The Science of Happiness MOOC  from UC Berkeley is one of the most popular and influential online courses on positive psychology. A MOOC is a Massive Open Online Course. There are other schools offering similar courses, but this one is especially popular. https://www.edx.org/school/uc-berkeleyx 🌱 The Science of Happiness (UC Berkeley / edX) The Science of Happiness  is a self-paced MOOC created by UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) . It was the first online cou

Yang Style Chi Walking 1. Set your posture before you move Feet:  Stand with feet hip-width apart, toes pointing forward. Knees:  Slightly bent, never locked. Pelvis:  Gently tucked so your low back feels long, not arched. Torso:  Spine tall, crown of head lifted, chin slightly tucked. Shoulders/arms:  Shoulders relaxed; arms can hang loosely at your sides or float in front of you as if holding a soft ball. Gaze:  Look straight ahead, soft focus. Take 3 slow breaths here, in

I can't start my day without a cup of coffee or two cups. Or three cups. It is also followed by a stomach ache, but not bad enough to end my coffee habit. Should I change brands of ground coffee or explore the organic whole bean route? I decided to try an organic brand and also do some research. Let's start with grind sizes and then compare organic vs non-organic. ☕ Coffee Grind Sizes & When to Use Them 🧂 1. Extra Coarse Texture:  Like rock salt or peppercorn fragments Best

Everywhere I go lately I see references to the Year of the Fire Horse. I know little about this so with a bit of research I've compiled some information so you too can learn about Chinese Year 2026. Although this is not part of my culture, I love to learn about practices and celebrations of the present and the past. 🌟 Chinese Year 2026 2026 is the Year of the Horse — specifically, the Fire Horse. It begins on February 17, 2026 , and ends on February 5–7, 2027 , depending o

Here’s a clear, practical guide to choosing a good Tai Chi or yoga instructor —the kind of process that helps you feel confident, safe, and supported in your practice. I’ll break it into steps you can actually use, whether you’re evaluating someone online or in person. 🌿 How to Choose a Good Tai Chi or Yoga Instructor 1. Check Their Training and Credentials A strong instructor doesn’t need a wall of certificates, but they should  have: Formal training in a recognized lineage

If you are a beginner or even if you practiced Qi Gong or Tai Chi for a while, you may not understand the difference between them. Some instructors mix them together with qi gong as a warm up and cool down with tai chi as the main exercise. The following video provides a good explanation. Calming qigong for beginners. The most detailed chi walking video we could find. It's a long video! Our favorite version of chi walking. Starts at 3.:33. Easiest to follow and a great way to

A blended approach is a smart way to build a Tai Chi practice—especially for someone who values back‑friendly movement , clear structure , and confidence‑building teaching . You get the gentleness and joint‑protection of Sun Style plus  the flowing, expressive qualities of Yang Style without overloading your spine. A discussion with a Sun style and a Yang style instructor, followed by a discussion with your physician can help you determine the best way to protect your back wh

Follow along with Diane at Open the Door to Tai Chi and learn about "posture." To get the most out of your practice, the principles must be your guide. Peace #taichi #posture #yangstyle24form

Chen Tai Chi traces back to the Chen family of Chenjiagou, where Chen Wangting (17th century) synthesized: • Existing Chen family martial arts • Daoist philosophy • Qigong, Daoyin, and meridian theory • Long Fist routines and Cannon Fist forms All other major Tai Chi styles — Yang, Wu, Wu (Hao), Sun — ultimately descend from Chen. This video demonstrates the Chen 74 form, preformed in a park in the usual way that tai chi is practiced in China - outdoors, in a park. The fo

Here are some tai chi walking videos for your review. They are very different from each other while at the same time, provide instruction that leads to the same place: balance, calmness, the principles. Watch each one, first to last and decide what is right for you and your tai chi goals. You talked to the doctor, correct? They told you this is okay, correct? If not, just watch for now then get some professional advice about what you can physically and mentally do when it com

Here’s a breakdown of how the U.S. food pyramid has changed , based on the newly released 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (1/7/2026). These updates represent the biggest shift in federal nutrition advice in decades, and the pyramid itself has been completely inverted . What does this mean? It means that a solid discussion with your health care provider is in order. Your doctor or dietician can explain what these changes mean for you, especially if the pyramid is s

Even though the actual  oxygen fraction in air stays 20.9% , the effective  oxygen available to your body decreases with altitude because air pressure drops. Refer to the chart and recommendations. Talk about this with your health care professional before you start an exercise program or plan to exercise in a new location. 🌬️ Oxygen Concentration by Altitude Oxygen tables from Higher Peak and FlyMall: Altitude (ft) Effective Oxygen % 0 ft 20.9% 1,000 ft 20.1% 2,000 ft 19.4%

Happy 2026 Everyone! This year BCBZ celebrates 9 years on the web, providing support and training suggestions for fans of tai chi and those seeking a calmer life. In 9 years this site has never been filled with ads or asked for contributions. This site does not offer items for sale. Is it possible that there will be advertisements or something similar in the future? Perhaps. Web sites are not free to create or maintain. Many hours of research are committed to this site. I am

Happy New Year 🎉 New Year’s celebrations in the U.S. are a blend of ancient traditions, European customs, and uniquely American innovations. The holiday as we know it today—fireworks, Times Square, resolutions, and champagne—took shape over centuries. 🕰️ Ancient Roots That Influenced American Traditions Although the U.S. celebration is modern, its foundations stretch back thousands of years: Ancient Babylon  held the earliest known New Year festival, Akitu , about 4,000 yea

This holiday season, if you know some tai chi (24, 40 or even the 108 form) here is a short practice video by Open the Door to Tai Chi. Ah, the calm and relaxed feeling for those of us that practice tai chi during a busy holiday season. Pay attention to your columns, your support leg and empty leg, and keep yourself grounded. Important principles covered in 11 minutes. Happy Holidays! Peace

Here’s a clear, grounded explanation of what a VO₂ test is and why it’s widely considered the gold standard  for measuring aerobic fitness. 🌬️ What a VO₂ Test Measures A VO₂ max test  measures the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise . It’s expressed in milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute (ml/kg/min). During the test: You wear a mouthpiece connected to a metabolic cart  that analyzes the oxygen you inhale and the carbon

Anyone that follows this site is here for a reason. You are interested in Tai Chi, a healthy diet, nature, yoga, or travel. Perhaps you want to learn more about the commonalities between different world religions . Many pages and blog posts on this site recommend that each person, in their best interest, should consult with a health care professional before starting an exercise program or making a change to their diet. That advice still holds because this blogger is no

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Let's talk first about the history of the holiday and then move on to how to navigate it! Thanksgiving began as a harvest celebration in the early 1600s and evolved into a national holiday in the United States in 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed it a day of gratitude. 🌽 Early Origins Religious roots in Europe:  The idea of “days of thanksgiving” comes from English traditions during the Protestant Reformation, when special services

Walking offers powerful health benefits with minimal effort—it boosts heart health, strengthens muscles, improves mood, and helps manage weight and chronic conditions. Show this page to your health care provider. Ask how this applies to you, if there is anything he/she does not agree with (or has additional recommendations) and if you don't currently exercise, what is the safest way to start an exercise routine, FOR YOU. The BCBZ blogger is not a healthcare professional and

Older adults that are students of the Tai chi Moving for Better Balance practice often wonder if the Balance Practice is really Tai chi. It is. It's a modified version of the Yang Style Simplified 8 Form, which is a modification of the Yang Style 24 Short Form which is a modification of the Full Yang Style 108 Form! In between there is also a 40 Form. Whew! In other words, it encapsulates the principles of Tai chi with the purpose of improving balance. Some Balance Form