As I get older and life fills up with work, responsibilities, and building this community, holidays have started to feel less like major events and more like regular days. But Thanksgiving still stands out for me. Even though I believe gratitude should be a daily practice, today offers a gentle prompt to slow down, breathe, and notice what really matters. Just like we talk about in Tai Chi, sometimes it only takes a few grounding breaths to come back to center. So before I share what I’m grateful for, take a second with me. One breath in. One breath out. Let the mind settle. Here are a few things I’m thankful for this year: 1. My health I’m grateful for this body. It’s not perfect. It gets sore and stiff like yours. But it carries me through life, lets me breathe, move, and grow. That alone is a gift. 2. This community Rooted Alchemy has become such a safe space. It’s rare to find an online community where people support each other, learn together, and genuinely care. Seeing the YouTube channel grow and seeing all of you engage here has been a blessing. 3. Growth and learning I’m thankful that life keeps teaching me. I’m learning new things every day. I’m changing. I’m evolving. And I’m grateful to be walking that path with all of you. Even though this community is still in its early stages, we have some exciting things planned. Thank you for being here. Every single one of you matters, and your presence shapes the energy of this place. Take a moment today to reflect. What are you thankful for this year? Drop your thoughts in the comments. I would love to read them. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. 🌱

Lately I have been taking one of the core Tai Chi principles and using it while lifting weights. The idea of empty and full has been a game changer for my back training. When I do any pulling movement like rows or pull ups, I apply it like this: At the bottom of the rep I get full. I take a deep breath into my lats. I expand my chest. I let the air fill that whole side of my body. It feels like I am shifting energy into the muscles I want to activate. As I pull myself up I empty. I let the air out on the effort. The exhale helps me contract harder, pull cleaner, and stay connected to the movement. I have been training my back for a long time with no real strength increase or visible improvement. No changes in food, no changes in form, no changes in volume. The only thing I changed was this empty and full breathing technique, and my back activation finally clicked. It made me realize how much Tai Chi and Qigong can transfer into other areas of our life. How are you using Tai Chi or Qigong principles outside of practice? Is it with your fitness? Your mobility? Your mental health? Your daily routine? Your breath? Your relationships? I would love to hear how these arts are showing up for you. Which area of your life have you applied Tai Chi or Qigong principles to the most?

On Saturday, I decided to practice yin‑yang Qi Gong on my own — no video, nothing, just me. I began with a warm‑up, as we do here at Rooted Alchemy, and I managed to complete the whole practice with each movement repeated 9 times — a full cycle of 9. I felt grateful to have done it fully, on my own. Afterwards, I had breakfast. I poured myself an espresso and, before taking the last sip, I gave the cup a little circular spin to gather all the crema flavors. Just before bringing it to my lips, I looked down… and there it was: a perfect yin‑yang in the foam. For me, it's a gentle sign, a synchronicity encouraging me to keep playing with presence and energy.

Hello everyone - sorry for my radio silence lately; I’ve been away, working in Africa for the past couple of weeks and my usual routine has gone out of the window. However, I have been keeping up with my daily practice and couldn’t resist taking advantage of the incredible surroundings - including a little outdoor session while on safari in South Africa 🤓 I find it amazing how your physical environment can inspire and support my Qigong! I’m back in London now, it’s absolutely freezing and the savanna scene has been replaced by my living room! But I still have @Kirby Mannon as my constant guide 👍🏻 Hope everyone out there is well and enjoying their practice… and a warm welcome to all the new Rooted Alchemy members - you’re gonna love it here 🤟🏻

I'm a trail runner living in Colorado, and I find the Sunday live practice is a great way to warm up for my weekly long-distance run.