Hi folks! Great to see you here :) 

My name's Chris and I am a Tai Chi/Qigong instructor and craniosacral therapist based in Greater Manchester. I work with groups and individuals using a layered, holistic approach to health and healing, with a deep understanding and interest in energy work. Alongside my experience in the healing arts, I also have a background in, and a passion for, music; playing live shows and touring, sound engineering, and guitar tutoring. Experiencing the world around me with curiosity and sensitivity, I’ve developed a passion for helping others; sharing the tools and knowledge that can help with self-healing on important journeys of self-betterment.

Feel free to read on to hear a bit more of my story.
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Early Years and First Introduction to Martial Arts

Growing up at school I was always branded a bit of a naughty kid who ‘could try harder and chats too much’. Only in the final year of primary school did I have a positive experience with one of my teachers, Mr. Bury, and flourished for that whole year, never seeming to get into any trouble. Mr. B also ran the school wrestling club, which was my first introduction to martial arts. At a young age I found myself drawn towards Chinese martial arts, buying books on Chinese Medicine and curious to know more.


Challenges of Adolescence

Not long after starting secondary school, my parents split up. Commuting between houses, and managing and remembering my homework became increasingly challenging. I was struggling at school, and started to identify more as a ‘disruptive influence' not my choice of words, but something I know don't necessarily consider to be a negative thing! It depends on what is being disrupted... I digress..

I started to become more extroverted at school as a defence mechanism; skiving off lessons and smoking weed etc. I clashed with many of my teachers and found it difficult to keep motivated in class. I finished school at fifteen with three GCSE’s, I got these in subjects that didn't require coursework, and that I was able to do by passing a written exam using my innate intelligence, as certainly I hadn't done any revising!


Musical Endeavors

A few lads a couple of years above me were in a band called Northern Uproar. I looked up to them and decided to get a few pals together to start a band of our own. About a year later, a spot opened up for a guitarist in Northern Uproar for a run of summer festivals. I had to take my shot and went to great lengths to try and get in, which was a success! I was stoked to be joining the band and playing paid gigs with large crowds, still a month or so before my 16th birthday.

There’s a certain memory that sticks with me, and later will be evident as to why; a band manager who I met on the road once pulled me to one side and kindly noted he thought I had ADD (attention deficit disorder). I read a book he had on the condition and digested the info, but didn’t really think much of it. I didn’t pay too much attention to it at the time and continued on with life as usual.


Sound Engineering and Sensitivity to Sound

For the next few years I spent my time hanging out in music studios and helping out where I could. I enrolled as an apprentice sound engineer and continued to work and improve my skills.
During this time I started to train myself to really listen, not at sound, but into it. Lots of the studio work required me to hone in on the nuance of noise with an attention to fine details that the average pair of ears can’t necessarily hear. I noticed I was either developing or uncovering, a sensitivity to sound and noise that would become challenging in situations where I couldn’t find an off switch. In a way, this type of listening crosses over with sensitivity in psychic awareness. I believe part of my esoteric training started subconsciously when I started to study music in this way.


Facing Personal Challenges and Rediscovering Martial Arts

Into my 20’s whilst still playing in bands, I found myself experiencing real stress for the first time in my life, and other issues began to creep in, alongside too much drinking and other unhealthy lifestyle choices. I went to the doctor for some anxiety medication and trained in the gym for the next couple of years, which provided some relief.

I then decided to put my guitar skills to further use and started tutoring others. I did this for the next 10 years and sometimes had up to 40 students a week, all of different ages. I enjoyed engaging with young people and children particularly and enjoyed their unique and ingenious approaches to learning something they were passionate about.

Later on in my 20s, I found myself being drawn to Chinese martial arts once again, much like when I was a kid and came across a type of kung fu called ‘Wing Chun’. I absolutely fell in love with this, and for the next five years regularly attended classes. It provided somewhat of an escape from the hedonistic lifestyle around me. Working with various training exercises in Wing Chun engaged my mind and body in a way that was completely new to me and also opened the door to meditation, and I began to learn more.


Spiritual Exploration and Personal Growth

Just before I turned 30 I found myself disillusioned with music and had a bit of a breakdown. I was chronically people-pleasing and dealing with a lot of unresolved stress. My family was quite religious a couple of generations back, however, in my youth and my twenties I leaned more towards atheism, with a ‘see it to believe it’ attitude. I think this is why I felt drawn towards Buddhism as the teachings and the practices encouraged you to ‘bring your doubt and scepticism'. I remained curious and open and continued to read and learn more about spirituality and what it meant for me, and began to get involved with Tibetan Buddhism, and followed the teachings of Lama Jampa Thaye alongside an interest in the work of Carl Jung. These days I have an open mind regarding all forms of belief and spirituality and am particularly attracted to the esoteric or 'indoor' practices as opposed to dogma in any form. I find more similarities than differences at this level and believe everyone can and ultimately must find out what works for them.


Deepening Martial Arts Knowledge and Teaching

In my late 20's I continued to deepen my knowledge of Wing Chun and began to study other styles of martial arts alongside it. In 2009 I was introduced to the work of the Tai Chi/Qigong master Bruce Frantzis, and I started to study his system of practice in Taoist Arts. In 2012 decided to sign up for a three-week qigong instructor training course with him in Hawaii.

After training with Bruce, I felt less connected to the linear, straight-line aspects of Wing Chun and increasingly felt much more drawn towards Tai Chi, and its working directly with energy, which naturally tends to move in circles, spheres and spirals. I was keen to put everything I had learned to good use and work with what I felt passionate about and began teaching others for the first time. 

I taught extensively in Manchester and also regularly held Qigong retreats in Ibiza, and in 2013 I first met Aaron Sherwood; a fantastic Tai Chi Qigong teacher and healer who felt like an older brother. We developed a friendship and have remained close friends since.


Collaborations and Personal Healing

Aaron and I decided we wanted to work together and in 2016 held our first week-long Qigong retreat in Anglesey. We would then go on to host further successful retreats in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Aaron brought a very healing vibe to his teachings which was inspiring, and not something a lot of instructors had. He introduced me to Cranio-Sacral Therapy, and as I began to undergo treatments myself with a therapist named Sam Lowi, I began to do a lot of my own personal work and healing; unearthing what was going on underneath and addressing my inner world and trauma.


Discovering ADHD and Personal Insights

A little further down the line, Aaron shared with me that he thought he may have ADHD. This took me back to 17-year-old me being told something very similar, and suddenly lots of things started to click into place. I began to strongly identify with having an ADHD mind myself, and everything started making sense.


Educational Challenges and Alternative Learning Paths

I decided I wanted to learn more about Cranial Sacral Therapy and studied it in a two-year course at college, which I really enjoyed until the pandemic hit; everything slowed down and the content migrated online. Things began to feel quite dragged out and when the course began to feel like a similar environment to school, with tests and box ticking and memorising, I recognised that, possibly due to my ADHD brain, I wasn’t suited for this type of restrictive education. I reluctantly left the college and reached out to a couple of teachers I met through being on the course Angela Pau and her partner Andrew Stones - both skilled and knowledgeable Cranial Sacral Therapists. I was determined to not let my experience at college hold me back in deepening my practice, so Angela agreed to mentor me so that I could continue studying in a way that was more congruent with my learning style; in person, at my own pace, with the opportunity to ask questions without the need for tests and assessments.

Understanding Neurodivergence


In 2020 I decided to work with an ADHD coach for a few sessions. Ultimately, I didn’t find this too helpful, but learning more about ADHD and what it meant to be neurodivergent, and how it affects different areas of my life was quite fascinating, and I began to understand and work with myself more kindly.


Building a Supportive Team

It was only recently that I decided to bring on board an assistant for Phoenix Blu, as I recognised that some support could go a long way, and I’ve been working with Ellie now for about a year. Her application was the first I read and the one I felt instantly drawn to with a creative and varied background. I see this instant knowing when something is right or wrong for me as a form of intuitive tacit knowledge, a subject I am exploring with enthusiasm.

Reflections and Current Endeavors


And here we are, in the present day. As a sensitive person, and someone who has dealt with and continues to work through my own personal traumas, I take pride in bringing realness and authenticity to my practice and in the way that I teach others - we are all imperfect, and all works in progress, and there is power in owning our stories as it helps us build meaningful connections with others. My life experiences have certainly shaped what and how I teach, as has hearing the stories of others. I’ve had the pleasure and the privilege of working with many skilled and inspiring people, and over the last 15 years have taken a wide, open and esoteric look at many different areas of life, including spirituality, trauma work and healing, martial arts and music, and I’m deeply passionate about sharing what I have learnt over the years and helping others improve the quality of their mental, physical, and emotional health.