Dragon and Tiger is taught in stages, slowly and simply.

There's no need to get lost or confused. Class sizes are small so you can get all the help you require to learn effectively, and everything can be broken down into its component parts and then built up to complete an entire movement.

At the beginning of each class, we may spend a while doing standing Chi Kung (standing still, feeling our way into our bodies). This is an excellent way of tuning in at the start of a session, and a practice in its own right.

When learning a new movement, sometimes we may focus on what the lower half of the body does, and then what the upper half does, before bringing it all together ... or we may do a small part of a movement and get that really comfortable before extending it a bit further ... or we may use supplementary exercises to convey an important principle, so that you can get to feel something before applying it.

When teaching, I may stay at the front to demonstrate and talk about what is required, or I may ask somebody to volunteer so that I can guide them through the movement, making corrections and explaining the theory behind the practice.

It's also important that I can come around and make individual corrections during the class; this might involve my making a verbal suggestion or putting my hands on you to guide your body into a new position or movement. Sometimes I might get you to work in pairs so that you can watch and correct each other.

Repetition helps to 'wire in' the movements, so we may continue to repeat the same movement many times (repetition is also part of the whole Dragon and Tiger sequence as you'll practice it at home). Even once you've mastered the basic choreography, there are other principles which can be built into the practice, so it's beficial to keep returning to the same exercise time and time again with a teacher present. Working in a group also helps to build an energy in the room which supports and intensifies your practice.

Intermittently (at the end of class or before a break on a weekend workshop) we'll stop and run through everything we've learnt so far.

The first movement of Dragon and Tiger Chi Kung (right) is almost a complete exercise in its own right. We start with this movement, so even if you're only taking a weekly class you'll definitely have something that you can take home and start to make use of.