just to sit, watch and relax.

The move has been good for us, especially so as I lost some excess weight with the help of Mitzi, yes she can get the whip out when she wants to!

Last Wednesday was our last club night before the Christmas break and we shall be posting the club 2008 round up shortly.
Meanwhile have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year.

MC @ the TCQHC Association

There are only two things in life to worry about....

There are only two things to worry about.
Either you are well or you are sick.

If you are well, then there is nothing to worry about.
But if you are sick, there are only two things to worry about.

Either you will get well or you will die.
If you get well, there is nothing to worry about.

If you die, there are only two things to worry about.
Either you will go to heaven or to hell.

If you go to heaven there is nothing to worry about.
But if you go to hell, you’ll be so damn busy shaking hands with friends you wouldn’t have time to worry!

SO WHY WORRY?
Author unknown but recollected by Mitzi

End of Term Roun up

End of term news letter 20th March 2008


What a great end of term session last night, especially so with Colin's birthday surprise, I didn’t have a clue! Special thanks to Andy and Peter for organising the cake and card. It was a great gesture and thank you all, hope you all had a piece of the birthday cake.

The term flew past with plenty going on; Well done to the foundation group making it to the end of the first third; they will be eased into the second third after four weeks of revision on the first third section on return from the break.

The final third have also done very well and with continuous coaching from Andy will be fine in August when they cross the finishing line.

The stick are bounding along and coming along fine, this could be one of the best learning stick groups we’ve ever had and I think it’s because this group take advantage of practicing together during the free practice time before the session starts. The Wild Goose goslings are also coming along fine, not hurrying, making sure their wing movements are correct before they move on to the next flight path.

All in all well done everybody, the club is still as vibrant as ever, there is no doubt positive Qi flows in abundance at the club sessions, to see and hear students laughter during the sessions is the best reward Mitzi and I could ever have.

The club night out in February was really successful and we are encouraged to go back again either for Christmas or again after the rush, in January / February next year.

Our next outing is gathering speed and we now have confirmed interest of some 40 persons. A good one for your diary of events, as we can confirm the boat is scheduled for Sunday 14th September departing Haven Bridge House Jetty, Great Yarmouth at 11:45 for a two hour trip to Reedham with a short stay over leaving Reedham for the two hour return journey back to Great Yarmouth. The bar will be open for food and drink and also when we get ashore in Reedham we will have the opportunity for something to eat then. We may be able to organise a pub meal but more on that later.

Meanwhile everybody have a relaxing time over Easter. See you all when the club returns on 9th April.

Basic principles & guidance for Tai Chi (3)

At the TCQHC we have a total of eight basic guideline principles for good Tai Chi and Qigong practice. These principles will be published at regular intervals under the label of 'a theme for everyday' so that all eight will be compiled for future reference.

The third is: EVENNESS & SLOWNESS. The Tai Chi Form movement should flow continuously without pause incorporating slowness, exactness, balance and concentration.
When practicing your form maintain the correct posture and imagine your movements have the resistance of moving through water, feel that resistance as you move through the movements of the form.
To achieve this level of practice you must relax i.e. apply the first basic principle of ‘Sung’. I can hear Grand Master Yang Cheng fu say: relax relax and relax again. Remember this doesn't mean collapse. more

Next time: 'Balance’

Can't find your posted comment?

Hi Everybody,

Just to say if you have posted a comment on previous blogs and it hasn’t been published we apologies wholeheartedly. It doesn’t mean it has been turned down or blocked in any way.

Blogging is not a perfect art (not to me anyway) and comments can get lost in the blog system or my email notification. If your comment is not published then please try again. The other thing worth checking is the guidance blog titled ‘How to post a blog comment’ which has proved helpful already.