“We come, we learn to change and it’s ok if we don’t get it all”

Seniors’ Tai Chi Week gives seniors an opportunity to grow in many ways. It means learning to be daring and take risks, learning to trust the instructor and be willing to “go for it”. It means giving up self to be part of a group. In a group with a variety of ages and capabilities we are challenged to do what we can and a little bit more. We are invited to stretch not only our bodies but our minds as well. A whole week gives us the luxury of time to practise until we can feel, then understand what the instructor is asking of us.

As the week progresses and we are changing, we all hope to return to our own practice with renewed enthusiasm and knowledge .We will try to remember to practise with a light heart and play Tai Chi.

To quote a few of the participants:

“I come because I have a lot to learn and not much time.”

“I’m calling this my “Find your toryu Week”"

“I was depressed in the past but I found Taoist Tai Chi and now I’m insufferably happy.”

“The tight knots in my spine have unlocked with partitions and now I have this tool to take home.”

“I feel nourished in a deep sense, physically and mentally.”

“We come, we learn to change and it’s ok if we don’t get it all.”

“Our bodies have been deliciously stretched. We learned to quiet down inside and expand outside.”

“We will all go home with stories to tell and let them know: NEXT YEAR IN CALGARY!”

A beginner’s View:

“My tai chi training started in November 2012 in Meaford (Collingwood Centre). After realizing that one session per week would take me ages to improve my moves I started attending classes at other locations. The first thing which I noticed has been the kindness and camaraderie of students and instructors alike. In a world where individual success seems to dominate our lives meeting such a caring group appears like that ideal world which we wish it would indeed exist.  The Seniors’ Day which I thoroughly enjoyed increased my curiosity and I decided to attend the Seniors’ Week this May. Already at the first workshop session I noticed that I was the only beginner among the seventy attendies. However, I everybody made me feel welcomed. There was always room for me in the middle of a row where I could easily follow experienced members. Soon I realized that the physical aspect of Tai-Chi is only part of the daily life at the Centre. All long-time members accepted me as their equal and friendships to a number of members could easily develop. Teams of volunteers were established to run all aspects of our daily routine. I noticed that washing up is a good job to strike conversations and learn to know people. Spirituality is an important part of my own life. For this reason I have found it so comforting when I noticed that the physical and spiritual aspects of tai-chi are interconnected.
Participating at this workshop has been the right decision despite my missing experience in tai-chi moves. I recommend beginner tai-chi students to participate at such a workshop as soon as they have completed Beginners Class.

I’d like to add this quote from Oliver Wendall Homes, Jr.;  “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions”  This is truly the way I feel. This week at the Centre transformed me.”  - Dmitri.

Costa Rica Hosts an International Workshop

To start our International Workshop with a set in a large space surrounded by nature felt like a good omen of things to come in the next two days.
But our journey actually didn’t start there. Rather, it began the night before with an extraordinary gathering in our home to meet our instructors and to give them a warm welcome.

One of the things I like the most about the Taoist Tai Chi Society is the spirit of sharing: sharing the practice of Tai Chi, share=ing the process of change (and the happiness that comes with it), sharing the solidarity to help many people in need, and of course, sharing good meals! Everyone brought something delicious that night to greet our guest instructors, David and Nicole. Having two instructors was really a luxury—two life experiences dedicated to Taoist Tai Chi, two people who came with such different and personal styles to help us understand movement and sensation, two spouses who gave us their energy and their hearts.

We were a total of 84 people. This International Workshop in the year of the Water Snake was characterized by

News Flash: You Are Never Too Old (or Too Young) To Learn & Benefit from Tai Chi

Billie Bridgman, age 94, at a class in Guelph, Ontario

Billie Bridgman, a resident of Guelph, Ontario, didn’t start learning the 108 moves of the Taoist Tai Chi set until she was 78 years old. That was 16 years ago, and now at age 94, she relies on her weekly classes to keep her flexible, both physically and mentally. Ines Davis, 63, another Guelph resident, has been practicing for 10 years. Her tai chi helped her overcome lower back pain. Davis finds inspiration in Bridgman’s practice, as well as in the health benefits she feels.  No news to us, but local Guelph Mercury reporter Rob O’Flanagan profiles Taoist Tai Chi in this recent article.

TTCS in the News: Relief from Peripheral Neuropathy on NBC Chicago

On a recent segment on NBC Chicago’s nightly news, Darcy Carter and John Hnilicka from the Midwest Branch explained the relief from the pain of peripheral neuropathy that the practice of Taoist Tai Chi affords.

 

Click to view the complete video.

Dr Bruce Greets Health Professionals for a Information Session in Toronto

TTCS Medical Advisor Dr. Bruce McFarlane

With the intent of advancing our objective of promoting the health benefits of Taoist Tai Chi, approximately 70 members and nine health professional met on Saturday, May 14 for a rich session with Dr. Bruce McFarlane, one of the Society’s directors and medical advisor, about the health benefits of Taoist Tai Chi™ internal arts of health.

The organizers from the Bathurst location of the Toronto branch did a fabulous job of coordinating and promoting the event at the location. They prepared 200 folders that contained invitations for health professionals and information about TTCS that individual members took around to their own health professional for a personal touch. Dr Bruce gave a talk helping us all to understand the strengths and limits of western medicine and how we can use Tai Chi to support medical practice. He often used his own story to illustrate his point. There was a demonstration of the Taoist Tai Chi™ set, as well as a go-around with these demonstrators that was itself a lesson in the deep value of doing this art.

We broke for a delicious snack and then regrouped to hear some testimonials that were very moving. We finished up with a lesson for the health professional and interested non-members on the first few moves of the Taoist Tai Chi™ set. Everyone was a good sport— especially since the audience was full of heavy hitting Tai Chiers watching their every move! A delicious lunch was supplied by members. The event was a great success and we are hoping to build on it next year.

Tai Chi Benefits Seniors at Retirement Home in Texas

On Tuesday, April 19, I visited the Highland Springs Retirement home in Plano, Texas, to meet and talk to some of the residents who were participating in Taoist Tai Chi classes there.

The building is lovely and it rests on beautifully maintained grounds that look more like a manicured golf course than a yard. The class was held on the second floor in a brightly lit crafts room.

There were nine people in class. They worked on foundations, single whip, and brush knee. Balance and coordination were stressed by the instructor, Audrey Cheang. As everyone worked on their movements, I spoke to a few members individually.

Oscar Burchard was elected to be on the Highland Springs advisory council. He’s been practicing Tai Chi 3 years so far. He said he had to drop out of Tai Chi for a bit because of poor health, but he’s back at it now and he was amazed that he found returning to Tai Chi easier than he thought. He says he likes Tai Chi because he feels better when he does it. Oscar also practices water aerobics. He feels thankful that the group here has Audrey to bring her

The Down Side to Tai Chi? None According to Jane Brody of the NY Times

After a review of the scientific literature, New York Times personal health columnist Jane E. Brody has concluded something our members have known for a long time, that everyone ought to be practicing tai chi.

“The graceful, dancelike progression of meditative poses called tai chi originated in ancient China as a martial art, but the exercise is best known in modern times as a route to reduce stress and enhanced health. After reviewing existing scientific evidence for its potential health benefits, I’ve concluded that the proper question to ask yourself may not be why you should practice tai chi, but why not.”

Read Brody’s complete article here…

Testimonial: Research Proves Experience with Fibromyalgia

As reported in the New York Times and US News & World Report, a small but significant new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows positive results in pain relief from regular practice of tai chi for people suffering from fibromyalgia. One of our members in Australia has personally experienced the positive benefits of Taoist Tai Chi™ internal arts and methods on her own pain from this debilitating chronic disease.

“I have been diagnosed with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.  About five years ago I saw a specialist because I was unable to use one shoulder.  One of his recommendations was to do tai chi.  I practise Taoist Tai Chi™ internal arts of health daily and it is my first port of call when my pain accelerates. I have also benefited by feeling more in control of what happens to my body and my pain levels.”
—Carmel Markey (Brisbane, Australia)

Read Dr. Bruce McFarlane’s posts on how Taoist Tai Chi™ works on the anatomy and physiology of the body.

Testimonial: Full Range of Motion Regained in Spine

In celebration of our 40th anniversary, we asked members around the world to share how Taoist Tai Chi® has affected their lives. We’ll be posting these testimonials periodically on the blog.

“When I started Taoist Tai Chi™ internal arts of health I had extremely restricted head movement due to calcification of my upper spine. Within four months I had regained full range of motion and was pain free, something my doctor said would never happen.”
—Mary Basl (Ithaca, NY)

Testimonial: Quality of Life Improved for MS Sufferer in Amsterdam

In celebration of our 40th anniversary, we asked members around the world to share how Taoist Tai Chi® has affected their lives. We’ll be posting these testimonials periodically on the blog.

“I have Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, but Taoist Tai Chi™ internal arts of health gave me a substantially better quality of life. My balance improved, I can control my leg spasms, my bladder condition recovered, and my digestion and immunity system became stronger. I am happier, more flexible, open and secure than before, knowing that I can choose to do something that really helps me.”
—Mariëtte Swagerman (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)