Toronto Tai Chi & Meditation Centre

The Tai Chi and Meditation Centre was founded in Toronto by Shifu Andy James (Wu Andao), who in 1984 gave up a career as a Chartered Accountant to be a fulltime teacher of Insight Meditation, the Chinese “internal” martial arts of Taijiquan, Baguazhang and Xingyiquan, Qigong and the Enneagram of Personality.

Shifu James was trained as a teacher of Insight Meditation (Vipassana) by the renowned Thai meditation master and author, Dhiravamsa. His first and main teacher in the Internal Martial Arts of Taijiquan, Baguazhang and Xingyiquan was Miss Rose Li (see Lineage). Shifu James has studied medical and martial Qigong under Professor Jerry Alan Johnson and is a qualified Medical Qigong Therapist (MQT) certified by the International Institute of Medical Qigong. He is a Shiatsu therapist and a former President of the Canadian Practitioners' Association of Asian Medicine.

He was President of the Canadian branch of the Wudang Internal Martial Arts Association, Vice-president of the Canadian Taijiquan Federation and a Director of the Canadian Chinese Kuo Shu (Martial Arts) Federation. Sifu James was a member of the Canadian Masters' demonstration team at the World Wu Shu Championships in Maryland. He has coached the Tai Chi & Meditation Centre team to many medals in national and international Chinese martial arts competitions and has served as a Judge in such competitions.

Andy James is the author of The Conscious I: Clarity and Direction through Meditation, Ageless Wisdom Spirituality: Investing in Human Evolution and The Spiritual Legacy of the Shaolin Temple: Buddhism, Daoism and the Energetic Arts. He is an active member of the Forge Guild, an international body of spiritual teachers and leaders, and helped create the Call to Global Spiritual Citizenship.

Instructors of the Tai Chi and Meditation Centre are required to study the martial, medical and spiritual aspects of its programs and several have done so for at least 20 years with Shifu James. They are widely experienced in teaching, not only within the organisation but for corporations, institutions, community centres, hospitals and more. In 2010, a branch of the Tai Chi and Meditation Centre was established in the UK. See www.coretaichi.org.uk

Shifu Andy James (Wu Andao),
Master Instructor, F.C.A., B.Sc. (Econ), M.Q.T.,
Founder and Executive Director

Shifu Donna Oliver - Master Instructor, M.Q.T

Sheila Furness - Senior Instructor

Jeff Willis - Senior Instructor

Suzanne Taka - Senior Instructor

Carrie Bernard - Full Instructor

Michael Herring - Full Instructor

Carolyn Johnson - Assistant Instructor

Roseanne Lappin - Assistant Instructor

Frank Carone - Assistant Instructor

Stephen Pardue (Newcastle, U.K.) - Assistant Instructor

Anne Palmer - Instructor in Training

Daniel Pikelin - Instructor in Training

Mandy Mosely - Instructor in Training

Dominic Cleary - Instructor in Training