Newsletter #90 - January 2009
The January workshop in Sydney was a huge success. Each year we see growing enthusiasm among our
participants as their Tai Chi continues to improve. Our team worked tirelessly to deliver the high level of teaching that participants have come to expect and they came away with a sense of fulfilment in their personal growth. Just as importantly there was this wonderful camaraderie, almost like a family of 150 getting together. This was apparent in the social evening where everyone joined hands to dance the Zorba.
participants as their Tai Chi continues to improve. Our team worked tirelessly to deliver the high level of teaching that participants have come to expect and they came away with a sense of fulfilment in their personal growth. Just as importantly there was this wonderful camaraderie, almost like a family of 150 getting together. This was apparent in the social evening where everyone joined hands to dance the Zorba.I would like to take this opportunity to remind you the One Week June 2009 Workshop in Memphis, TN is only around the corner. We already have our first registrations, so do register as soon as you can to ensure your chosen classes. For more information, please visit this link. Shelia Rae, our Master Trainer in Memphis, managed to secure the Whispering Woods Conference Centre, a first class hotel and convention centre at an incredibly competitive rate for us to hold this workshop. This rare opportunity will never be repeated. Non Tai Chi spouses/partners are encouraged to come for a week’s vacation and enjoy the many local attractions on offer. Shelia’s article this month will be sure to entice you.
This month’s theme…..Has Tai Chi a place in Mental Health? Being a medical practitioner I have seen many people with mental conditions, and I know in my heart that Tai Chi would help them. I have met many people who have found this to be true. I met Dr Blasé, the president of the Araptis foundation - a non profit organisation in Spain, dedicated to helping people with mental illness to return to normal life. Dr Blasé said the foundation has started using Tai Chi for Arthritis with their patients. He said: “Rehabilitation of people with mental illness is not just about the body and the mind; it also includes the spirit in an integrated manner. Tai Chi integrates body, mind and spirit and is very suitable for our purposes. The classes are popular and patients look forward to them. People with mental illness are often apathetic to any activity – appropriate activity is therapeutic.” In this newsletter Jef Morris and Ralph Dehner share with us their individual experiences working among people with mental conditions.
Our theme in March will be….”Tai Chi for Beginners”. Find out, not only how you can set up a class but also be able to retain the students in your class.
In this newsletter
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Jef Morris gives us an insight into how he used Tai Chi for Arthritis to influence the mind in smoking cessation. A successful student can vouch for his method.
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Besides sharing with us his experience teaching tai chi in mental health settings, Ralph Dehner quotes recent studies showing how tai chi relates to mental health.
- Shelia Rae provides us with detailed information of this attractive venue in Memphis where the one week workshop in June 2009 will be held.
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A past scholarship recipient Jessica Myers tells us how such an opportunity enabled her to enrich her tai chi experience.
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82 year old Barbara Dasent from Wellington, NZ shares with us how she was transformed from hardly able to walk to feeling fit, healthy and walk unaided, all with the help of a caring teacher and Tai Chi for Arthritis.
This Month’s Special:
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Tai Chi for Arthritis – Instructional DVD
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Tai Chi for Back Pain – Instructional DVD
Buy both the DVDs and you will receive a free Tai Chi for Osteoporosis Instructional DVD, worth USD $24.95 or AUD $29.95.
Limit one per customer. Click here for more information or to place your order.
March 7 - 8, Sydney, Australia
Tai Chi for Beginners Instructors Training
May 2 - 3, Perth, Australia
Tai Chi for Arthritis, Instructors Training
May 9 – May 10, 2009. Singapore
Tai Chi for Beginners Instructor Training
Tai Chi for Beginners Instructor Training
May 16 – May 17, 2009. Lund, Sweden
Exploring the Depth of Tai Chi for Arthritis
May 30 – May 31, 2009. Hartford, CT, United States
Tai Chi for Osteoporosis Instructor Training
June 6 – June 7, 2009. St Paul, MN, United States
Tai Chi for Back Pain Instructor Training
June 13 -14, Memphis, TN, USA
Tai Chi for Beginners Instructors Training
June 15 - 20, Memphis, TN, USA
One Week Tai Chi Workshop
August 1 - 2, Sydney, Australia
Exploring the Depth of Tai Chi for Arthritis
August 22 - 23, Sydney, Australia
Tai Chi for Diabetes and Osteoporosis Instructors Training
September 3 - 4, Sydney, Australia
Therapeutic Tai Chi
October 17 - 18, Zurich, Switzerland
Exploring the Depth of Tai Chi for Arthritis Instructors Training
Exploring the Depth of Tai Chi for Arthritis Instructors Training
For more information about these and other workshops conducted by my authorised master trainers, go to the Workshop Calendar
Paul Lam, M.D.
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The Mind, TCA and Smoking Cessation
Jef Morris, a Master Trainer and his student, lrelis Milhet, Miami, FL, USA 
How can Tai Chi for Health contribute to individuals who want to stop smoking?
Our research study on Smoking Cessation and the Effectiveness of Tai Chi for Health, with the University of Miami has begun. From the first group of 3 Tai Chi for Arthritis classes per week, for 12 weeks, some mental shifts occurred. These mental shifts seemed to follow the subtle shifts in the body as the participants embarked on tai chi exercises. One participant in particular, Irelis, took the approach that she would stop smoking when the time was right. In our discussions on how tai chi could help them stop smoking, I asked them why they smoked. All replied they smoke for the sensation from exhalation. This sensation of relaxation is in part what we strive to achieve in tai chi, without the harmful effects of smoking.
How does Tai Chi relax the Body to relax the Mind?
Irelis has many responsibilities in her life, and for a time suffered form panic attacks. A long term fast walker, her heel would often hurt before she completed her walk. Using Tai Chi for Arthritis, we focused on breathing, flexibility, and being mindful of her intentions. When we practice the movement open - close, as we open our palms and elbows, we can sense an arising tension in the body, like how strong emotions, such as craving appear to rise from within. There is an in between time when you practice the movement open and close. Just before you close, take a moment and use your mind’s intention, to let go of the tension you sense, and then allow the tension to release as you close the movement. Flexibility, and developing control of shifting one’s weight, is also about developing the awareness to use the power of your mind to make the choice, and succeeding. When we feel safe, another part of us flows smoothly, and we sleep well. Yet many of us carry too much tension, and have become numb to how much tension we hold in our body. If you are a smoker, feeling levels of stress and anxiety, the chances are there are times you are also unaware how much you hold your breath. When there is an accumulation of high physical tension, releasing this is like craving for the sensation from exhalation.
An Email from Irelis Milhet :
”Last night, someone said something out of their own frustrations that made me a bit upset/emotional. The moment I started to feel that way, I was about to reach for my “comfort stick” on autopilot and then I realized that I wasn’t supposed to yet (I’m cutting way back first). I do pat myself on the back for breathing and doing some warm-up Tai Chi exercises and then taking a nice hot shower (water puts out fires, right? 😉 ) instead of smoking. It’s been interesting to me how simply being aware of those feelings when they arise and breathing into those tense spots how you can actually feel the wave rolling away again.
With this program, I’ve been able to implement more of what my mind knew but my body wouldn’t follow through on and I learn a few things each time I come to class. I also wanted to thank Jef for how much he customizes his class based on how we are feeling or what we are dealing with at the moment. We really appreciate him. He obviously loves what he does and his influence has been amazing in so many areas of my life. I actually feel like I’m kicking this habit from the inside out and I feel so much better than when I’ve tried from the outside in. He brings us much peace with just a smile and is teaching us to do the same.”
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Tai Chi and Mental Health
Ralph Dehner, Master Trainer, Cincinnati, OH, USA
Ralph Dehner, Master Trainer, Cincinnati, OH, USA
Recent data reveals that people with mental illness die 25 years sooner than the general population. The reasons why are now being looked at carefully by mental health professionals. I have been part of a focus group looking into this issue over the past two years. Some of the possible issues are stress, poor diet, lack of exercise, self medication with illegal substances (prescribed mental health medications are also fraught with side effects) as well as legal ones like refined sugar, nicotine, caffeine and calorie dense-low nutrient foods. Our focus group is putting together a program that not only addresses the lack of primary care and nutrition but also exercise. Tai Chi will be one of the interventions as with walking. The following is some of my own research into the subject of Tai Chi and mental health.
In a peer-reviewed study, Deborah Reinemann tracked the effects of the ROM Dance on mentally retarded people suffering from depression and anxiety. The ROM Dance is a pattern of 29 slow, flowing movements based on traditional Tai Chi Quan. It also is done to soft music while reciting a poem that helps the participants remember the proper sequence of moves. The study included 23 participants who went through a series of four-week segments. They measured depression and anxiety for four weeks before, four weeks of 30-minute sessions of the ROM Dance, five days a week, followed by four weeks without the ROM Dance, and followed by another four weeks of ROM Dance, for a total of 16-weeks. The results showed a decrease in symptoms of both depression and anxiety compared to the pre Tai Chi sessions. The results of the first four-week Tai Chi session carried over into and through the control period between the two practice segments.
In a review of all relevant studies reported between 1996 and 1999, Sandlund and Norlander stated that Tai Chi demonstrated positive results in stress reduction, depression management, and overall psychological well being in every study. This was despite Tai Chi’s inability to elicit an aerobic training effect or an endorphin rush known as a runner’s high. They admitted that they were not able to determine whether moderate exercise in general was the key factor or that something specific about Tai Chi was responsible for the positive results. The important thing, according to the authors, was that every study showed a positive benefit in the mental health of the participants. It is apparent that the research gathered in this study suggests that no matter what the determining factor is Tai Chi practice can and does contribute positively to the mental health of people who practice it regularly. Yuzeng and Morgan state that Tai Chi is ideally suited for mental health conditions and the only contraindications are for practicing it properly within your own physical limitations (Novey 223-226). According to Mark Schorr there is an increased use of Tai Chi in the mental health arena. He gives examples of its use in state mental hospitals, outpatient facilities and partial hospitalization programs. For example, Network Behavioral HealthCare, Patton State Hospital, Woodland Park Hospital and Providence Medical Center all have Tai Chi programs that are attended by people with mental health diagnosis such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Bi-Polar Disorder, Major Depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorders, Eating Disorders and Chemical Dependency. Cohen summarizes how effective this approach can be when combined with Western Psychotherapy, “Frequently, psychological problems seem to just evaporate as physical tension dissolves….Many students note in retrospect, that emotional difficulties they had at the beginning of training are simply nonexistent a few years later” (Shorr 10). Although this article is not reporting on scientific clinical studies with control groups, it does echo traditional Chinese wisdom on the use and benefits of regular Tai Chi practice.
In my experience, teaching Tai Chi in mental health settings and talking to other teachers in this arena, I have noticed a positive effect on mood, anxiety and stress levels of people with mental illness. As with the general population, people with mental illness, both severe and moderate, have improved their balance, increased their strength and reduced the level of general aches and pain. Tai Chi has grown in popularity in the mental health community because it works. It calms the mind and improves posture, strength and balance (both mentally and physically).
Click here to view Works Cited.
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Tired of Winter Weather? Start Planning now for Summer Fun!!
Shelia Rae, Master Trainer, Memphis, TN, USA
Shelia Rae, Master Trainer, Memphis, TN, USA
Enhance your June TAI CHI Workshop experience this year when you include your spouse, partner, or non-Tai Chi friend to join you in Memphis.
The hotel and conference centre (Whispering Woods) is the perfect setting for everyone. The spacious, manicured grounds provide blissful southern summer atmosphere. Enjoy swimming or just sitting by the pool. Exercise or stroll on the miles of walking and bike trails that pass by two lakes and through pecan groves.
For the more adventuresome there’s plenty of Memphis night life! Famous Beale St is 15 minutes from the hotel, along with other downtown attractions on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River that can be enjoyed by day or night. There are Riverboat rides, historical monuments, Civil War battlegrounds, The Civil Rights Museum, and the Rock and Soul Museum, just to name a few.
South Winds Golf Course, home of The FedEx-St Jude Classic is 15 minutes from the hotel. There are also 3 other golf courses 5 minutes away.
The third largest gaming centre in the country in Tunica MS is 45 minutes away if you want to experience Vegas Action – Southern Style. The many Casinos, Sports and Music events along with more golf courses and riverboat rides await you there.
There are many more tourist destinations in and around Memphis – don’t forget that Elvis is alive and well at Graceland. The tour there is fantastic!
Oh, and did I mention the rooms? Each room has a balcony, private bath and all the amenities of a first class vacation destination. So this year there is no reason to leave your mates behind; they’ll enjoy the week as much as you will, and who knows, maybe after being around your extended tai chi family they might want to try Tai Chi for themselves!
The social dinner and dance is open to all; just let us know who to include.
The cost is only $ 40.00 for a gourmet meal with no extra charge for entertainment and Memphis memories that will last a life time.
The cost is only $ 40.00 for a gourmet meal with no extra charge for entertainment and Memphis memories that will last a life time.
Cost for the non-tai chi participant is $ 695.00 which includes 7 night’s accommodation in your room plus 3 meals a day and use of all the hotel’s amenities. An affordable vacation for sure!!
Click here for more information about the annual one week workshop in Memphis.
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First, I am so grateful that the scholarship allowed me to spend a week studying with Professor Wang. This was almost certainly my only opportunity to do so.
In terms of bringing Tai Chi to others: In the fall I taught an eight-week class for troubled adolescents living in an institutional setting. The class was a huge, and stressful, learning experience for me, but the kids were wonderful and did not want the class to end. I am working to arrange an ongoing course for them.
I have been teaching some TCA sessions at the local community college this academic year. This has brought a somewhat wider age-range of students, and has let me see how poorly prepared campus activity centres are to meet the needs of the older participant. I hope to participate in a group designed to raise awareness about the needs of this fastest growing segment of the fitness clientele.
I also have a student who has just signed up for TCA at the summer workshop. He hopes to certify to teach, so he can provide classes in rural Missouri where interest has already begun to build. He would be my second student to certify.
Finally, I am in discussion with the local university to offer a college credit course late next spring. This would begin to reach a completely unserved age group in the area.
I am honoured to have received the scholarship and so grateful for the opportunity it provided to improve my skills and confidence, so I can be a better teacher to my students.
In terms of bringing Tai Chi to others: In the fall I taught an eight-week class for troubled adolescents living in an institutional setting. The class was a huge, and stressful, learning experience for me, but the kids were wonderful and did not want the class to end. I am working to arrange an ongoing course for them.
I have been teaching some TCA sessions at the local community college this academic year. This has brought a somewhat wider age-range of students, and has let me see how poorly prepared campus activity centres are to meet the needs of the older participant. I hope to participate in a group designed to raise awareness about the needs of this fastest growing segment of the fitness clientele.
I also have a student who has just signed up for TCA at the summer workshop. He hopes to certify to teach, so he can provide classes in rural Missouri where interest has already begun to build. He would be my second student to certify.
Finally, I am in discussion with the local university to offer a college credit course late next spring. This would begin to reach a completely unserved age group in the area.
I am honoured to have received the scholarship and so grateful for the opportunity it provided to improve my skills and confidence, so I can be a better teacher to my students.
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I first joined the Tai Chi for Arthritis class at Karori Recreation Centre in Wellington in 2005, at the age of 79. I was attracted to the idea of exercise that did not involve vigorous activity, which I knew I could not do. Its modified movements were the sort of exercise I knew I needed.
My health had not been good for some years. I had had heart surgery twice, and was mildly diabetic, and had some arthritis in my hands and feet. In 2004 I had an accident to my right leg, which resulted in a skin graft, and some months later I snapped the Achilles tendon in my left leg. My balance was badly affected. I had to rely on a walking stick, and I was really in rather poor shape!
I soon found out that I really enjoyed Marie Turner’s Tai Chi for Arthritis classes and her style of teaching. After just a few weeks, I began to feel my body loosening up and becoming much less stiff. The exercises and the Tai Chi movements seemed so pleasant to do – not always easy, but always interesting.
I continued for all of 2006 and till midway through 2007, when I again had to undergo major surgery for an old health problem. After another stay in hospital, I found the return to Tai Chi most rewarding, and soon I was coping well again.
My balance is still not perfect, but I move much more easily now. I no longer need a walking stick at all indoors, though I still use one for walking outside. I’m now 82 and I wonder how long I will continue. My husband is most supportive, and my grandchildren are most amused!
There are many things I like about Dr Lam’s modified form of Tai Chi. As well as enjoying the actual movements; I feel at the end of the hour that I have gently exercised every part of my body, in a way that leaves me feeling really satisfied and healthy. I like the fact that it is non-competitive, that I don’t have to “do better” than anyone else, while always working to improve my own movements. I like the feeling of being with others who are about the same level of fitness as I am. I like the concept of breathing correctly – or trying to – which helps the whole feeling of well-being.
It is interesting to me that though I know Tai Chi is a martial art, its benefits are not at all “martial”. It has a gentle beneficial effect on the whole body. These classes seem to be the ideal form of exercise for elderly people, fit or unfit.
I am so grateful to Dr Lam for his programme and to Marie for her skill and patience.
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Humor, Laughter and Radiant Health
by Dr. Bob McBrien
by Dr. Bob McBrien
No one is sure why it happens, but I heard it has something to do with how you smell ... That's why perfume and deodorant are so popular. Mae, age 9
If falling in love is anything like learning how to spell, I don't want to do it. It takes too long. Glenn, age 7
They want to make sure their rings don't fall off because they paid good money for them. Gavin, age 8
They are just practicing for when they might have to walk down the aisle someday and do the holy matrimony thing. John, age 9
I'm in favour of love as long as it doesn't happen when 'Dinosaurs' is on television. Jill, age 6
Yesterday I kissed a girl in a private place ... We were behind a tree. Carey, age 7
I'm not rushing into being in love. I'm finding fourth grade hard enough. Regina, age 10
Just see if the man picks up the check. That's how you can tell if he's in love. Bobby, age 9
Lovers will just be staring at each other and their food will get cold... Other people care more about the food. Bart, age 9
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Flaws Bob, DOM, Chinese Secrets of Health and Longevity,
Bolder, Colorado. Sounds True Audio. 1996.
Guo-long, Lui, M.D., Guo-zhang, LI, M.S., Rong-qing, Cui, M.S., Chi-ming, Huang,
Ph.D., “Changes in Brainstem and Cortical Auditory Potentials During Qi-Gong
Meditation”. American Journal of Chinese Medicine. Vol. XVIII, Nos. 3-4: 95-
103.
Novey, Donald W., M.D. Clinician’s Complete Reference to Complementary/Alternative
Medicine. Mosby Inc., St. Louis, MO. 2000.
Reinemann, Deborah, “ROM Dance: A Treatment for Symptoms of Depression and
Anxiety in Adults with Mental Retardation.” Dissertation Abstracts International
Section B: The Sciences & Engineering. Sept. 1999, Vol. 60(3-b), 1051
Sandlund, Erica S. and Norlander, Torsten,” The effects of Tai Chi Quan Relaxation and
Exercise on Stress Responses and Wellbeing: an Overview of Research.”
International Journal of Stress Management. Apr. 2000. Vol. 7(2), 139-149.
Schorr, Mark, M.A., LPC, “Taijiquan (Tai Chi) and Mental Health”. Qi, The Journal of
Traditional Eastern Health and Fitness. Summer 1999. Vol. 9 No. 2: 9-11.
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END OF NEWSLETTER
Warning: Dr. Lam does not necessarily endorse the opinion of other authors. Before practicing any program featured in this newsletter, please check with your physician or therapist. The authors and anyone involved in the production of this newsletter will not be held responsible in any way whatsoever for any injury which may arise as a result of following the instructions given in this newsletter.
Warning: Dr. Lam does not necessarily endorse the opinion of other authors. Before practicing any program featured in this newsletter, please check with your physician or therapist. The authors and anyone involved in the production of this newsletter will not be held responsible in any way whatsoever for any injury which may arise as a result of following the instructions given in this newsletter.
Ask Dr Lam - you can ask me anything about tai chi here.