TEESDALE and Bannockburn locals are invited to get into the flow of tai chi.<\/p>\n
Tai chi tutor Desma Blow leads weekly sessions at both Teesdale\u2019s Turtle Bend Reserve and Bannockburn Recreation Reserve, which she said work the body from head to toe.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do both qigong, and tai chi, which are similar,\u201d she said. \u201cQigong is standing still and doing exercises for the whole body, whereas tai chi is a moving form, a little bit like a sequence of movements, or a dance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all very much in slow motion. The slower you do it, the harder you actually work in your body, and your brain, because they\u2019re not used to doing things so slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere karate is an external martial art, tai chi is an internal martial art, exercising organs in the body like the heart, kidneys, liver, spleen and stomach and digestive system, the spine, and the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Blow first got involved with tai chi at the Meredith Community Centre and said her practice has been a wonderful journey of constant learning ever since.<\/p>\n
\u201cReally, I\u2019d need 50 lifetimes to learn it all,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve been running the sessions in Teesdale for almost 10 years now.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the peace and tranquillity of it, the smooth movements, the flow, the energy you get from it, and I really enjoy the teaching.\u201d<\/p>\n
People of all ages and abilities can take part, even while sitting or lying down. The practice affects and benefits participants\u2019 bodies and minds in different ways, but Ms Blow said they all have one thing in common.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of the session there\u2019s a lovely relaxed, calm, and peaceful feeling, and a weight off their shoulders,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing outside with nature is part of that. We like being there, under the turtle at Teesdale, or on the oval at Bannockburn, enjoying the serenity around us.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s good for the mind, the body, and the soul. Tai chi does so much with so little; it\u2019s very powerful stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Bannockburn sessions are held each Wednesday morning from 9.30am to 10.30am, while the Teesdale sessions run on Thursdays at the same time.<\/p>\n
If the weather is poor, Ms Blow leads the sessions indoors at Teesdale Community Hall, or at the Bannockburn Men\u2019s Shed. Contact 0414 944 926 for more information.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TEESDALE and Bannockburn locals are invited to get into the flow of tai chi. Tai chi tutor Desma Blow leads weekly sessions at both Teesdale\u2019s Turtle Bend Reserve and Bannockburn Recreation Reserve, which she said work the body from head to toe. \u201cWe do both qigong, and tai chi, which are similar,\u201d she said. \u201cQigong […]<\/p>\n