Second ITS NEwsletter
Highlights of this Newsletter:
- Sea Cloud Leeds Gardening Update
- Chang Ming Cookbook Launch by Laoma Wai-Yii Yeung
- Visit from Master Zhu Changhai
- New Beginner Classes at Sea Cloud Leeds
- First Aid Course
- Country Cottage Kitchen
- Tenerife Sea Cloud New Blinds
- Meet the Student - Angela in Leeds
Spring Updates by the Riverbank
We’re transforming the riverbank into a beautiful wildflower meadow using native wildflower seeds—great for stabilising the bank and attracting bees and butterflies.
A new hawthorn log raised bed is in place, made entirely from natural materials, ready to be filled with herbs and veggies.
We’ve also added new steps for easier access to the riverbank.
A vibrant blackthorn hedge is now growing strong, and we’ve planted a mixed native hedge along the fence to brighten things up.
Got spare plants? We’d love to give them a new home! Please Email Us
New Chang Ming Cookbook Launch
In the last letter we mentioned Laomas upcoming book... and now it's here!
Laoma's new Chang Ming Cookbook is now available for purchase.
If you would like a copy, Email us to order the Chang Ming Cookbook
It's an excellent resource for learning about the principles of a natural, Taoist diet and it has easy to follow, simple and tasty recipes for beginner cooks and master chefs alike.
Master Zhu's First Visit to the New Sea Cloud Hall Leeds
In March, we had the great honour of welcoming Master Zhu to our new home in Leeds, Sea Cloud Hall.
His visit was a deeply meaningful moment and it marked a beautiful beginning for the next chapter of our practice.
Master Zhu was impressed by Sea Cloud Hall and the facilities we’ve created here. From the calm atmosphere to the spacious training area, he liked the environment we’ve built to support our cultivation.
Three New Beginner's Classes at
Sea Cloud Hall Leeds
We've started three new beginners courses at Sea Cloud Hall!
We're starting to use the space to transform Sea Cloud Hall into a centre for the people of Kirkstall and wider Leeds to come and experience the benefits of Taoist practice.
We have three new courses aimed at beginners of all abilities!
First Aid Training Course
For Sea-Cloud to be the centre of excellence for Taoist Arts in Europe, we have a responsibility to ensure we are professional externally to students and to other organisations like the health and safely executive.
First aid provision ensures that all individuals present are safeguarded in the event of an incident.
By adhering to these guidelines, we can create a safe and supportive environment for all participants, fostering confidence and well-being during our sessions.
Country Cottage Kitchen
We're now settling into the space and making it our own.
We've changed the kitchen from corporate style to country kitchen.
Our resourceful volunteers have managed to find beautiful tables and chairs to create this welcoming country style kitchen!
Come have a cup of tea next time you're at Sea Cloud Hall for a class or a course!
Tenerife Sea Cloud New Blinds
We have some exciting updates from Sea Cloud Hall Tenerife!
We've fitted the hall with new motorised black-out blinds!
And they make the space look so beautifully put together!
We can now block out the sun from damaging the floor and the calligraphy on the walls. And they are actual part of the new frontage of the building!
Meet the Student
Every Newsletter we ask a Student or group of students to share some of their experience with the Arts.
This time we can see what Angela, a retired academic with a specialty in Renaissance Literature, shared with us about starting Lishi in her 70s.
Angela, Leeds
Why did you start training in Lishi?
A friend who’s a physiotherapist and dancer recommended Tai Chi and swimming for balance and aging. I’d always wanted to try Tai Chi but never found the right time—until I came across a lunchtime Lishi class in Chapel Allerton in 2017. I had no idea what Lishi was, but I found it completely engaging. I feel incredibly lucky to have found it.
What’s kept you going all these years?
Because it works. No matter how I feel going in, I always feel better after class—physically and emotionally. It helps me relax, grounds me, and makes sense in a world increasingly disconnected from the body and reality. Lishi is organic; it treats us as whole humans.
How has it changed your life?
It’s improved my balance and helped me stop overthinking. As someone who lives in their head, Lishi brings me back into my body. It pulls me out of self-criticism and the hamster wheel of thought. I feel healthier, more centered—like it’s a kind of alchemy.
What does “it works” feel like to you?
Grounded, present, connected. Lishi is about the individual, but also about a way of living. It creates community, and I've found people to be welcoming and accepting. I love learning from them.
Is Lishi for older people? Do you need a young spirit?
Yes, you need a young spirit to start at 70! But there are many of us like that. Sometimes I wish I’d found it earlier, but I believe things happen in their own time. The practice has helped me trust more and find optimism—even with the challenges of age.
Want to support us?
We are raising funds to buy a building that will be the global headquarters of the International Taoist Society. It is where we will run our training programmes, organise annual conferences and host Taoists from around the world.