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Achieve Balance TAI CHI Academy
of C.N.Y.-est. 1989
You can now drop in for a class and pay just
$10.00 no more monthly fee. This way classes are easily customized to fit your schedule.
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| Director Randie Lynn Hughes with her Teacher Master Daniel Lee |
Are
you interested in knowing more about T'ai Chi and gaining a little knowledge about its background? Then join us on Thursday
Evenings at 6:30pm to watch a class and receive FREE
information about what T'ai Chi is and what it can do for you. You will even be able to experience it first hand,
and see our class in action. Then you will be able to choose if you would like to join our classes. It is totally
up to you, there is no commitment, just education. We hope to see you.
--ENTER WITH A PEACEFUL SPIRIT--
At ACHIEVE BALANCE T'AI CHI ACADEMY we specialize in Traditional Yang Style T'ai
Chi as it was taught by Master Daniel Lee and understood and interpreted by Director Randie Lynn Hughes.
T'AI CHI-- is an ancient Chinese art that was once
used primarily as a Martial Art. Translated it means 'Supreme Ultimate Fist'. For many T'ai Chi is a slow motion
form of exercise and relaxation therapy. According to legend it is said to originated by a man named Chang San-Feng.
T'ai Chi was revealed to him during a noontime meditation. He saw a crane trying to attack a snake. The snake
with its circles and spirals was able to conquer the crane. Therefore, T'ai Chi moves are done with circularity and
roundness. Based on the theory of Yin and Yang-Yang
is hard, stiff and unyielding, we carry ourselves in a way that is uptight and unnatural. Yin being soft, pliable and yielding T'ai Chi allows our bodies to move in a way that is relaxed and natural.
In todays world with all of its stress and anxiety we have become a very Yang (tense and inflexable) society leading to high
blood pressure, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, heart attacks and strokes. We need to find Balance in the way we
lead our lives. We need to look deeper and listen to our bodies signals. The wisdom of the ancients said it all
in the Tao Te Ching #76 (see Mindfulness Page). Today modern science and research has discovered T'ai Chi's multitude of health
giving benefits. Primarily Fall Prevention & Stress Reduction. Research has proven that
T'ai Chi reduces falls in older adults by 47.5% due to balance improvement; Steven L. Wolf PhD and Tingsen Xu PhD T'ai Chi
Grandmaster conducted this research. T'ai Chi also improves lower body strength due to the slow postural
changes in a very slight bent knee position. With the knees in an unlocked position it forces the muscles of the lower
body to work, taking strain off the lower back and increasing calorie expenditure. Although it is important
never to bend the knees beyond the toes as that would put too much strain on the knees. Therefore, when I teach T'ai Chi I
am very particular about knees and how far they are bent and in which direction they are bent. Stress and tension is
where many illnesses and diseases of the body and mind originate. The gentle movements of T'ai Chi directs the
mind into the alpha state. In this state the body produces T-cells that boost the immune system helping to fight infection
and rid the body of diseases. The slow deliberate movements
known as the form, relax the Body, Mind and Spirit. According to a recent article in Harvard Health
Publications, HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL recent research states- Arthritis.-
An hour of Tai Chi twice a week for 12 weeks reduced pain and improved mood and physical functioning
more that standard stretching exercises in people with severe knee osteoarthritis.
Eight weeks of Tai Chi classes followed by eight weeks of home practice significantly improved flexibility and slowed the
disease process in patients with ankylosing spondylitis, a painful and debilitating inflammatory form of arthritis that affects
the spine. Low Bone Density.- Tai Chi may be a safe and effective way to maintain bone density
in postmenopausal women. A controlled study of Tai Chi in women with osteopenia (diminished bone density not as severe
as osteoporosis) is under way at the Osher Research Center and Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Breast Cancer.- Tai Chi has shown potential for improving qualtiy
of life and functional capacity (the physical ability to carry out normal daily activities, such as work or exercise)
in women suffering from breast cancer or the side effects
of breast cancer treatment. For example, a 2008 study at the University of Rochester, published in Medicine and Sport Science, found that quality of life and functional capacity (including aerobic capacity,
muscular strength, and flexibility) improved in women with breast cancer who did 12 weeks of Tai Chi, while declining in a
control group that received only supportive therapy. Heart
Disease.- A 53 person study at National Taiwan
University found that a year of T'ai Chi significantly boosted exercise capacity, lowered blood pressure, and improved
levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, and C-reactive protein in people at high risk for heart disease. The
study, which was published in the September 2008 Journal of Alternative and Complementary
Medicine, found no improvement in a control group that did not practice T'ai Chi. Heart Failure.- A study at Harvard Medical School proved 12
weeks of T'ai Chi improved participants' ability to walk and quality of life. It also reduced blood levels of B-type
natriuretic protein, and indicator of heart failure. Hypertension.-
In a review of 26 studies in English and Chinese published in Preventative Cardiology (Spring 2008), Dr. Yeh reported that in 85% of trials, T'ai Chi lowered blood
pressure-with improvements ranging from 3 to 32 mm Hg in systolic pressure and from 2 to 18 mm Hg in diastolic pressure.
Parkinson's disease.- A
33-person study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, published in Gait
and Posture (October 2008), found that people with mild to moderately severe Parkinson's disease showed improved balance,
walking ability, and overall well-being after 20 T'ai Chi sessions. Sleep problems.- In a University of California, Los Angeles, study of
112 healthy older adults with moderate sleep complaints, 16 weeks of T'ai Chi improved the quality and duration of sleep significantly
more than standard sleep education. The study was published in the July 2008 issue of the journal Sleep. Stroke.- In a 136 patients who'd had a stroke at least 6 months earlier, 12 weeks of T'ai Chi improved standing balance
more than a general exercise program that entailed breathing, stretching, and mobilizing muscles and joints involved in sitting
and walking. Findings were published in the January 2009 issue of Neurorehabilitation
and Neural Repair. Source: http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Womens_Health_Watch/2009/May/The-health-benefits-of-tai-chi
The slow deliberate movements of T'ai Chi gives the body time
to adapt and make postural changes needed for improved Balance.
As the body moves through the slow graceful movements, the brain becomes aware of the muscles and joints of the body in a
new and enlightening way. With this new focus the mind and body integrate into one.
T'ai Chi Ch'uan was once used as a very effective martial art and performed correctly, it still is. Each
properly executed movement has a self-defense application, which is rooted in proper body mechanics. Although most people
do not learn T'ai Chi for its self-defense properties, understanding the roots just adds beauty to the flower. Many of the graceful T'ai Chi movements have come from movements found in nature, especially those of animal behavior
where many of the postures' names have originated. Names such as, Golden Rooster Stands on one Leg, Repulse Monkey,
Snake Creeps Down, White Crane Spreads its Wings, and Stroke the Peacock's Tail. Other moves of nature include, Step
up to Seven Stars, Cloud Hands, and Needle at Sea Bottom. To try to explain what T'ai Chi is or what you will experience
is to do T'ai Chi a disservice. Only by doing will you experience the euphoric awakening of the body, mnd and spirit
right down to your soul. BENEFITS OF T'AI
CHI INCLUDE, but are not limited to: -Fall Prevention -Stress Reduction -Well Being -Improved Posture -Improved Balance -Improved Coordination -Stronger Immune
System -Better Breathing Technique -Increased Flexibility -Tones Muscles -Burns Calories -Peace of Mind -Etc.
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