Tai-Chi: Get in touch with your inner nature
A low-impact, traditional fitness program may just be the remedy islanders need to free themselves of life’s everyday pressures.
Characterized by slow, relaxed movements, Tai-Chi Chuan, an ancient Chinese martial art novel to the Northern Marianas, is a system of health-promoting exercise that enhances the flow of internal energy or “Chi.”
This age-defying, stress-relieving form of exercise is guaranteed to maintain and promote good health among people of all ages.
“The exercise involves relaxed and expansive movements, assuming certain positions, in a certain state of mind. As this develops, one’s sense of well being as well as the over all health improves,” said Barry Wicksman, a scholar of Chinese wisdom and tradition, who has spent the 20 years mastering his Tai-Chi craft under the martial art’s grandmasters.
According to Mr. Wicksman, an English Instructor at the Northern Marianas College, many studies have shown the health benefits of Tai-Chi especially for old and sickly people.
It is highly recommended for people with arthritis and high blood pressure.
“This is good for promoting health and it has a philosophical and spiritual aspect to it,” he said.
“Islanders, like everyone, are stressful people. The practice could help them shed some of that stress. One of the good things about this art is that it encourages living a more natural life, such as watching your diet and doing regular exercise,” he added.
The exercise is also guaranteed to reverse the aging process and cast off some weight.
This weekend, NMC is set to feature an introductory course on Tai-Chi to be taught by Mr. Wicksman.
The class will run for a six-week period from Feb. 10 to March 17, every Saturday morning at 7:30am to 9am at the NMC Gym in Fina Sisu.
The course fee is only at $25 per participant. Registration is being held at the Community Programs Office, Bldg V.
“I am hoping that people will join the class, and we’ll all become friends, and we’ll partake of this great exercise which is very rich in Chinese wisdom and tradition,” the instructor said.
Having lived in Japan, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Shanghai in the last 20 years, Mr. Wicksman pursued the study of Tai Chi Chuan from Shanghai WuShu Institute’s chief instructor Chen Jun Yan, who was a disciple of grandmaster Yang Chengfu. (MM)
