Hi, and welcome to SOHMA Tai Chi! I’m Dr. Daniel Hoover, the creator of the School of Healing Martial Arts and the SOHMA Tai Chi Instructor Certification Program. We’re excited to have you here as you build your practice, deepen your understanding, and work toward becoming a confident Tai Chi practitioner and/or a certified instructor. This community is your space to learn, ask questions, and grow alongside others on this path. How about you? Will you introduce yourself and share what you’re looking forward to in this program? I'm looking forward to learning with you, supporting your journey, and seeing you progress every step of the way. 🌿

Huge news! SOHMA Tai Chi is officially an approved Continuing Education (CE) provider for both chiropractors and acupuncturists! We are officially approved by: • The California Acupuncture Board • The Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB / PACE) This is a huge step forward for our school and our entire community. Licensed healthcare providers can now earn required CE credits through SOHMA while learning how to integrate and prescribe Tai Chi directly to their patients for clinical healing and rehabilitation! If you are a practitioner looking to earn your credits, or if you know local chiropractors and acupuncturists in your network who would love to prescribe Tai Chi in their practices, please share this with them! Check out the full details on our website or click the link in our Instagram bio to learn more. Here’s a direct link to our Chiro CE on the PACE website: https://pacex.fclb.org/courses/clinical_applications_of_tai_chi_for_health_professionals__12-hour_ce_certificate_161_21734 Thank you all for being part of this growing movement. 🙌

It was great seeing so many of you on our live call last Friday! Here are the quick highlights and takeaways from our session: 🔥 Community Wins - Active Classes: Melody is running two weekly classes in Colorado (including a veterans group!), and Certified Instructor Zola is using creative analogies to keep her Spanish-speaking students engaged. - Big Breakthrough: Dean memorized the full 24 Form sequence in just two weeks to start his daily patio practice! - Teaching Insights: Certified Instructor Herbert shared how he uses Shenzhou's 13 Treasures book to break down footwork and martial applications. 💡 Top Takeaways & Practice Tips - Balance & Horizon: If balance is tricky, focus your eyes on a fixed point on the horizon to anchor your visual system (thanks Dean for sharing this tip). Track your progress in seconds held rather than worrying if your foot drops, and watch the time improve week after week! - Faster Memorization: Learn 1–2 new moves at a time, then go back to the beginning to connect them to what you already know. - Stance Height & Integrity: A modified, higher stance with strong alignment is far more powerful and embodied than forcing a low stance that strains your joints and muscles. - Logging Hours: Use Page 36 of your workbook for self-practice and teaching time to finish your remaining hours toward your 100-hour requirement. Thanks to everyone who jumped on! Keep practicing, and see you in the community! ☯️

Please join me in congratulating our newest SOHMA Certified Tai Chi Instructor, @Sophie Gonzalez 🎓✨ Sophie’s journey to certification is a true testament to resilience, inner strength, and the profound healing power of Tai Chi. Facing incredible physical and mental health challenges, including living with PTSD after surviving a gunshot wound, she stayed the course, grounded herself in her practice, and earned her certificate of graduation. Hearing Sophie compare the weight and meaning of her SOHMA certification to her Master of Public Health degree is deeply humbling. 🙏 Sophie, we are so proud of you, and we can’t wait to see the lives you touch as a certified instructor! 📢 To All SOHMA Graduates: Sophie is officially listed on our SOHMA Certified Instructor Directory: 👉 https://sohma.org/tai-chi/tai-chi-instructors/ If you have completed your certification and are not yet listed on the website directory, please send me your bio and headshot! We want to make sure you are visible for community inquiries, referrals, and paid teaching opportunities coming through the SOHMA pipeline worldwide. Drop some love for Sophie in the comments below! 👇❤️

Hey SOHMA Tai Chi Community! Just a quick reminder that our monthly live Zoom call is tomorrow! I can't wait to connect with as many of you as possible. I’ve got some fun updates to share, but more than anything, I want to hear how you’re doing! Curriculum and form logging aside, how is Tai Chi showing up in your day-to-day life right now? 🔥 Who wants to jump in the hot seat tomorrow? I’m looking for a couple of volunteers: - Want to demonstrate a move you’ve been struggling with to get live coaching and real-time adjustments? - Or want to show off one of your favorite moves and get some live feedback? Drop a comment below if you’re down to jump in the hot seat, or just let us know you’ll be on the call! See you all tomorrow! Bring your energy, questions, and a Tai Chi movement pattern! 🙌