Newsletter #117 - May 2011

 

 

July 23 - July 24, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Exploring the Depth of Tai Chi for Arthritis

 

Exploring the Depth of Tai Chi for Arthritis

 

Tai Chi for Energy Instructor Training

 

 

Exploring the Depth of Tai Chi for Arthritis

Tai Chi for Energy Instructor Training

Tai Chi for Diabetes Instructor Training

 

October 20 - October 21, Knoxville, TN, United States

Tai Chi 4 Kidz Instructor Training

Exploring the Depth of Tai Chi for Arthritis

Exploring the Depth of Tai Chi for Arthritis

November 05 - November 06, Burlingame, CA, United States
Tai Chi for Diabetes Instructor Training

 

Exploring the Depth of Tai Chi for Arthritis Workshop

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Tai Chi Holiday in Tuscany
Caroline Demoise, Master Trainer, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

 

Imagine travelling to Italy for five days to focus on cultivating spiral force in Sun and Chen tai chi movements.
 
In the tranquil Tuscany setting of Villa Artimino, twenty of us immersed ourselves six hours a day to focus on improving our tai chi. Dr. Lam's intention was to deepen the skill and knowledge of the leaders of his Tai Chi for Health movement. With a desire to have tai chi teaching accepted as a profession comes the responsibility of periodic continuing education on expressing principles through form. My intention was to go more internal with Sun style.

 

Twenty master and senior trainers and eight spouses representing nine countries enjoyed this tai chi holiday interweaving friendship, incredible food and magnificent scenery with the best training imaginable. Roberto had dreamed of bringing Dr. Lam and the tai chi family to Italy for many years. He orchestrated a picturesque setting, a banquet at every meal and an environment supportive of our intention to learn and grow together. 

 

Many of us took advantage of the opportunity to travel before and after the training to explore other areas of Italy and Europe. John and I spent time in the Aosta Valley near the Alps between Italy and France and acquainted ourselves with Milan, Venice, Rome and Florence. These memorable experiences are etched in my mind. Combining my love for tai chi with my love for travel and experiencing the world makes for an incredible life.

 

Taking a familiar form to a deeper level and having no other responsibilities than to be a student and be in the moment is a remarkable experience. The focus of our training was on the internal and bringing spiral energy into our movements. Internal force begins in your mind with the training of ‘jin’, posture and song. As in all advanced trainings there was revision of movements with attention to posture and alignment.  Every aspect we focused on was in service of deepening our awareness and generating spiral energy. Since all of nature is powered by spiral movement, any progress we make in cultivating spiral force in our tai chi forms brings us a deeper alignment with nature.
 
Early in our exposure to tai chi, we discovered the two dimensional aspect of a spiral by experiencing tai chi movement as a gentle curve. This week we focused on the three dimensional aspect of spirals by incorporating a sinking feeling or direction change within the curve. Using the stepwise progressive approach we practiced a small segment of spiral movement until it felt familiar and then added a little more of the movement until the form was complete. 

 

We inhaled the cool Tuscany air, feeling the subtleties of each movement, embodying the richness of each insight, and savouring the balm of qi that was flowing more strongly now.  Successfully incorporating a new dimension to your practice involves a student's readiness, along with an openness to embody new concepts and a willingness to explore a shift in feeling and perception that with practice will transform the experience of tai chi.  This alchemy is the treasured essence of a workshop. Our time with Dr. Lam was enriched by learning the latest tai chi health choreography – Tai Chi for Energy. This sixteen movement form incorporated movements from Chen and Sun and was an incredibly rich opportunity to explore spiral energy.  If you hunger for a taste of what we experienced in Italy, you will have an opportunity to spend time with Dr. Lam in Georgia in October. Look on the website for details.

 

Reflecting on eighteen days in Italy, on five days of training with Dr. Lam and on time spent with the tai chi family, I feel incredibly enriched because this was the best training I have ever experienced. The investment of time and energy was priceless.  Integrating what I have learned in tai chi and experienced in the country of Italy will unfold over time. Every traveller wonders if they will return to a country they visit. If the old saying in Florence is true about touching the head of the pig, then I will certainly return to Italy again.

 

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What does the Spirit of Tai Chi Mean?
Brenda Hum, Master Trainer, Highbury, SA, Australia

 

This is a talk Brenda gave at the recent Sydney one week workshop in January.

 

To begin with I would like to quote from a book I borrowed from my local Library and loved it so much I bought my own copy. It is from Bruce Frantzis’ “Big Book of Tai Chi” and from the section titled How Tai Chi touches on Spirituality.

On page 146…
These are his sub headings:
“Spirituality allows you to make contact with or become something larger than your individual self.”

"Spirituality is something that gives an appreciation of the divine or God through the words of scripture or experiences of nature."

"Spirituality means having regular practice."

 

"Spirituality is often associated with a return to a lifestyle in accord with the divine or natural moral “spiritual Laws of the universe."

 

"Spirituality is often associated with practices that enable people to feel more coherent outside.:

 

In the first of these headings Bruce states:
“Regular tai chi practitioners commonly find themselves in a “larger than me” sense of time suspension where past, present and future merge into a kind of timeless dimension. Many describe this as a personal, intimate contact with an indefinable and satisfying spiritual quality.”

 

Globally we have seen tai chi cross barriers of borders, ethnicity or ideology.  We need only  look at Bill Douglas’ World Tai Chi Day site to see the many countries where TC is practiced. One man’s spirit and passion to bring others to the tai chi experience.

 

The spiritual healer Eckhart Tolle lists the practice of tai chi as one of the healing arts for individuals and the world. It helps to put aside the burden of the ego so that healing of negative emotions like anger, hatred, pain, and sorrow can begin.

 

Dr Lam’s personal experience of taking up tai chi for his arthritis and his being moved by the tai chi spirit has led to creation something much bigger than himself. It is one person sharing the joy of his tai chi with others creating a snowballing effect so that today we have the Tai Chi for Health institute - a global tai chi organisation with a focus on health, helping people in a nurturing way to restore both body and soul.

 

Let’s focus now a Tai Chi for Arthritis beginners’ class. Each person comes to the class with his or her own burden of anger, hatred, pain, sorrow or depression in trying to cope with the health issues being faced. There is some anxiety and maybe some initial embarrassment. We see the struggle each individual faces in just getting to the class. We see them slowly begin to gain a sense of achievement working within the limits of their bodies, not fighting their bodies, using the mind to direct the movements and then the joy of the spirit in their new awareness and achievement.

 

We see the members of the class who have initially come as “me” individuals develop into encouraging supportive members of a team. Each person stepping and flowing with those around them develops a spirit of togetherness and friendship. The forming of a social bond that reaches outside the class.

 

I believe that tai chi helps to develop our higher order thinking skills. It builds our physical and cognitive skills and raising our emotional intelligence. It develops out self awareness, positive self management, empathy with others and skilled relationships. With the practice of tai chi we definitely see the development of these skills.
 
The practice of tai chi allows us to focus within spiritually. When faced with adversity we learn to put the ego aside and before behaving rashly or speaking angrily or provocatively, we can take our one breath and develop our rational discerning thinking. It allows us the do the right thing not because we have to but because morally it is the right thing to do.

 

To me the meaning of the spirit of tai chi is that sense of adventure that allows us to see within ourselves while being aware of the bigger picture, to take who we are, to become whole so we each can navigate our personal mountain highs and valley lows one step at a time.

 

Regular tai chi practitioners commonly find themselves in a “larger than me” sense of time suspension where past, present and future merge into a kind of timeless dimension. Many describe this as a personal, intimate contact with an indefinable and satisfying spiritual quality.

 

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Transplant Patients find Tai Chi Beneficial to Recovery
Media release in Memphis, TN, USA
 
Former transplant patient, Richard Link from Memphis, teaches free tai chi classes for fellow transplant patients.

 

Richard Link, steps to the head of the class and begins a series of slow, deliberate movements including “Waving Hands in the Clouds” and “Stroking the Bird’s Tail.” Link teaches free Tai Chi classes designed specifically for pre- and post-transplant patients and their support person. The class is held twice a week on the campus of Methodist University Hospital.
 
“Coming to these classes has really helped me with my balance and strength, particularly in the legs,” said Bill Palmer. He says the classes are good because even if you are limited in your movement you can still do the different positions.
 
Many people with a number of health issues turn to Tai Chi. This ancient Chinese martial arts form has evolved into a gentle, physical exercise connecting the mind and body. The body is in constant motion flowing from one form to the next.
 
Palmer was placed on the transplant list in August 2010. That’s when he learned about the Tai Chi class Link teaches and wanted to learn more. Palmer started coming to the classes with his wife before he had his liver transplant. He now comes regularly to the classes since he had his transplant this past December at the Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute.
 
Link, who teaches the class, is a retired Senior Master Sergeant USAF. He has been training in Taekwondo for nine years and is a martial arts instructor. He is certified to teach Tai Chi for Beginners, Tai Chi for Arthritis, and Tai Chi for Diabetes. Link is also a former transplant patient. He received a new kidney 10 years ago and learned firsthand the importance of a good exercise program to increase strength, stamina, and achieve overall good health. 

He became interested in the slow, gentle form of tai chi and thought it would be perfect for transplant patients to help build up their strength and stamina.
 
By offering free tai chi classes to transplant patients and their support person, I have found a way to help other transplant patients.”
 
Palmer says he can’t stress enough the importance of taking Tai Chi before and after transplant surgery. “Tai Chi really increased my strength. I was up and walking with a walker and a little assistance two days after surgery, and I was still in ICU.”

 

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Why Tai Chi is like a Railroad
Bob Feeser, Senior Trainer, Ashville, NC, USA

 

Many years ago one of my ancestors who was a justice in the supreme court of the state of Pennsylvania won $50 in a slogan contest. His winning slogan was STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN. As a child I saw that slogan frequently posted on a sign when approaching a railroad crossing. Usually when teaching I stop and look to see if I and my students are performing a move correctly, looking for ways to correct and improve movement. Less frequently do I listen to what my body is telling me or to what my students are saying about tai chi and their lives.

 

Recently one of my students at the YWCA wrote a letter which served to remind and inspire me to be a better listener; yes, my students are my best teachers.  Her letter reads as follows:

 

“RE:  YWCA'S  Tai Chi  Class"
This letter is being written on behalf of several Elderwomen members of you tai chi class, held on Tuesday mornings.  We would like to introduce our group to the larger YWCA family.

 

There are seven of us who attend regularly. Of those seven, six of us gather every week after class to have coffee together, usually at Laurey's. We share as women do - our lives, our pleasures, and our sorrow.  For me, this group has become my base of support, having moved here recently, a cadre of like-minded women available as needed - in other words friends.

 

We recently talked about what we've gained from staying with tai chi instruction, week after week - the changes we've felt and seen.  It is not surprising that our menial coordination has increased right along with our bodies.  Tai chi challenges us to grow better, not older.

 

Let me introduce the regular attendees (not including our instructor, who also defies age): We range in age from 67 to 77; six out of seven are members through Silver Sneakers; we have taken tai chi classes anywhere from 1 year to 15 years; we also use the YWCA for Strench N Flex, gym weights and machines, swimming; Personal benefits include better balance and flexibility, more overall strength, less pain, better sleep; Our wish programs for the YWCA would include Gentle Zumba and Gentle Yoga, but not so gentle that we sit in chairs.  We're old, but we're not that old!”

 

We encourage anyone to give tai chi a chance, not just once but for at least 10 classes. You will soon discover it's not for sissies!

 

Please tell your members tai chi is an alternative to fast-paced, hard-pounding, potentially body-damaging classes, while still achieving the same fitness goals.

 

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Featured Profile - Stephanie Taylor, Master Trainer, Monterey, CA, USA

 

Stephanie Taylor was the only child of Fran Taylor, the gifted and charismatic artist, designer and business woman who founded Gay Fad Studios. She grew up in the country surrounded by usable art based on the nature themes of Frank Lloyd Wright. That early experience provided the foundation for a life long interest in Taoism and the aesthetic and defensive martial arts. Her interest and ability in the martial arts were inherited from her mother. Fran was the first born of her family of coal miners in Pennsylvania. She was charged with the duty of protecting the younger siblings and was a formidable physical fighter; successfully defending herself and sibs from bullies twice her size. That early experience in bringing together two apparently separate worlds, the aesthetic and the martial, became a hallmark for her future life. 

 

A second great life teaching was the art of turning adversity into an asset. Stephanie developed a promising career in research and performed some of the pioneering studies of neurochemistry in the mid 1970’s. College positions were scarce in those days, and she decided to return to her first love, medicine. She enjoyed a successful surgical career as an obstetrician and gynaecologist until increasing chemical sensitivities required a retirement from the operating room. This was an opportunity to create the integrated medical practice that she had always imagined, but never had the time to develop. A Womanswellspring is now a centre for wellness medicine with regular community based health programs, featuring Tai Chi for Health.

 

Her road to tai chi practice was not direct or even intentional. The medical practice originally opened in Northern California in 1989 to take advantage of the abundant martial arts trainings available. Although her first love was Aikido, a Japanese martial art, it quickly became apparent that the injury risk was a little too real. At the same time, Stephanie met Dr. Paul Lam in 1995. Dr. Paul had written several articles in Tai Chi magazine, and the synthesis of a medical practice and martial arts was beyond intriguing. The conversations over the years lead to a great collaboration and friendship. The departure from Aikido was a door opening into the world of tai chi. As they say, the rest is history.  We have all come along together on this remarkable journey that is Tai Chi for Health. It almost makes you look forward to the next bump in the road…….

 

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Humour, Laughter and Radiant Health
Dr Bob McBrien, Master Trainer, Salisbury, MD, USA

 

One source of good humour found in Classrooms. It is mid-term in my town and students are coping with taking exams. Students might complain that it isn’t fun, but teachers with a healthy sense of humour find a variety of opportunities for a good laugh. Yes, even reading exam papers can bring on a good laugh.
 
Here are answers to middle school science tests:

• H2O is hot water, and CO2 is cold water.
• Water is composed of two gins, Oxygin and Hydrogin.
   Oxygin is pure gin. Hydrogin is gin and water.
• Three kinds of blood vessels are arteries, vanes and caterpillars.
• To remove dust from the eye, pull the eye down over the nose.

 

Yes, even university professors have a sense of humour. A history professor friend of mine tells this story about four young men in one of his classes a few years back.

 

• Four students walked in halfway through the American history mid-term exam my friend John was giving at Salisbury University.
 "Sorry," they said, "We had a flat tire."

After taking a moment to think about the situation, John told them if they could all answer just one question correctly, he would give them each an "A" for the exam. The students agreed. So John gave each one a blank piece paper, placed them in the room's four corners and said,

"Write down which tire was flat."

 

Readers with similar examples of good humour are invited to pass then along to, drbobtaichi@juno.com

 

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