“It’s a good time to be teaching tai chi. Interest and demand for tai chi classes are on the rise. According to a 2019 article in the fitness magazine Shape, Why Tai Chi Belongs in Your Wellness Routine, Pinterest included tai chi in its top 100 trends for 2018, noting a 189% increase in searches. Many are turning to tai chi for its slow mindful movements for both health and stress reduction.”
“Tai chi has been called *’moving meditation.’ (and ‘moving medication’ by Harvard Medical School) People attending a tai chi class for the first time come in with high expectations, thinking they will experience the serenity often associated with tai chi in the first few classes. New class participants will often comment to me that tai chi is much more difficult than they expected. They are surprised by the focus and mental concentration tai chi requires.”
“There are different types of meditation. Some require stillness. Tai chi is a form of Mindful Meditation that involves movement. Oxford Dictionary defines mindfulness as “a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.”
“When teaching a tai chi class it important to set expectations for your class participants. Explain to them Dr. Lam’s Step Wise Progressive Teaching Method (SPTM). Let them know the SPTM not only will help them learn a form, it is also an activity in Mindfulness. Breaking down a movement will help them be present in the moment both mentally and physically and experience each part of the movement. If they feel any discomfort, ask them to explore the movement safely to make it more comfortable. Give them silence and space to help them experience the mindful meditative movement found uniquely in tai chi.”
-Becky Rahe, Master Paul Lam tai chi instructor
We learned the SPTM method with a Lam instructor last March. (Watch, Follow, Show)
We’re using it with the Yang Saber form on Wednesdays.
And for our STPM Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention class at Messiah Lutheran, 11-11:45AM Mondays and Wednesdays through 12/9. (Attending every class not required. It’s free and if you come five times, you receive Dr. Paul Lam’s video)
– Diana and Jon
