Newsletter #98 - October 2009

October 10 – October 11, 2009. Barcelona, Spain
Tai Chi for Diabetes Instructor Training

October 17 - October 18, 2009. Zurich, Switzerland
Exploring the Depth of Tai Chi for Arthritis

October 24 - October 25, 2009. Kingsland, GA, United States
Tai Chi for Osteoporosis and Fall Prevention Instructor Training

October 31 - November 1, 2009. Teller County, CO, United States
Exploring the Depth of Tai Chi for Arthritis

November 7 - November 8, 2009. Sisters, OR, United States
Exploring the Depth of Tai Chi for Arthritis

November 14 - November 15, 2009. Pleasant Hill, CA, United States
Exploring the Depth of Tai Chi for Arthritis

December 14 - December 15, 2009. Seoul, Korea
Tai Chi @ Work Instructor Training

January 4 - January 9, 2010. Sydney, NSW, Australia
One Week Tai Chi Workshop

 

Many other workshops conducted by my authorised master trainers are listed in the Workshop Calendar.

Yours in Tai Chi,

 

Paul Lam, M.D.

http://www.taichiproductions.com

 

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Is it Appropriate for Christians to Participate in Tai Chi for Health Programs?
Rev. Dr. Bruce M. Young, Senior Trainer, Lincoln, ME, USA

 

When I was first approached by Dr. Paul Lam with the question concerning the practice of Tai Chi for Health and Christian values, I was a little apprehensive about commenting on it. I did not want anything that I might write in response to his request to appear critical of any church or its traditions. I understand that every church has a different way of viewing their place in the world, and how they deal with the things of the world around them. I also understand that every church has the right to say what will and will not take place in their sanctuaries according to their understanding of their traditions. And, it should be understood that in this response I do not speak for the United Methodist Church as a whole; nor, do I respond from any desire to challenge the traditions or beliefs of any church or congregation, but only to offer my point of view as a Christian who has practiced and taught Tai Chi for over 15 years.

 

Before I respond, it is important for those of you who will read this to know a bit about me: I am an Ordained United Methodist Deacon, an Associate member of the New England Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, and presently serve the First United Methodist Church of Lincoln, Maine as its pastor. I also have studied and read widely in the martial arts since 1988, and hold a Third Degree Black Belt in the Korean martial art of Tae Kwon Do. I am Karuna Reiki Master, have taught qigong, Sun form Tai Chi Ch’uan, and the 64 Yang forms since 1998. I am a Senior Trainer for the Tai Chi for Health programs of Dr. Paul Lam, a certified instructor of Tai Chi for Arthritis, Tai Chi for Diabetes, and Tai Chi for Osteoporosis; and a member of Tai Chi for Health Community.

 

My wife is also a trained instructor of the Tai Chi for Health programs. We have taught Tai Chi for Health at the church in Lincoln, Maine for the past 8 years. Before I was assigned to this church, I served a Federated Church on the coast of Maine. At that time I had a part time job as a martial arts instructor, and taught tai chi at the seminary where I was being trained for the ministry.

 

In both of these assignments, I have had the full support of the congregation for the tai chi programs which I taught and practiced. As an outreach to the community and to provide an opportunity to live a healthier life through exercise, the congregation in Lincoln has sponsored: tai chi classes and occasional qigong classes for the last eight years; three summer tai chi Instructor workshops; and has allowed me time to participate in tai chi and Reiki instructor workshops in order to further my knowledge of these martial arts and thus help members of the church and the community that surrounds it to find better and healthier ways to live.

 

In my experience, there has been nothing in the practice of the Tai Chi for Health programs developed by Dr. Lam that stands in opposition to what I believe as a Christian. I have found nothing that would prohibit me, as a Christian minister, from engaging in healthy physical activities such as those offered by the tai chi for Health programs.

 

Finally, I have been asked on several occasions during clergy retreat workshops to offer tai chi and qigong to the pastors attending the workshop sessions. Whenever I do so, I remind them that when we do this type of exercise, it is to improve our health, it is to move vital energy through our bodies, and it is in the spirit of Christ that we receive healing energy and offer it to others around us through the Holy Spirit which moves in and through all of us.

 

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Tai Chi Compliments the Spiritual Life: A Women’s Spiritual Community Participates in the Tai Chi for Arthritis Program
Linda Longmire, physiotherapist, instructor, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

 

Linda is a physiotherapist who works for the Sisters of Charity two days a week and another two days with children  under 6 with special needs. She has begun teaching a 10 minute tai chi class to these children. Outside her physiotherapy practice she leads contemplative prayer and is pursuing an 18 month program for spiritual formation in the area of contemplation.

I have had the privilege of working as a physiotherapist with the Sisters of Charity from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, for the past 20 years in their retirement centre. For the past year and a half, I have been teaching the Sisters the Tai Chi for Arthritis program where the participants range in age from their mid seventies to late eighties.

In over 38 years of practice as a physiotherapist, I can say with confidence that teaching the Tai Chi for Arthritis program is definitely one of my favourite practices to offer others in promoting good health. It is simply a beautiful and pleasant means of creating relaxation, strength and balance. As well, tai chi nurtures gentleness on one’s self through the practice of fluid, gentle movements and the calming of one’s mind by focusing on being fully present with an attitude of non-judgment.

Aside from the important physical and mental benefits of Tai Chi for Arthritis, another significant benefit is how it compliments one’s spiritual life. Clearly, working in a convent with retired Sisters is a rare opportunity to experience this aspect of tai chi. From my experience with the Sisters, and personally in my own tai chi practice, I have noticed that not only does tai chi compliment the spiritual life but that indeed the spiritual life compliments and deepens our experience of tai chi.

While tai chi is not a spiritual practice, if one is so inclined, one may integrate the benefits of tai chi into one’s spiritual life which, if authentic, influences how we actually live our everyday life. If we are able to integrate the practice of moving with awareness and intention during tai chi, into living with awareness and intention, we begin to notice the connection with tai chi to the ideals of the committed spiritual path.

I’d like to share an experience during which one of the Sisters made a spontaneous comment which I feel points nicely to the connection of one’s interior and exterior self that both tai chi and the spiritual life cultivate. One day this Sister, who has early dementia and does not attend the class, inadvertently walked into the tai chi class. I invited her to stay. After watching a few complete routines of the movements, she said quietly “It’s so graceful.” And after the class, she gently responded with “Do you feel that graceful inside too?” I found her comments insightful; my personal experience with those with dementia is that their intuitive sense is actually heightened. This speaks well of how she was sensing the balance and connection between the gentleness of outer movement and the gentleness of interior being that both tai chi and the spiritual life support.

For those Sisters who have regularly attended the Tai Chi for Arthritis program, we can also see the interplay of how tai chi compliments their spiritual life when we listen to their responses as well:

“Tai Chi feels peaceful, calm and holy.”

“Tai Chi helps me to develop a more powerful spiritual presence, to live the present moment fully, and for me that is the greatest part of prayer and the spiritual life.”

“Tai Chi has made me more aware of the reality of the world, reality of creation…reality of God’s great love for all….”

“Sometimes before my prayer time, I do my tai chi routine as a way to become calmer, centred and focused. It helps me to be truly present.”

“I used to feel agitated inside and I find that tai chi has calmed me .It is one of the most calming things I have experienced. Even my sister has noticed the calm in me. It feels like a prayer.”

“When I do tai chi in the morning, I find this helps me to become more alert and wide awake during my morning prayer.”

“Tai Chi, like meditation, helps me to become more present to the Presence within.”

 

A ‘moving meditation’, is how tai chi has often been described. One of the meditative aspects that tai chi cultivates is peace of mind through the practice of clearing the mind, and placing the mind in the here and now. While it is natural for the mind to wander during class, tai chi helps us to practice bringing the mind back, gently, again and again, to the present moment which has the centering effect also found in meditation. Another practice common to the meditative and contemplative paths of all major spiritual traditions is the practice of ‘conscious breathing’. The importance and use of the breath in tai chi supports this spiritual practice as well. Also, the reading of a few lines from the book The Inner Path of Tai Chi: A Spiritual Journey, by Caroline Demoise, during our rest periods, resonates with the Sisters’ experience of how tai chi compliments their spiritual life.

The Sisters, and others who commit themselves to deepening their spirituality, have found that developing awareness, or the noticing aspect of the mind, nurtures a deepening of their interior life. Indeed within the spiritual path, it is well understood that awareness is the first step toward transformation. Performing tai chi on a regular basis cultivates awareness through the practice of being aware of the body moving slowly, being aware of the mind’s intention to have the body move, and being aware of the inner energy from which all movement flows.
The Sisters who are newcomers to the Tai Chi for Arthritis program soon learn that it is the fluidity and gentleness of both body and mind that is of benefit in a holistic way; they learn that it is alright to make a ‘mistake’ in their tai chi movements. This letting go of judgment, helps one to see more clearly what is happening, when it is happening .This allows the Sisters to make the necessary adjustments in a relaxed and supportive way. This gentleness of attitude and activity, which both tai chi and the spiritual life nurture, is a much needed antidote to the growing harshness in our world.

For the Sisters of Charity who have committed themselves to the spiritual life, the practice of tai chi compliments their intention to live wholly from the inside out, and supports their living gently with awareness and appreciation of the sacredness of the moment. For me, as a physiotherapist, it is truly a blessing to have the privilege to work with these wonderful women within their spiritual community, to be able to offer tai chi to them, and to enjoy the gentle practice of tai chi with them.

 

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Tai Chi for Arthritis: a Personal Experience…..Three Years On
Maureen Worthen, instructor, Burnie, Tasmania, Australia

 

“When I joined a tai chi class in Wollongong over five years ago just to see what it was all about, I never imagined what a beneficial and important part it would play in my life.”

 

This was the opening sentence to my contribution to Dr Lam’s Newsletter in 2006 when I had been teaching the Tai Chi for Arthritis program for just one year, and today, three years later, I am still realising the impact of this statement.

 

I, like many others, am coping with the pain and inconvenience of osteoarthritis which prevents me from undertaking so many activities I once enjoyed. Tai Chi has proved, and is continuing to prove, its many benefits in ways that only a person with this disease can fully appreciate. I try not to use the word ‘suffer’ because this to me implies a weakness that I certainly do not feel. This I attribute wholly to the practice of tai chi that not only strengthens the body, but also the mind and will. I certainly don’t put myself in the same calibre of the many well-practised enthusiasts or teachers, but I do know that practising tai chi, especially Tai Chi for Arthritis regularly, has improved my quality of life enormously.

 

People with painful conditions often develop depression and low self-esteem. Through teaching the Tai Chi for Arthritis program, I have developed a confidence that I previously couldn’t even imagine being capable of possessing and as I witness my classes improving, so too my confidence. I plan and look forward to each session with an eagerness I have not previously experienced, whilst in the same instance appreciate the time I set aside for personal practice and development.

 

I have learnt many personal skills from teaching the program, one being the ability to laugh at myself. When I first started teaching I was horrified if I made even a slight mistake. Nowadays, humour has replaced embarrassment and it encourages a light-hearted attitude amongst the participants.

 

Over the years class sizes have grown significantly. Although the small coastal town of Wynyard on Tasmania’s beautiful north west coast, is largely responsible for the success of the classes, I am equally proud of the very small group that has also been running in Burnie for the four years I have been teaching.

 

Prior to this year, my involvement with the Tai Chi for Arthritis program had been solely as a volunteer for Arthritis Tasmania, but recently I was also given the opportunity to introduce the program to a wider community, again as a volunteer, through the Burnie Moves project. Volunteering brings me into contact with many interesting and wonderful people all coping magnificently with the harsh realities of life, but this does come with an emotional penalty when a person who has fought so hard and long suddenly loses their battle to survive. However, it does make me more determined to ensure that my contribution to society is carried out with a diligence and passion that at times even comes as a surprise to me!

 

Finally, I reiterate what I have said previously, that I remain forever grateful to being given the opportunity in the first place to teach the program and to the many people, including my family and friends, who continue to give me their support and encouragement.

 

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How I Benefit from Tai Chi
Marlene Dunham, student, Howlong, NSW, Australia

 

After seeing a notice about Tai Chi lessons in the Physiotherapy Dept of ABH (Albury Base Hospital), I decided to  give it a go.

 

Having always had sedentary jobs and a lifestyle to match for nearly sixty years, I really needed to get myself moving. After a short walk to the newsagent each day I would fall through the front door a gasping wobbly mess.

Thanks to tai chi and our wonderful, patient instructor Cathy McGlone all that has now changed. I have marked improvement in my balance, co-ordination, relaxation and breathing. I was always a “shallow” breather which in turn caused fatigue.

 

Just recently I had a major operation at ABH and it was important to deep breathe and get some movement going. My four years of tai chi came into play. I was able to get up each morning, go through a limited tai chi routine and take three or four walks throughout the day. Even when I was in ICU I visualised all the tai chi movements and found this to be very beneficial.

 

Tai Chi is a very gentle, slow set of movements, can be done by young or old, fit or incapacitated, standing or sitting. It doesn’t take up much space and you don’t need any special equipment, and my deep breathing has become a habit.

 

From her teacher:
Cathy McGlone, Instructor, Albury, NSW, Australia

As the letter that Marlene wrote, she and her husband started tai chi about 4 - 5 years ago after attending a No Falls Programme that I was running. I taught tai chi in those classes and Marlene and Harry (her husband) loved the tai chi and decided to come to the beginner’s classes. They would travel from Howlong to Albury (about 30kms) every Thursday just for the class. This has been of great value to both of them. They have become very good friends with other members of the class.

Marlene was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier this year; she has been undergoing chemotherapy at the Albury Base Hospital for several months. Marlene is feeling (mentally) ok but feels that she would like to feel better (physically). She concentrates on her breathing; this helps her get through the day. As she is unable to do any tai chi at the moment, she still visualises her movements on a daily basis.

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Just as medical and health scientists are studying the benefits of tai chi for people with chronic health conditions, researchers in the fields of neuroscience and psychology are studying the brain to discover why we laugh, and where in the brain our sense of humour resides. With modern tools of neuroscience (functional MRI and PET scans) researchers are learning what locations in the brain "light up" when we get the joke, and how using our funny brain can tune up our mind, help us learn, and stay mentally sharp, limber and creative.

In my essays here I have encouraged readers to choose positive humour and to seek a laugh, a joke or find the punch line daily. I think we all have a minimum daily requirement of laughter. Here are a few anecdotes about children to help readers get their MDR of humour today.

*Little Pete's parents wanted him to be a doctor and friend Tim's parents were hoping he would become a lawyer. Playing together one day Pete told Tim, "I want to play doctor." Tim replied, "Good. You operate and I'll sue you."

*I overheard a six year old boy tell his playmate, "Why do our parents make us go to bed when we are wide awake, and then make us get up when we are still sleepy?"

*A science teacher asked her third grade class, "What is the shape of the planet earth?" A boy in the back row called out, "Terrible!"

*Just before the Thanksgiving recess, the first grade teacher asked the class, "What do you have to be thankful for?" One youngster said, “I'm thankful that I'm not the turkey."

* The dentist told seven year old John he had to have a filling. "What kind of filling do you want?" he asked,
"Do you have chocolate?” was the reply.