There’s no doubting that like many, if not most people, it has been difficult to find positives to take from the Covid 19 lockdown, but there are some. Working from home has given me back the time I usually spend commuting, and I’ve been spending some of it doing Tai Chi. More specifically, I have finally managed to give some time to discovering The Eight Brocades, a set of simple exercises created nearly a thousand years ago to help improve strength and vitality. The videos here are my interpretation of the exercises (there are loads of different variations out there), if you’re going to give them a go, make sure you are relaxed and that you take your time. I tend to breathe slowly out on the expansive moves, much the same as in the forms, but breathing normally is perfectly fine too. Like I said, there are a great many different ways to practice these exercises, just find a way that feels comfortable and in tune with the way that you move your body.

I’ve really enjoyed getting to grips with the brocades, there is nothing mystical about them but I can honestly say that getting out in the morning and doing them in the fresh air has definitely been beneficial to my physical and mental wellbeing.