Newsletter #128 - April 2012

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

Yours in Tai Chi,

Paul Lam, MD

/taichiforhealthinstitute.org/

 

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A Message to the Tai Chi for Health Education and Research Centre, South Korea
Dr Paul Lam, Director, Tai Chi for Health Programs, Narwee, NSW, Australia

I would like to congratulate Professor Song and her colleagues for starting the Tai Chi for Health Education and Research Centre. I have been working with Professor Song for nearly ten years and admire her dedication and contribution. Many of her published papers in prestigious journals have had a positive impact on Tai Chi for Health. Professor Song is a visionary educator and researcher; the centre is a visionary step with an impact for the future.

 

The world is facing a health crisis in the 21st century. Ninety per cent of people from the western world suffer from chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart conditions and arthritis. Health costs has escalated and society is no longer able to meet the needs. Studies have shown lack of exercise and unhealthy diets being the major cause of most if not all these chronic conditions. Especially relevant are studies of long-term fat storage at the cellular level causing chronic inflammation, which in turn can cause all chronic conditions. Changing peoples’ lifestyles is a challenging task and it would be the most effective step to solve the health crisis. Good adherence is a key incentive to changing one’s lifestyle. Tai Chi for Health has been shown by studies and anecdotal evidence to have good adherence and efficacy. More quality research and education on Tai Chi for Health is needed for the program to be disseminated more widely.

 

From its creation at the design stage, motivational elements for better adherence were built into all the Tai Chi for Health programs. Over the last 12 years, the Tai Chi for Health programs have positively impacted millions of people around the world, attesting their efficacy and compliance. I believe the Tai Chi for Health programs will be a part of an important health care strategy in the future.

 

I would like to give Professor Song and her colleagues my heartfelt congratulations and offer my total support. I very much look forward to working in collaboration with her and the centre.

Thank you, good luck and enjoy taking a positive step for the health of mankind.

 

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Workshop for Master and Senior Trainers in Zhuhai, China, March 2012
Monika Forstner, Senior Trainer, Zhuhai, China
Fiona Black, Master Trainer, Kogarah, NSW, Australia
Maureen Miller, Senior Trainer, St Marys, GA, USA

Monika Forstner wrote:

“Would do it again in a heart beat”

It was a grand opportunity to experience the depth of Sun 73 and Chen 36 forms during the 5-day-workshop with Dr Lam and my Tai Chi buddies from Australia, Korea, Singapore and USA in the home land of Tai Chi, China.

 

The workshop was held in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China. Some 30 years ago Zhuhai was a small fishing village that has by now grown into a bustling city of about 1.5 Million people.

The theme of the week was “The Wholesome Jing”. One way to increase our Qi was with Chinese foods and teas. During the day we worked on transforming the Qi into Jing with practice in the respective styles of Tai Chi.

Most evenings were filled with group outings to experience more food and companionship. We shared a great dinner at a Mushroom Restaurant and,of course, tea during a tea tasting. On the last evening, we enjoyed sharing Tai Chi with the locals in the park.

If another chance arises to join an MT/ST workshop with Dr Lam again, I would do everything in my power to join again. It is always a great opportunity to study, learn and practice with Dr Lam and likeminded people.

 

Fiona Black wrote:

The success of a workshop owes much to good organisation, good instruction which meets the needs of the participants, participants who are willing to work and take advice from where ever they can get it and that indefinable something which adds the X factor. In Zhuhai in March we had it all. Monika Forstner did an amazing job supplying us with all the information we needed plus stuff we didn’t even realise we needed, but which added some of that indefinable something. The trips to the tai chi store, the tea store, the wonderful morning and afternoon teas and doing tai chi and line dancing in the park with locals after drinks at her apartment being a few examples.

 

We were a group of 4 Singaporeans, 2 Koreans, 2 Australians, 4 Americans (+ 2 spouses), Monika (who can be either German, American or Chinese) and Paul with his wife Eunice, so make that four Australians. You would think that we would have little in common, apart from tai chi, but we all had a similar sense of humour and we laughed for the whole week. Who knew that tai chi could be such fun? Did I mention the food? Each day Dr Tang Ching Lau (known to his tai chi friends as Raymond), a gourmet and photographer extraordinaire ordered a scrumptious lunch. The restaurants we visited in the evening continued the trend of excellent food, wonderful company and more laughter.

 

Our tai chi improved because of all the factors mentioned above and I have returned home rested, energised and full of enthusiasm for tai chi. If you see me smiling it’s because I do so each time I think about the workshop, and for me, that’s the X factor.

Maureen Miller wrote:

Throughout the past 10 years, I have come to realize that any Tai Chi for Health workshop with Dr Lam and colleagues is well worth the journey it takes to get there, whether near or far, in the US or overseas. For each appears to be better than the last, creating memories and relationships that sustain me for weeks and months to come. This latest one, a workshop in Zhuhai, China, concentrating on the Sun 73 and Chen 36 forms along with wholesome jing, was no different, and well worth the 30+ hour journey it took Craig and I to get there.

 

Though the trip actually began when we left our home in Georgia, our journey began when we met up with Betty Scanlon from Fort Myers, FL, in the JFK airport and continued 24 hours later when, in Hong Kong, we greeted Fiona Black, from Sydney, Australia. Two days later, having taken time to recuperate from jet lag, we stood in line waiting to cross the border between Macau to Zhuhai, when I heard someone call my name. Amid the sea of Asian faces, were two I recognized, Rhayun Song and Sang Myeung from Korea. So together we walked into Zhuhai and followed Monika Forstner's clear directions to catch a cab to our "home" for the week, the Nanhui Oil Hotel, an oasis of green amid the bustle of this growing Chinese city.

 

The memories of the week are precious. Organizationally, Monika did a fantastic job. For she not only ensured a smooth running workshop, but also introduced us to the life-style and home she and her husband have made in China, as well as her favorite tai chi and tea shops, restaurants, and her Chinese tai chi class. Between Monika and Lily, the hotel manager, questions were quickly answered and problems speedily resolved so that concentrating on the task at hand–improving our tai chi–was easy. With the translation assistance of our Singaporean colleagues, Jennifer, Simon, Gladys, Tang Ching (aka Raymond), as well as Dr Lam, hailing taxis, ordering fine meals, and finding our way around was a breeze.

 

One significant beauty of this workshop was the small number (a dozen) and cultural variety - East and West - of participants. It is as heartening to hear similar stories of the challenges involved in spreading the Tai Chi for Health message half way around the world as it is to hear of great accomplishments. And it is absolutely fun to play tai chi together with new and old friends from Singapore, Australia, Korea, and the States.

 

There is nothing more rewarding than seeing improvement in my tai chi form, even if the gains are small. Observing and feeling the differences after five days of instruction from Dr Lam–together with the patient, prodding correction of colleagues more experienced– made this journey one I will never forget. I encourage others in the Tai Chi for Health program to take a similar journey when the opportunity arises.

 

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TCHI (Tai Chi for Health Institute) Approved to Provide Continuing Education
Jim Starshak, Chairperson of TCHI’s Governing Board’s, Master Trainer, Shawnee, KS, USA.

 

Jim teaches Tai Chi for Health programs and Yang 24 and Yang 10 Forms. He provides continuing education for Nurses, Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Athletic Trainers, and Fitness Instructors. Jim is a disabled veteran who uses tai chi to help improve the overall health for both his students and himself.

 

During last year’s USA weeklong workshop in Terre Haute, Paul asked me to give a morning talk on how TCHI is going to impact all of us. During this talk, there was tremendous excitement generated when I mentioned that TCHI was working to get ALL of our Tai Chi for Health workshops approved for continuing education (CE) credits, and, to have ALL of our USA Master Trainers (MTs) approved to provide these CE hours.

 

TCHI has continuously worked towards that goal and today I am announcing several wonderful successes. For the first time, every MT in the USA is approved to provide CE hours. These CE hours are pre-approved for Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Licensed Mental Health Technicians, Physical Therapists & PTAs, Occupational Therapists & OTAs, and for Medical, Health, and Fitness Professionals through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). These CE hours are pre-approved for 12 of our Tai Chi for Health workshops, including: Tai Chi for Arthritis, Tai Chi for Arthritis-2, Seated Tai Chi for Arthritis, Tai Chi for Diabetes, Tai Chi for Osteoporosis, and Tai Chi for Back Pain, as well as the update workshops for each of those six programs. Additionally, through ACSM we can provide CE hours for other TCHI workshops, as well as for correspondence courses, tai chi presentations, and home study courses (which are currently in development).

 

Several TCHI members significantly contributed to our successful navigation of the various applications and nuances of the approval processes. Continuing Nursing Education approval was the most difficult as we needed a Nursing Advisory Board and a detailed Needs Assessment. ACSM’s application took the most time, as we needed to develop and submit a sample “Home Study” course and provide almost 50 additional pages of supporting material.

 

Although this is a tremendous step forward, we still have work to do. Currently, many other nations will accept ACSM’s CECs, but TCHI is looking at ways to expand our CE offerings to even more participants from other nations. As with any CE workshop, participants always need to verify acceptance of these CE hours with their specific state, organization, or regulatory agency. Additionally, since it is not feasible to provide CE hours for every organization, we encourage participants to use these pre-approved workshops and petition their organization for CE credit.

 

USA MTs can offer these CE hours at any of their future workshops. Contact your workshops’ Master Trainer for more information on these continuing education opportunities. Please tell ALL your RN, LPN, LMHT, PT, PTA, OT, OTA, and ACSM friends and associates about these exciting CE opportunities. Of course, we also hope you also encourage them to take one of our Tai Chi for Health workshops.

 

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Tai Chi for Health’s European Connection
Nuala Perrin, Master Trainer, Lytham, Lancashire, UK

Inspired to 'spread the word' further into Europe, Master Trainers & Senior Trainers from all over the continent recently descended on Lorne House in Northern Ireland. Our aim? The common goal of working together in harmony, sharing our skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm and passing them on to our participants attending the weekend workshop.

Lorne house nestles beside the waters of Belfast Lough in beautiful Holywood, Co. Down. A Scottish baronial style house built in 1875; it takes its name from the Campbell clan in Scotland. It was purchased by the Ulster Guide Association in 1946 and is now used for conferences and events – with its own residential accommodation in the Coach House and the Brownie House. With a secluded wood and 21 acres of beautiful gardens, Lorne House afforded privacy and tranquillity in an idyllic setting.

And so, during a semi-arctic weekend, 4th/5th February, Master Trainers Ellen Reitsma, Roberto Crea and Nuala Perrin together with Senior Trainers Pamela McNutt and Linda Turner met up with an enthusiastic group of 24 participants coming from as far and near as England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Ireland as far down as Bantry Bay in the far south-west of Ireland. The bad weather could not dampen the enthusiasm of our five participants from Scotland who came over on the ferry in sub-zero temperatures – people who work voluntarily for the Dumfries and Galloway Health Board promoting 'Health in the Community'. We will be assisting them in extending their programme to the wider community.

Ellen endured a 3-hour delay on the runway in Basel watching snow and ice being scraped off her aircraft, then experienced the same sub-zero temperatures as Roberto at Heathrow, (Bologna Airport had been closed the previous day), whilst our friend from Bantry Bay motored all the way north in somewhat hostile conditions. In short, nothing was going to curb the enthusiasm of our group!

Participants comprised an eclectic mix of Physiotherapists, a Psychologist, Tai Chi Teachers, Occupational Health Therapists, and Tai Chi students – all keen to learn and then pass on their skills. During the two days we worked together with TCA, TCD, and Updates and in the evening we met up at a local restaurant to share notes and discuss the day over good food; a real sharing of spirits! Those who were residential met for breakfast the next day. We also enjoyed the Irish welcome of Tea/Coffee Breaks consisting of homemade scones and jam, and cakes (we did also have some fruit!!!) We all met up for Lunch, again homemade and supplied by Lorne House.

In fact, so busy were we that there was no time to indulge in Lorne House's many facilities – including archery, abseiling, river runs and bush craft!!!!!

However, we achieved our goal of Working Together in Europe – sharing knowledge, spirit and enthusiasm, providing an easy-learning platform of the Tai Chi for Health Programs for all participants and working together in harmony to achieve their goals.

The success of a shared workshop can only happen when there is a willingness to share knowledge, hearts, and minds with each other. MTs and STs believe we achieved our goal at this fantastic weekend of sharing, with each other and with the participants.

This is the first step to a deeper integration between all European MTs.

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Tai Chi Family
Caroline Demoise, Master Trainer, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

Along with solo practice where we have the opportunity to be a student of the art and allow practicing the principles to teach us directly, we can develop a long term relationship with one or several mentors/teachers and participate in a class gaining the benefit of being part of a growing international community of people interested in cultivating the benefits of personal transformation that regular tai chi practice provides your physical body, your mental disposition and your emotional outlook on life. All of us have relationships with our birth family, with friends we have made throughout the years and with people who are attracted to the art of tai chi. All of these communities and interconnections are valuable to our wellbeing and sense of belonging in the world. They help us frame our worldview and reinforce the reality of the oneness of life.

Over the years my tai chi family has expanded from one teacher and a group of twenty people that I practiced with on a regular basis in various parks in San Diego to an eclectic international group of people that I see once in a blue moon, annually, several times a year, regularly or that I have only met in the virtual space of internet connection. When I began tai chi, I did not own a computer. Now it is hard to imagine being in the tai chi family without this ease of access and connection. In the past my focus was on one teacher. Today I learn from many teachers, colleagues, Google searches, amazing books that were not yet written back in 1984 and a variety of DVD’s.

My Chen sisters are a subset of my tai chi family who gather at my studio in Chapel Hill for semi-annual workshop retreats with our beloved teacher Dan. This special connection grew out of Sandra’s desire to learn Chen by 70 and dispel the myth that people over 60 were too old to learn Chen. Susan, Shelia and I resonated with that idea and so we initiated the Elder Chen movement within Dr Lam’s annual workshop, complete with a tee shirt to commemorate our progress.

As a former occupational therapist and now a TCH instructor, I am always promoting the benefits of tai chi - so when a local Chinese business man, Mr Bruce Lee, asked me to take part in the Chinese New Year celebrations in Belfast, I was delighted. His aim was to promote the integration of the local Chinese and Northern Irish communities in South Belfast, particularly with regard to Culture. What better way to demonstrate this cross community spirit than to have a group of Northern Irish tai chi players perform to open a tea dance at the start of Chinese New Year celebrations? Not only because we were a group of NI people doing a display of a Chinese Health exercise to mainly Chinese elders but also because we were using Dr Lams TCH programme demonstrating modern tai chi forms based on traditional principles. My students were immediately excited by this idea and as they had never done any displays in public there were plenty of nerves beforehand!

A Feature Profile - Joanne Zeitler - Quitman, AR, USA
Shelia Rae, Master Trainer, Memphis, TN, USA

The qualifications to become a ST (Senior Trainer) are clear, but because the duties of a ST are not so clearly defined, I would like to share with you what Joanne Zeitler has done on her own since she became an ST in 2007. Hopefully it will inspire other STs and instructors to think out of the box and come up with ideas and suggestions of their own.

Not only does Joanne set up workshops for me, her nominating MT, but has hosted other MTs as well. She organizes workshops in Jacksonville, Arkansas at the Community Centre where she also regularly teaches classes, driving an hour each way from her home in Quitman, Arkansas where she moved a few years ago when her architect husband retired. She enjoys her lake house, boat and daily fishing, weather permitting, but still manages to stay in touch with her own students and the instructors we have certified in her workshops in Jacksonville.

Joanne keeps in contact with all certified instructors that live within driving distance of Jacksonville, and offers free instructor practices four times a year; a gathering that has generated much participation and interest. She regularly sends out emails reminding the instructors how important it is to practice together and knows how many; especially in rural areas need feedback on their own tai chi as well as collaboration in how they might improve their classes. She had been doing these practice sessions for a few years when she had a brainstorm that if she offered some initiative more might attend, so she asked me if she could offer $ 5.00 off the cost of recertification for every practice session instructors attended. That simple incentive to bring more to the practice sessions has been successful in keeping attendance up, and last year one participant in a recertification workshop had accumulated so many credits that she paid only $ 55.00 for a $ 95.00 recertification workshop! It also pays dividends for me as well because with Joanne’s instruction, my work to recertify instructors that attend her sessions is so much easier.

I am proud to have her on my team, and when I told her I was writing this article about her, and asked for more information about herself as a ST, I received this email from her that I would like to share in her own words:

“Hi my MT!

I think most of the info I gave you when you asked about my ST stuff was pretty average - so here's some stuff that was really special to me: I did some tai chi presentations for the Arkansas Aging Annual Conference, the Arkansas State Teachers Annual Conference, & trained a group of professors & senior students from University of AR Little Rock in tai chi before their trip to China. But my very most special ST experiences have been our workshops together - especially the "road trips" - to train at the Arapahoe Indian Reservation, getting "snowed in" in Little Rock for the U of A Ext Svc Agents training, & most of all our awesome trip to China, which I wouldn't have been able to do if I weren't a ST! 🙂

Working with Paul & other MTs & STs at workshops in KC, Dallas, & Knoxville was so rewarding & I learned so much from everyone - including the workshop participants. And I love working with you selling TCP products & helping Anna with registrations, even though I don't need to be a ST to do that - it's still a great experience & another way for me to give back to you & Paul & the tai chi people I love so much.  Joanne”