TaijiNature.

This is our Story

Meeting Richard

It has been said that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly’s wing can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around the world. … Chaos Theory.

Sometimes events happen in the most unexpected ways. This was one of those times.

One evening, while reading the Qi Journal at my home in Hilo, Hawai’i, I came upon an article about silk reeling. It was so well written. The name and email address of the author, who was located in Cape Town, South Africa, was included with the article. I decided to send an email and let him know how much I loved the article. Little did I know the door that was about to open.

I received a reply back almost immediately as it was the next morning already in Cape Town, the perfect opposite with a 12-hour time difference. Richard was teaching classes then in Cape Town. One note led to another until one day Richard asked me about Water Style and if I would teach it to him over Skype. It was 2008 and I had never been on Skype before but I said yes. It would be the very first time I taught online.

That was the beginning of our collaboration. I taught Richard Water Style. He shared some of his material with me. One day he asked if I would like to write an article on “What is Taiji?” and he would do the same. When we put the two writings together we realized that there was an undeniable similarity in how we saw it. We then merged the two articles into one and our first writing was complete.

One of our similarities was that we were both nature-based taiji teachers. Then, we got this idea  ... and TaijiNature was born.

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TaijiNature aims to develop our ability to utilize Taiji, Qigong, and the Internal Arts to connect more strongly with the nature that is around us and within us.

TaijiNature is a collaboration between Faith LeLievre and Richard Jordi. Faith and Richard lived halfway across the world from each other, so their collaboration allowed them to enjoy the magic of opposites in time and space.

With Faith living on the volcanic Island of Hawai'i and Richard on the southern tip of Africa where two oceans meet, their collaboration brought a shared celebration of elemental forces of nature. Faith and Richard sought to infuse their practice and teaching with the spirit of nature that inspired the origins of Taiji and Qigong.

As we accompany movements in nature through physical and meditative practice, we develop a sensitivity to our own internal patterns. Through the regular practice of these internal arts, we nourish and enhance our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being. We enter a space of quiet observation in which we explore our co-emergence with nature. When we practice with this approach, we build our capacity for connection, communication, movement and change. We develop the Qi (energy) that we need in order to live sensitively and significantly in the world.

With the creation of TaijiNature and the WaterWays Method of Wellness, it is our intention to engage with these ancient practices as a path to cultivate kindness and respect; a place where we can come together within a worldwide community and take care with one another. These arts are tools to harmonize our internal energy, to build strength and vitality, to develop balance and graceful movement, and to bring a sense of calm, peace and joy to our heart and mind.

Thus, TaijiNature and the WaterWays Method of Wellness were born.

Richard passed away in 2021. Faith continues to carry on the teachings and message they started and shared together.

Dedicated to and in memory of Richard Jordi (1956-2021)