Tai chi calms both mind and body

If you’re looking to recuperate from stressful holiday activities, consider taking an outdoor tai chi class with Greg­ory Yuen and his assistants. Beginner, intermediate and advanced classes are held at Kailua Beach and Kapiolani Park. And they’re free — there’s no pressure to "donate" class fees.

The session on the beach provided a serene setting. Tai chi moves, which are slow and controlled, are based on martial arts without the physical contact. The subtle movements, led by assistant instructor Errol Hopkins, kept me focused, and I left feeling a sense of calm.

Hopkins provided visualizations that made it easy to follow along. For example, "carrying the barrel" is a move where the arms are positioned as if lifting a 55-gallon barrel, creating a protective area around your chest. "Grasping the bird’s tail" has you imagining a bird is sitting on your left index finger and your right hand is resting on the bird’s tail. As long as you keep the right hand in place, the bird is unable to fly.

"Tai chi teaches you to control your movement so as not to waste energy," said Hopkins, who has been practicing the regimen for more than 20 years and says it has helped him with his balance and to hike and climb more efficiently.

Yuen, a Honolulu psychiatrist, has taught the Yang style of tai chi for more than two decades. It includes 108 movements, with each class level covering about a third of the repertoire, based on difficulty.

"Tai chi helps with stress reduction and an improved sense of well-being. It has been known to help boost the immune system, to help arthritis pain, improve balance, reduce muscle tension and to promote digestion and circulation, among other things," he said.

"Nowhere in our education system are we given instruction on caring for our body in the way that tai chi can offer. It is not to say that other things, like sports or other forms of exercise, don’t help. They just usually do not emphasize the use of the tai chi focus on specific parts of the body."

By targeting certain areas, blood circulation is improved, oxygen and nutrients are distributed to the body’s cells, and carbon dioxide and toxins are eliminated, according to Yuen. "Focused attention to your body with tai chi nurtures all of the cells of your body for optimal health," he said.

If all or any of these effects are achieved, I’d say it’s an added bonus. Finding time to relax and wind down was enough reason for me to go to this class.

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“Tryouts” features exercise and wellness classes and other fitness activities. Reach Nancy Arcayna at narcayna@staradvertiser.com or call 529-4808.