Slow and Steady

Gayle Shaffer, right, and Nancy Niswonger perform exercises during a Tai Chi class Jan. 26, 2018, at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau.

Ben Matthews ~ Southeast Missourian

Tai chi classes offer many benefits

"The slower you move, the harder you work,” Jane Greening reminded her tai-chi class of 12 students at the Osage Center one Friday morning.

The women and men in the room moved in slow synchronization, focusing on their breathing as meditative music played in the background. Every once in a while, Greening made a joke and her students laughed, a testament to the palpable feeling of community in the room — people were happy to be there.

Sarah Lynch performs chair exercises during a Tai Chi class Jan. 26, 2018, at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau.

BEN MATTHEWS ~ bmatthews@semissourian.com

“It’s very social,” student Sarah Lynch says. Lynch has been doing tai chi for over a year now, and enjoys the friends she has made through the classes. “If you miss too many times, people call you and say, ‘Where are you?’”

This easygoing camaraderie is only one benefit of tai chi.

According to the Mayo Clinic, tai chi is the ancient Chinese practice of meditation, deep breathing and focused movement. To do this gentle stretching exercise, participants flow through a series of graceful movements in a slow, steady manner without stopping between poses. The exercise helps reduce stress while increasing balance, strength and endurance.

Greening first became interested in tai chi a few years ago, after retiring from more than 30 years of being a physical therapist. Her research into the practice, as well as the lack of tai-chi classes in the area, led her to become a teacher of the meditative exercise. She currently teaches classes at the Cape Girardeau Osage Center, Jackson Riverside Regional Library and Jackson Civic Center.

Jane Greening leads a Tai Chi class Jan. 26, 2018, at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau.

BEN MATTHEWS ~ bmatthews@semissourian.com

“It’s something that everybody can do,” she says of tai chi. “You can be in a wheelchair and do it.” She said it is especially beneficial for those with Parkinson’s Disease.

Chair chi, a form of tai chi in which participants remain sitting in their chairs, provides many of the same benefits as standing tai chi, while allowing those who are beginners or cannot stand up to engage in the exercise.

Meghan Mills, health and wellness coordinator at Chateau Girardeau, became certified to teach chair chi a year ago when Pat Griffith, the man who created the practice, came from California to hold a certification class.

Mills says there is sometimes a stereotype that the folks who attend her classes are not stressed because they are retired. She finds, however, that this is often not the case, as many of her students are dealing with Medicare, health issues and other life situations.

“The stress level is still there,” Mills says. “If they’re having a stressful day, my hope is that after the class they feel re-energized, less stressed and stronger — emotionally and physically.”

Gayle Schaffer, who is new to the practice of tai chi, says she has felt these benefits, even in just two classes. “You don’t feel like you’re getting a good workout, but the next morning you feel it in every muscle,” she says. “It makes you feel better about yourself, getting up and moving.”