A few weeks ago a series of classes was offered at St Joan’s and to be honest all I saw in the bulletin was “Tai Chi”. Since I had taken Tai Chi a few other times and enjoyed it I was anxious to renew my work in that area and begin the process again.  

About 15 people came to the introduction class and the movements were totally different from the other Tai Chi classes I had taken. It was only at the last class that I learned the meaning of the added “natural step” in the title of the class. I believe it is a good idea to assume the reader knows nothing and the speaker or writer should explain fully. Thus I learned that Natural Step in the title of a class on Tai Chi means the stride a person usually takes is his/her “natural step”. In regular Tai Chi the movements have a step or movement beyond the natural step of a normal stride. Also what I had taken previously were Tai Chi “Short Form” classes.

So my initial reaction to the class was disappointment that I was never going to get to the movements I wanted to relearn. I suspect, but do not know for certain, that many of the people who were at the introduction class and did not return to the rest of the classes may have had the same reaction.  

On The Positive Side

  All that being said there were many positive things about this class. For one thing being physically challenged in any way will not stop someone from getting some good things for the body in this class. Even if confined to a wheelchair there are many positive benefits from the movements in this class. Personally, I have had some challenges with my right knee and was able when necessary to sit while doing some of the exercises.

The body is a very complex but wondrous machine. There are meridians of energy which can not be seen in the body but which are somewhat like the wires of an electrical grid. As we do certain movements we open the energy channels and allow the body to reprogram things, which may not have been running at their best.  

One of the neatest things which happened in this class was when Colin Snow(right), the instructor, taught us how to see the light which comes off the ends of our fingers! It was worth the price of the whole class to learn that from my point of view.

Colin has trained in many areas of Tai Chi and Qigong and offers classes throughout the Twin Cities. If the times of classes at St Joan’s do not match your schedule or if you would indeed like to take the Tai Chi Short Form classes you can contact Colin by calling 612-377-6469, or E-mail: naturalsteptaichi@msn.com. His website is: http://www.naturalsteptaichi.com/  


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Bergetta Monroe won her first camera by selling 640 boxes of tea biscuits (cookies) in eighth grade. She has been taking pictures ever since. While not having any formal training she has recently finished her first DVD of an Amtrak trip to the Pacific Northwest. Her "day job" for much of her adult life has involved caring for children. Her hobbies have included needlework, genealogy, decorating the home she shares with her husband and travel; she has enjoyed using photography with all of the above. Currently she is working on her next DVD project of recording her neighborhood for the year 2004. She can be reached at Bergetta@aol.com.
There will be another series of classes of Tai Chi Natural Step offered at St. Joan’s late spring and early summer. Watch the bulletin for the times and dates. You just might want to try this non-impact type of exercise.



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