About This Blog


Welcome to the Piano and Tai Chi blog! Below you will find posts dedicated to the intersection between piano playing, Tai Chi, Qigong, and meditation.

I have been asked many, many times how I use these disciplines in my professional life and why but I have been reluctant until now to give answers because these topics do not fit well in one or two sentences, and each concept has many ramifications and nuance.

Nonetheless, the high incidence of injuries in both professional as well as developing players has changed my mind. It is my great hope that you will find in this material something that will be useful, relevant, or helpful to your playing, whether you are injured or not. Because of the general nature of this format, I urge you to be very careful with the application to your own circumstances and to listen to your body and your doctors.

I am more than glad to connect with you if you have questions, just reach out through the contact form or leave a comment and a way to reach you.

Lastly, the blogs are organized from newest to oldest. However, it would be beneficial to you if you start in chronological order, from oldest to newest, as many ideas are connected and later posts are based on earlier ones. Ana

The Arpicembalo, Small Hands, and Very Soft Cats
Piano, Injury, Small Hands Ana S. Popa Piano, Injury, Small Hands Ana S. Popa

The Arpicembalo, Small Hands, and Very Soft Cats

Within its first 150-200 years of evolution, the piano and its literature have grown bigger but they left behind those who have great love for both but do not have big hands. This blog is a response to the need for the small-handed pianist to be able to stretch in order to play this repertoire with greater ease, without predisposing themselves to injury.

Read More
One Part Moves, All Parts Move
Ana S. Popa Ana S. Popa

One Part Moves, All Parts Move

One part moves, all parts move: the governing principle of all Tai Chi movements. Its application to piano playing is beneficial and immensely relevant. If one’s body is unified in motion, high performance is possible and injury preventable.

Read More