Newsletter   •   Jul 5, 2022

What’s Happening

July 2022

Hello Tai Chi friends and enthusiasts, a warm welcome to our July Newsletter!

Do you know our balance is getting worse when we are getting older? You may say “tell me something I don’t know! ”

Well, you may not know that this process, alarmingly, may begin around the age of 25. As we grow older, the risks associated with falling over become greater: we lose physical strength and bone density, our sense of balance deteriorates and we take longer to recover from a fall.
The full article can be found at https://www.cbscore.com.au/site/2018/04/24/why-does-our-balance-get-worse-as-we-get-older/

There are many peer-reviewed studies if you want to check it out further.

The important question to ask is what you can do to prevent you from falling or watching your balance deteriorating.

I would suggest this month to be a Balance Challenge month.

You can do three simple things to improve your balance:
1) single leg standing for 30 seconds with each leg. This can be done when you brush your teeth. twice a day.
2) mindful walking. when you have a walk, keep 10 minutes for slow walk ( other walking styles are fine, like power walk), notice how your body weight transfers from one leg to the other. Imagine your foot kisses the earth gently.
3) full body posture awareness. Pay attention to when you sit and stand, how is your body alignments working together. Your crown of head, your shoulders, your chest, your hips and your knees and feet. how do they coordinate to give you the balance and keep you centred? Answer this question and you may find something new about yourself.

For many people, yoga is a great way to improve the balance. However for many, they can’t sit still or prefer more moving motion, a flow or something for a calm mind. If this is the case, Tai Chi would be a great option for many. These exercise are complementary to each other. You can choose to practise both if you wish.

There is a recent article from Sunday Mail called “The ancient practice taking on the modern world” published on 22nd May 2022.
To recite the first paragraph,
“Thanks to its ability to clear the mind and tone the body, yoga has been the workout of choice for those seeking spiritual and physical wellness for more than 5000 years-
but another ancient practice, called Qi Gong, may be about to surpass it. Based on the principles of traditional Chinese medicine – which focus on balancing your body’s energy for optimum health- Qi Gong has never been more in demand.

I can’t see good reason for these two practice as rivalry, rather, for everyone, it is worth to be well informed and choose the best option for yourself. After all, we all need good balance in life on many levels.

The last but not least, a couple of online Qi Gong workshops to keep your energy boosted during this winter with a focus of improving balance and flexibility, maintaining a calm and peaceful mind. All information can be found at Meridian Connection Tai Chi website.

Yours in Tai Chi,
Fang and Meridian Connection Tai Chi team