For many years, decades actually, one of my teacher's Andy Dale produced an in house newsletter. I have archived almost all of the material and with his permission will be sharing articles and pieces from the vast collection. I thought it fitting to start with a piece on "Beginner's Mind" that I can remember reading way back when I first began training.

Has anyone come across to instruction beyond the 3rd movement of Tai Chi Beijing 24? Sonny has provided an outstanding set of instructions for 1. Qi Shi, transition into the Crescent Moon, 2. Parting the Wild Horse’s Mane, 3. White Crane Spreads its Wings. The detail breakdown of each of those movements are so well done, and looking to the continued set movements. Have instructional videos been produced for the next three or more movements?

Hi everyone! One of our core missions is to provide an online practice space where you can learn Tai Chi and Qigong in an efficient and effective way. We’re always looking for ways to optimize your experience and make your practice more organized and intentional. With that in mind, we’ve restructured the Weekly Live Session Classroom. Old Format 👉 Live sessions were organized by month only. (Hard to navigate which classes included which practices, and it could feel overwhelming) NEW Format 👉 You will still see this month’s live sessions (and the previous month’s) listed as usual. 👉 After two months, all live sessions will be reorganized into CATEGORIZED practice series. What this means... for example, - If a weekly Qigong session focuses on Elemental Qigong, it will be placed inside the "Elemental Qigong" folder. - If a Qi & Flow session focuses on Tai Chi fundamentals, it will be placed inside the "Tai Chi Fundamentals" folder. Simple as that! No more guessing which class includes what practice! This way, you’ll be able to find exactly what you’re looking for—faster and more easily—without scrolling through months of recordings. Each session will also include a brief summary, so you can quickly understand what was covered and take notes more effectively. We hope this makes your study clearer, more structured, and easier to revisit over time. And as always, if you have any feedback—now or in the future—please feel free to share it. Your voice truly matters to us, and we deeply appreciate your input. Happy practicing, Rooted Alchemy fam!🌱

I am now in my second week and truly enjoying the content, the instruction, and the community. Sonny, your ability to clearly articulate each movement, stance, and purpose behind what we practice is exceptional. It makes it much easier to follow along and replicate what you present in every lesson. There is a wide range of lessons available, and for someone without a background in Qi Gong or Tai Chi, it can be challenging to determine which lesson to take next in order to build logically on previously learned skills. With so much material, it’s not always easy to identify the next step in a structured progression. I’ve always approached learning the way one builds a house: first the foundation, then the structure, and finally the functional features layered on top. That step-by-step progression is how I’m most comfortable learning. To solve this, I decided to keep a notebook with me during each instructional video. As I go through the lessons, I record the video title, its location, and detailed notes on what it teaches and emphasizes—including terminology, positions, and stances. Over time, I expect this will allow me to organize the lessons into a sequence that supports steady and efficient progress. After practicing several rounds of the 7-Day Challenge, I came across the video Qi & Flow 1.29.26. That was a great discovery. It incorporated elements from the 7-Day Challenge and tied them together beautifully. I would describe it as an excellent lesson on grounding, shifting stance, and flowing into movement, finishing with a short form that integrates everything. I’m very glad to have discovered Rooted Alchemy and to be part of this community.

I feel kind of stupid and this may be a simple question but when I follow Sonny in practice I start mirroring his moves. When he faces the camera I start out moving left when he moves left then right when he moves right. Then I find myself moving right when he moves left and left when he moves right. When his back or side profile is shown in practice I can match him with no issues. Does anyone have the same issue?