With nearly 100 people from around the country in attendence, Jiang, Jian-ye (Grandmaster) introduced The intermediate level of Chinese Yoga with Healing Qi, during a Saturday Workshop held at his Albany, New York studio.  Starfarm’s Laddie Sacharko was in attendence, shown in photo.

Laddie Sacharko Attends HPA training for instructors, Chinese Yoga Intermediate level. Laddie is 3rd from right, second row.

An Intermediate Level class is planned for January 2010 at Thompson, where about 20 people have been practicing the beginner’s level.  Watch for details! Check Here

November 7th, 2009

Due to overwhelming registrations, two new classes have been schedule to accommodate the demand for Tai Chi classes at the Mansfield senior center:

Wednesday mornings, immediately following the 9:15-10:15 AM, class, another one hour session is added, and will begin the week following the Veteran’s Day closing of the center.
Beginning Wednesday,Nov 18th, 10:15-11:15 Tai Chi for Seniors.

Beginning in December, a new Tai Chi for Seniors session commences on Thursday mornings, 9:00-10:00.

You must register in advance, these classes filled fast, and class size is limited to 14 people. Persons under 55 may register, priority will be given to persons 55 and older. Call the Senior Center at 860 423-0262.

Wu G, Zhao F, Zhou X, Wei L.

Improvement of isokinetic knee extensor strength and reduction of postural sway in the elderly from long-term Tai Chi exercise.

Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2002;83:1364-9.

Objectives: To compare isokinetic strength of leg muscles and foot center of pressure (COP) as a measure of sway between long-term Tai Chi practitioners and controls.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Community setting. Participants: Twenty subjects in the Tai Chi group and 19 subjects in the control group (age, >55y).

Intervention: Subjects in Tai Chi group had practiced Tai Chi for a minimum of 3 years.

Main Outcome Measures: Concentric and eccentric strength of knee extensors and flexors at 60°/s and 120°/s, and foot COP displacement during quiet stance with eyes open or closed.

Results: People in the Tai Chi group had significantly higher knee extensor strength at all speeds tested (P<.013), and smaller foot COP excursions for both eyes open and eyes closed conditions (P<.05) than people in control group. No significant difference existed in knee flexors between the 2 groups (P<.713). The COP excursions correlated significantly with the eccentric strength of knee extensors (P<.07) but not with the concentric strength of knee extensors (P<.14) or with the isokinetic strength of knee flexors at most of the speeds (P<.27).

Conclusion: These findings support the hypothesis that the maintenance of eccentric strength of postural muscles in the lower extremities, which is beneficial for maintaining good postural stability, is helped through the long-term practice of Tai Chi.

© 2002 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

via Elsevier: Article Locator.

See larger image The Laughing Dragon Exercises for Seniors (DVD) Director: Bob Klein Starring: Bob Klein Rating: Unrated List Price: $19.95 USD New From: $14.97 In Stock Used from: $7.50 In Stock Release date September 1, 2004.

Abbott RB, Hui KK, Hays RD, Li MD, Pan T.

Center for East West Medicine, Department of Medicine and Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA and RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA 90407, USA.

This study examined whether a traditional low-impact mind-body exercise, Tai Chi, affects health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) and headache impact in an adult population suffering from tension-type headaches. Forty-seven participants were randomly assigned to either a 15 week intervention program of Tai Chi instruction or a wait-list control group. HRQOL (SF-36v2) and headache status (HIT-6trade mark) were obtained at baseline and at 5, 10 and 15 weeks post-baseline during the intervention period. Statistically significant (P < 0.05) improvements in favor of the intervention were present for the HIT score and the SF-36 pain, energy/fatigue, social functioning, emotional well-being and mental health summary scores. A 15 week intervention of  Tai Chi practice was effective in reducing headache impact and also effective in improving perceptions of some aspects of physical and mental health.

via A Randomized Controlled Trial of Tai Chi for Tensi…[Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2007] – PubMed Result.

Be clear when explaining your symptoms to your medical doctor. In addition to modern medicine we can all benefit from other forms of health care.

Tai Chi is a noncompetitive, self-paced system of gentle physical exercise.From the Center of Optimal Health’s website: At The Center for Optimal Health, we are very passionate about sharing our knowledge with the public. Any groups interested in scheduling a lecture or class about weight management, diabetes prevention, menopausal hormones, and other health topics, please contact our Office Manager, Judy Klinger, to make arrangements. For more information, call us at 949 872-2850.

“Tai Chi ClassTai chi ti-CHE is sometimes described as “meditation in motion.” Originally developed in China as a form of self-defense, this graceful form of exercise has existed for about three centuries. It’s becoming increasingly popular around the world, both as a basic exercise program and as a complement to other health care methods.Recently many studies have been to uncover the health benefits of Tai Chi. Research shows that practicing Tai Chi regularly may:

Reduce anxiety and depression

Improve balance and coordination,

reducing the number of falls

Improve sleep quality

Slow bone loss in women following menopause

Reduce high blood pressure

Improve cardiovascular fitness

Relieve chronic pain

Reduce waist circumference and

improve blood sugar levels

Improve everyday physical functioning

To do Tai Chi, you perform a defined series of postures or movements in a slow, graceful manner. Each movement or posture flows into the next.

via Tai Chi: for heart disease?.

Tai chi practioners. Photograph: Frederic J Brown/AFP/Getty Images

The traditional Chinese exercise Tai Chi may help people who’ve had strokes regain their ability to balance. In a study, people were better able to balance after a 12-week course of Tai Chi than after a course of general exercise and stroke education.

What do we know already?

Having a stroke can damage the parts of the brain that help you keep your balance. Not everyone gets this problem, but some people find it hard to learn to walk again. Problems with balance can mean people are more likely to fall and injure themselves.

Tai Chi is a form of exercise where people learn to move slowly and deliberately through a sequence of standing poses. It’s usually done in smooth, flowing movements and requires a lot of concentration. It’s very popular in China, especially with older people, who often take part in outdoor classes in parks.

Read More via Tai Chi may aid stroke patients | Life and style | BMJ Group.

Reducing Frailty and Falls in Older Persons; An Investigation of Tai Chi and Computerized …

SL Wolf, HX Barnhart, NG Kutner, E McNeely, … – Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 1996 – pt.wkhealth.com
Cited by 727 – Related articles – BL Direct

Reducing frailty and falls in older persons: an investigation of Tai Chi and computerized …

SL Wolf, HX Barnhart, NG Kutner, E McNeely, … – Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 1996 – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of two exercise approaches, Tai Chi (TC) and
computerized balance training (BT), on specified primary outcomes (biomedical,
functional, and psychosocial indicators of frailty) and secondary outcomes ( …

Reducing frailty and falls in older persons: An investigation of Tai Chi and computerized …

SL WOLF, HX BARNHART, NG KUTNER, E … – Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 1996 – cat.inist.fr
Reducing frailty and falls in older persons: An investigation of Tai Chi
and computerized balance training. SL WOLF, HX BARNHART, NG KUTNER, E
MCNEELY, C COOGLER, TINGSEN XU Journal of the American …

[CITATION] Reducing frailty and falls in older persons: an investigation of Tai Chi and computerized …

SL Wolf, HX Barnhart, NG Kutner, E McNeely, … – Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 1996

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