Taijiquan known in the West as Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese martial art rooted in the principle of harmony between softness and power. Cloud Hands is one of its most essential and accessible expressions.
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Tai Chi Cloud Hands with Yan Li, Master Instructor, Ph.D. Stanford
5-week program on Tuesdays 7:30-8:30 April 7 to May 5
Taijiquan—known in the West as Tai Chi—is an ancient Chinese martial art rooted in the principle of harmony between softness and power. Cloud Hands is one of its most essential and accessible expressions: a series of gentle, continuous movements that teach the body to stay relaxed without losing structure. It is stillness and motion, woven together.
What to Expect: Over five weekly sessions of sixty minutes each, Master Instructor Yan Li guides you through Cloud Hands exercises—the building blocks of Tai Chi forms. You'll cultivate integrated relaxation in both stillness and movement, strengthen balance, and develop quicker, more reliable access to calm. Each session also explores how these principles translate directly into everyday life.
Who Is It For? This course is for all levels. No prior Tai Chi experience is needed—only…
Yan Li, Ph.D., is a Tai Chi teacher, social psychologist, and embodiment coach whose warmth and grounded presence make the ancient art of Taijiquan genuinely accessible to everyone — from complete beginners to experienced practitioners. A Stanford graduate, she has taught Tai Chi and Qigong at Stanford University's Health Improvement Program and has won gold medals at regional Chinese martial arts competitions. Yan is certified as a Mid-Level Chen Family Taijiquan Instructor by the late Grandmaster Chen Qingzhou in 2011 and as a Master Instructor by American Chen Taiji Society in 2019.
At Dharma Alive Incubator, Yan brings Tai Chi into the texture of everyday life: how we breathe under pressure, stand in a difficult conversation, or move through a busy day with more ease and intention. Her teaching weaves together over a decade of weekly classes, workshops, and competition coaching with her doctoral training in sociology and somatic coaching certification. What makes Yan's teaching distinctive is her deep understanding of how culture, identity, and embodiment intersect and affect our sense of choice and wellbeing in life. She meets each student where they are — curious, patient, and consistently focused on how Tai Chi practice can quietly transform the way we live.
