Tai Chi & Qigong
with Alan Skirving
Body, Mind & Movement Practice: Exploring Tai Chi, Qigong, Yoga & Meditation
Alan Skirving is a Body Mind & Movement practitioner based in Glasgow, Scotland. He has trained for over 25 years in Tai Chi & Internal Martial Arts, Qigong, Yoga, Meditation, Psychology & complementary practices. He offers classes, courses, workshops, day retreats and 121 sessions in Central Scotland and online. The syllabus includes traditional forms and exercises, while exploring & developing deeper qualities and universal principles, as an evolving process that draws on a range of sources.
“Alan’s classes and workshops are very relaxing, energising and fun! I like the dynamics between physical practices and theory, explaining body postures and movements. I’ve been to classes before where it was only about imitating teacher’s movements. I feel like theoretical aspect of is really important to understand what you’re doing so you can get the maximum benefit of it. Mindful, knowledgeable and patient, Alan is a great teacher.”
— S.S.
Universal Attributes
Foundation Principles
Body-Mind Attributes
Exploration, Embodiment, Development
Partner Practice
Cooperative Training
Developing Attributes & Skills
Partner Forms (‘Pushing Hands’) & Applications
Traditional Influences
Cheng Man-ch’ing Tai Chi
Baguazhang, Yiquan
Yang & Wu Style Tai Chi
Body-Mind Practices
Scaravelli Inspired Yoga
Breathwork & Meditation
Beginners-Foundations Programme – suitable for complete beginners or those with prior experience looking for more depth and detail in their practice. Classes are taught in an accessible, structured & progressive manner as part of an ongoing programme, which has been evolving and developing for over 10 years.
Beginners-Foundations – Glasgow, West End
Partickhill – Wednesday – 6:30pm to 8pm
NEXT BLOCK STARTS SEPTEMBER 2026
Free Taster Class – Wednesday 2nd September 2026 – 6:30pm to 7:30pm
Booking Link – Free Taster Session (Partickhill)
10-Week Block Starts Wednesday 9th September 2026
Sept – 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th / Oct – 21st, 28th / Nov – 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th
Saturday Workshops
19th September – 11:30am to 2:30pm – Tai Chi & Qigong Foundations
24th October – 11:30am to 2:30pm – Tai Chi 37 Form (Cheng Man-ch’ing Tai Chi)
28th November – 11:30am to 2:30pm – Tai Chi Partnerwork & Pushing Hands
Wednesdays
6:30pm to 8pm – Beginners / Foundations
8pm to 9pm – Open Practice (Beginner-Intermediate)
Partickhill Bowling & Community Club, 46 Partickhill Road, Glasgow, G11 5BY
£20 – Drop-In Class / £40 – Drop-In Workshop
£225 – 10 Week Programme – All Classes + Online Content
£350 – All Inclusive – 10 Week Programme, Online Content + Weekend Workshops
Glasgow, South Side
Langside – Thursdays 1pm to 2:15pm
NEXT BLOCK STARTS SEPTEMBER 2026
Free Taster Class – Thursday 3rd September 2026 – 1pm to 2pm
Booking Link – Free Taster Session (Langside)
10-Week Block Starts Thursday 10th September 2026
Sept – 10th, 17th, 24th / Oct – 1st, 22nd, 29th / Nov – 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th
Thursdays
1pm to 2:15pm – Beginners / Foundations
2:30pm to 3:30pm – Open Practice (Beginner-Intermediate)
Finn’s Place, Langside Church, 167 Ledard Road, Glasgow, G42 9QU
£12 – Drop-In Class / £15 – Includes Open Practice
Milngavie, East Dunbartonshire
Thursdays 9:30am to 11:00am
NEXT BLOCK STARTS SEPTEMBER 2026
Free Taster Class – Thursday 3rd September 2026 – 9:30am to 10:30am
Booking Link – Free Taster Session (Milngavie)
10-Week Block Starts Thursday 10th September 2026
Sept – 10th, 17th, 24th / Oct – 1st, 22nd, 29th / Nov – 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th
Thursday 9:30am to 11:00am – Beginners / Foundations
Scout Hall, 37 Main St, Milngavie, G62 6JG
£15 Drop-In / £135 – 10-Week Block
Fairlie, North Ayrshire
Tuesdays 10:30am to 11:45am
NEXT BLOCK STARTS SEPTEMBER 2026
Free Taster Class – Tuesday 1st September 2026 – 10:30am to 11:30am
Booking Link – Free Taster Session (Fairlie)
Next Beginners Block Starts Tuesday 8th September 2026
Saturday Workshops – Fairlie
26th September – 11:30am to 2:30pm – Tai Chi & Qigong Foundations
17th October – 11:30am to 2:30pm – Tai Chi 37 Form (Cheng Man-ch’ing Tai Chi)
21st November – 11:30am to 2:30pm – Tai Chi Partnerwork & Pushing Hands
Tuesdays
10:30am to 11:45am – Beginners / Foundations
11:45am to 12:30pm – Open Practice (Beginner-Intermediate)
Fairlie Village Hall, 72 Main Road, Fairlie, KA29 0AB
£15 Drop-In
West Kilbride, North Ayrshire
Tuesdays 6:30am to 8pm
NEXT BLOCK STARTS SEPTEMBER 2026
Tuesday 6:30pm to 8pm
West Kilbride Community Centre, Corse Street, West Kilbride, KA23 9AX
12-Week Beginners Course – Tuesday 1st September to 24th November 2026 (no class 13th October)
Booking via West Kilbride Adult Education
Workshops
Partickhill, Glasgow West End + Fairlie, North Ayrshire
Workshops are an opportunity to go deeper into different elements of practice – the workshop programme cycles through various themes, allowing dedicated time to explore and develop each element – beginners and experienced students welcome.
Day Retreats
Day Retreats in Partickhill, Glasgow + Kinlochard, Stirlingshire
Day retreats provide an opportunity for time away from daily life for a full day of practice. Each day includes several hours of practice, allowing plenty time and space to settle and go deeper into different aspects.
One-to-One & Small Group Sessions
Central Scotland & Online
121 sessions and small group sessions are tailored to the client’s interests & goals – these may involve a one-off session, a block of sessions, or a more in-depth, long term learning process – students can work at their own pace, with much more personal guidance than in group classes. Sessions may also explore therapeutic solutions for specific health or body-mind issues.
“I’ve been to quite a few of Alan’s courses – he’s a great teacher. He’s easy going and informative. The classes are relaxing. He focuses a lot on the underlying principles which are, to my mind, the essence of the practice. I’ve been dipping into Tai Chi on and off for nearly 30 years and feel very happy to have found Alan’s classes so close to me. I highly recommend giving them a try if you’re looking for an instructor.”
— K.F.
“Be still as a mountain, move like a great river.”
— Wu Yu-hsiang, from the Tai Chi Classics