There’s no denying that modern life in the ‘Ham can be very hectic, stressful, and demanding. And, while that’s true of nearly every city in this great country, we have something that they don’t have; The New Forest Center!
Our full name is The New Forest Center For Contemplative Living and that pretty much tells the story. We teach a marvelous assortment of unconventional exercises, arts, skills and disciplines designed to keep us in shape and in tune with the flow of day-to-day life. Best of all, everything we do is easy to learn and fun to play. That’s right, I said “play.” And couldn’t we all stand to inject a little more play into our busy lives?
The arts we teach come from the worlds great contemplative traditions. We offer regular classes in Tai Chi, Qigong (think Yoga without pretzel-postures), Kung-Fu and various forms of meditation. Workshops in Chinese Calligraphy, Mystical Music, Contemplative Prayer and Poetry will be offered throughout the year. And, it’s all done the New Forest Way.
The New Forest® Way is our signature approach to these unique activities. It’s a modern and avant-garde approach that allows for greater access to ancient secrets and the inner workings of the contemplative arts. That way, you’re able to reap a whole host of benefits much faster than usual. Stress reduction is only part of it. Tai Chi promotes healing, lifts your spirits and clears your head. Meditation gets you in touch with your intuitive and creative side, while Qigong fortifies your strengths and diminishes your weaknesses. Taken separately or together, they can give you the all-important edge in a turbulent world.
Our curriculum changes slightly from month to month just to keep things lively. No uniforms are required and we supply the meditation cushions when needed. Individual classes are only ten bucks each and we usually have some sort of special going on. The average Tai Chi/Qigong class is 30 minutes long with meditation classes running for 45 minutes. We try to make it as easy as possible for you to come in and play with us.
Look, it’s this simple: In the time it takes for you to drink too much coffee and fret over the day’s headlines, you can —instead— harmonize your talent, vision, body, mind and spirit into a unified whole. You can look great and feel better. Then, instead of life getting smaller, darker and depressing, it’ll get bigger, brighter, funnier and more rewarding by the minute. If you’re ready for that, then we’re ready for you.
Visit our website at www.TheNewForestCenter.com for more information and to see the current schedule of classes. You can also call us at (205) 527-1198.
C’mon down to the Pepper Place! We look forward to meeting you.
~ John Bright-Fey, Director of The New Forest Center For Contemplative Living
The New Forest Center 2805 2nd Avenue South, Suite A Birmingham, AL
Presenter Norm Geisinger is a member of Yama Ki Bonsai Society & Greater Hartford Bonsai Society as well as a number of regional and national bonsai associations.
