the people's reset 2026 workshop/activity
Tai Chi: Energetic Principles
Sasha (Alexandra) Knezevic
12:45 – 1:45 PM
Greenspace
Free
Sasha (Alexandra) Knezevic
12:45 – 1:45 PM
Greenspace
Free
This workshop offers an engaging and accessible introduction to some of the fundamental energetic principles of Tai Chi, through several individual and paired exercises. Tai Chi (Taijiquan) is an internal martial art that works with cultivating internal energy (Qi) to develop strength from within, rather than relying solely on muscles. By cultivating Qi and internal processes, Tai Chi supports health, vitality, and e+icient movement, qualities for which it is widely practiced today. Tai Chi trains the mind-body connection and helps us to return to and reside in our natural state.
The workshop will touch on some of the foundational principles of Tai Chi, including:
- “Song” (relaxation): cultivating relaxation from within while maintaining alignment, bringing the body into a state that is both soft and structurally balanced.
- Rooting: connecting to the ground by sinking your weight, while remaining agile, stable and responsive.
- Awareness of and initiating movement from the dantian, the body’s energetic centre in the lower abdomen, where Qi is cultivated, stored and directed.
- Spiralling, and opening and closing energy: continuous expansion and contraction in movement, reflecting the balance of yin and yang.
Sasha (Alexandra) Knezevic
I have had an interest in the martial arts since childhood, having practiced a few
di+erent styles over the years. I was drawn to the internal arts some years ago after first
hearing the term, which led me to the practice of Tai Chi and certain forms of Qigong.
Recognising the depth and healing potential of Tai Chi as an embodied practice, I would
like to share a series of exercises that introduce some of its core principles.
My Tai Chi teachers, Phil Muil and Emma Westlake, who are based in Oxford, UK, are
13th generation disciples of Master Chen Bing. Their lineage continues through their
teachers Karel and Eva Koskuba, who are disciples of Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang, the
current 19th generation standard bearer of Chen style Tai Chi.
Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang and Master Chen Bing are direct descendants of Tai Chi
creator, Chen Wangting. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to attend workshops
with them in the UK and abroad over the years.