Tai Chi Anyone?

** Gary,  my Tai Chi Instructor! **

Boy, I'm in a singing mood! Now there is the "Woo-Hoo" in the song....those Pips are Awesome!

"I'd Rather Live in His World Than Be Without Him In Mine!"


Long day today, but I am now Certified....in Therapeutic Tai Chi "In-A-Chair"(c) that is! I'm sure my family & friends would say I'm certified in many other things! Ha! I am certified in Stress Management, though some days I feel like someone may just want to revoke it! Ha! As you know, so much easier to preach than to practice yourself, but you just do better the next moment! At least I do know what to do, which is better than those who do not. Now, if I can just win the Mega Millions & get a lovely Hot Tub, find someone to give me massages everyday (I'll return the favor!) & ohh a Select Comfort bed would be great! My folks have one at their house in AZ for the winters. I think they will get one for their new summer house too, they love it so much. Speaking of which...I have to check my numbers! Nope, not 1 number! Man! Oh right... like I would tell everyone if I won! Ha!

There were 5 of us getting certified today. The others teach Tai Chi & Qi Gong but just different styles. There is much need for modified forms, so that people of all "abilities" can gain the wonderful benefits! My foot doctor told me I have severe arthritis in one ankle & moderate/severe in the other. They rarely bother me...so far. Hopefully I can delay it getting symptomatic by doing the Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong & Meditation each day.

There are sooo many conditions which can benefit from Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Yoga & Meditation:

Osteoarthritis 
Multiple Sclerosis
Fibromyalgia
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Osteoporosis
Parkinson's Disease
Coronary Heart Disease

And these are just a few! Not to mention the first year I started I didn't have a migraine for 10 months. Spring finals time came around & I said, "I don't have time to go do Tai Chi!"... for 3 weeks. Ha! Learned my lesson! I got my Level II in Tai Chi for Wellness(c) prior to my foot injury, so that is at least 4 years ago & then I just haven't been able to do it consistently because of my foot & back. Now I'm starting to get going again. Perhaps I'll have that Master Level by Decemeber...as I just finish the Tens Unit on my foot! Ha! To bad you can't use that thing to stimulate the neurons in your brain every so often! Ha!

I kept wanting to the do the full 40 step "Form", which is actually adapted from the Yang Family Style Form, all day today. The Tai Chi in A Chair is a smaller set of moments & modified to be easier. I just went into an unconscious autopilot from what I already know. I guess I didn't forget it, so that is a good thing. Well, my Physical Therapist just gave me permission to start back up on my Total Gym so hopefully tomorrow! I've had one for like 10 yrs & love it but haven't been able to use it lately!  420 squatts I'd use to do, 5 days a week 90% bodyweight! Yep! 7 different types @ 60 a piece! Man I loved it! I'll have to see if my foot can take it though...have to work back up to it I'm sure.  

One other AWESOME Stress Management method I love is NIA! It is a combination of Yoga, Tai Chi & Dance. I've watched people of all ages & abilities laughing & smiling for an hour straight doing it! When have you ever seen that in a typical aerobics class! Right! It actually was developed by all the older aerobics instructors whose joints were killing them from all the pounding.

See that picture of my Tai Chi instructor above...this man has MS! He was diagnosed in '91 & not long after was in a wheel chair taking 16 tablets of Valium a day & 2400 mg of Ibuprophen and tons of other meds! He was not doing very well emotionally as you can imagine. He just startedto meet people in the wellness field who taught him how to breathe properly, yoga etc & he slowly began to not need his meds. He has designed this wonderful program and does this full time now...oh...ya...he was a Master Chef & Black Belt in Karate! He had a Karate facility in the past also! This man was no couch potato before!

Our weekly Kan Jie group brings together people of all ages & abilities & we just support each other & have a blast! Some nights I'm hurting not from the Tai Chi but from laughing so much! The best is when I was teaching my students & my 18 year old students would be moaning as we were stretching, say in the "cat pose", and I'm much more flexible than they are! Hee Hee! I felt so great! :-) That is why I teach them...I'm hoping if they continue, they will be in better shape than me when they are my age. I have quite a few who do continue & even teach their family members! That is what I get "high on" about being an educator!

Well time to ice the foot! Oh if any of you have foot (arch) problems, my PT said take a water bottle & after you drink your paid water...fill with tap & then freeze! It works GREAT! You ice your foot at the same time get the benefit of rolling your arch over it! Hope that helps!