Cultivate Stillness.
Move with Intention.
Quiet Crane teaches the Yang Style 24 Short Form — a gentle, moving meditation that builds strength and balance in the body, and simplicity and clarity in the mind.
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” — Tao Te Ching
Quiet Crane is built on a simple belief: that health, ease, and clarity of mind are cultivated the same way — slowly, patiently, and without force.
The Yang Style 24 Short Form is our vehicle.
The Tao is our map.
Jìng — Stillness
Beneath every movement lies a rooted calm. We practice finding quiet at the center of motion, so that stillness becomes a place you can return to.
Liú — Flow
Like water, Tai Chi teaches us to move around resistance rather than through it. Strength, here, is measured in softness and continuity, not force.
Pǔ — Simplicity
The uncarved block: the natural, unforced state of being. We strip each form down to its essence, and in doing so, strip a little from daily life too.
The Four Aims
Long before it was ours, the art was given four purposes — a path that begins in the body and reaches toward the spirit. They remain the quiet aims of every class.
Health & Longevity
The first purpose: to move blood and breath, steady the balance, and let the body grow strong and endure. Wellness is where the practice begins.
Guarding the Self
To meet resistance without force, and so keep the body from harm — including the harm of our own haste, tension, and strain.
Clarity & Wisdom
As practice ripens it becomes understanding, carrying the calm and clear seeing of the Tao into everyday life.
Cultivation of Spirit
The innermost work: to nourish essence, energy, and spirit, until movement itself becomes a quiet path of transformation.
The four aims follow the treatise attributed to the Daoist priest Zhang Sanfeng, as translated by Stuart Alve Olson, Tai Ji Quan Treatise (Valley Spirit Arts).
The Yang Style 24 Short Form
Developed in 1956, the Yang Style 24 Short Form distills traditional Yang-family Tai Chi into twenty-four accessible movements. It has since become the most widely practiced Tai Chi sequence in the world — taught in parks, studios, and clinics across every continent, precisely because it is so approachable for beginners while remaining a lifelong practice for the advanced.
At Quiet Crane, no experience is required. Every class begins with breath and grounding, moves through the form at a pace suited to the room, and closes in stillness.
- Improved balance, mobility & joint health
- Reduced stress and a calmer nervous system
- Sharper focus and mental clarity
- A steady, supportive community of practice
- 01Commencing Form
- 02Part the Wild Horse’s Mane
- 03White Crane Spreads Its Wingsour namesake
- 04Brush Knee and Twist Step
- 05Hand Strums the Lute / Guitar
- 06Repulse Monkey
- 07Grasp Peacock’s Tail — Left
- 08Grasp Peacock’s Tail — Right
- 09Single Whip
- 10Wave Hands Like Clouds
- 11Single Whip
- 12High Pat on Horse
- 13Kick with Right Heel
- 14Strike Ears with Both Fists
- 15Turn and Kick with Left Heel
- 16Snake Creeps Down & Golden Rooster — Left
- 17Snake Creeps Down & Golden Rooster — Right
- 18Fair Lady Works the Shuttles
- 19Needle at Sea Bottom
- 20Flash the Arm
- 21Turn, Deflect, Parry and Punch
- 22Apparent Close Up
- 23Cross Hands
- 24Closing Form
Class Schedule
Weekend Practice
All LevelsSaturday: 8:45 to 9:45 AM
Hamilton Community House
284 Bay Road, South Hamilton, MA 01982
Qigong warm-ups to open the body and settle the breath, followed by practice of the Yang Style 24 Short Form.
Meet Your Instructor
David Swiniarski founded Quiet Crane after 18 years of Tai Chi practice, with a simple aim: to share the calm, balance, and quiet strength the Yang Style 24 Short Form has brought to daily life.
Trained in the Yang style under Paul Mahoney, David teaches with patience and precision — meeting every student where they are, whether it is a first class or a twentieth year of practice.
“Step by step, we progress through the form — building a stronger body, a quieter mind, and a way back to ourselves.”
Begin Your Practice
Questions about classes, private lessons, or to learn more about Tai Chi?
Send an email — we’re happy to help you find your first step.
- info@quietcrane.com