The Farmington tai chi practice group is sponsoring a workshop from noon to 4 PM on Sunday, September 18, 2011, in the Bass Room, Farmington Memorial Hospital. Guest instructor Dan Kleiman will join local instructor Catherine Chenoweth in guiding participants through the wu style short form. The cost is $45.
Tai chi, also known as tai chi chuan, a Chinese martial art, is characterized by slow, flowing movements. The wu style short form is foundational and takes just a few minutes to execute once it has been learned. Practicing its slow movements is a form of relaxation and meditation. The Farmington tai chi practice group, which comprises beginners and more experienced practitioners, meets weekly on Wednesday evenings to learn and practice parts of the short form.
“Tai chi is known as a moving meditation,” said Iris Silverstein, a founding member of the practice group who studied tai chi for two years at Brookline Tai Chi. “The movements require you to focus and slow down.” She restarted tai chi practice within days of a recent hip replacement and credits it with helping her to quickly increase mobility and balance. Participant Maggy Wyckoff agreed about the health benefits of tai chi, noting that it helps her with balance and strength without damaging her knees.
Guest instructor Dan Kleiman, who has studied tai chi since 1998, is director of Brookline Tai Chi, one of the largest health-oriented tai chi schools in the country. Kleiman noted, “What I love about tai chi is the way that the health benefits are intertwined with the meditative aspects. It’s fun to help people relax and reconnect to their bodies.”
Catherine Chenoweth, an instructor who leads classes in Stratton, Kingfield, and Farmington, has studied tai chi since 1997. She was an assistant instructor at the Taoist Arts Center in New York City for more than two years before moving to Maine. “The slow and gracefully flowing movements of tai chi offer a different and exciting approach to exercise,” Chenoweth said. “Once the movements of the five-minute form are learned, students advance by learning deeper and more subtle layers within the form, rather than moving on to more difficult or athletically challenging moves. The potential that is in these movements never stops unfolding.”
Participants of all ages, fitness levels, and experience are welcome. Preregistration is not required. Hospital employees will receive a discount, and need-based discounts are also available.
