At quarter past nine in the morning there are already over 30 people of all ages and nationalities grouped together under the leafy canopy of the trees...

The class begins in total silence and the exercises are slow and gentle, guided by Dom’s simple instructions in Spanish and Catalan. “Sometimes foreigners come along, too, in which case I teach them in English”, he explains.

After half an hour the class stops and the students relax and chat amongst themselves. Jordi, who works in PR, explains that the classes help him to relax. “Tai chi doesn’t just work on my body; it works on my mind, too.” Lourdes Lopez, a secondary school teacher who has been practising tai chi for three years, says, “It’s very comfortable because you come when you feel like it, and everyone learns at their own pace.” Lourdes practices chen, a different type of tai chi at the 11 am class. “I like it more because it’s a bit more dynamic,” she says.

For the engineer Dom Sales, it all started when he moved to Barcelona. “I practised tai chi back home in the Philippines, and I didn’t want to give it up. So in 1992 I started coming here to this park with my wife, Rosa.” Parque Sapiensis is a picturesque area set on three levels and surrounded by trees, located opposite the Mercat de las Flors in the Montjuïc district. “As time went on, more and more people started coming here to meet on Saturdays and Sundays at nine in the morning.”

Tai chi reduces stress, helps to heal broken bones, and prevents osteoporosis. The Chinese, who have been practising this martial art for over 3,000 years, state that when the body’s energy cannot flow, it starts to decay. According to Ramon, a martial arts instructor, “When you practice tai chi, your energy starts to flow properly. This energy flow is an essential part of good health and long life. If you practise it outside in the fresh air, contact with the earth helps this energy to flow even better.”

Now, with more than 50 people gathered in the park, the session begins. In time with the Eastern beat, young and old alike start to move in unison. They dance hypnotically, seeming to play with invisible butterflies. You only have to watch them to feel yourself relaxing. Other places to practise free tai chi are Parc Estacio del Nord every Saturday at eight in the morning and in the Parc de la Ciutadella on Sundays at 10, next to the waterfall.

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