Tai Chi is good for the mind, body and spirit, according to Eva Grodt, and that’s why she’s offering Tai Chi Classes at a minimal cost and donating the proceeds to charity.
Grodt has been doing Tai Chi for 12 years and has been teaching beginner classes for about five years. She said she started doing it for her health and for a mind body connection.
“You get your body stretched and you get your mind calmed down, and you have more balance,” Grodt explained, adding that people also become more aware of their weight and have more control over their movements. Grodt said Tai Chi has opened new doors for some of her students. One man was only able to walk down stairs sideways, and after a few months of Tai Chi he was able to walk normally down them, she said. Another man was able to walk without his cane after practising.
The sequence of 108 moves involved in Tai Chi are said to engage the entire body including the spine, tendons, joints and internal organs. The stretching builds little cushions in the spine, Grodt said, and the practice also promotes strength in places like the legs and abdomen and improves flexibility, balance and endurance. Anyone can do the moves, she explained, but people will often feel challenged by them.
“But I believe life starts at the end of your comfort zone,” she said. “And it’s good for the mind to learn new things.”
The classes begin on Tuesday morning, July 2 at St. Edmund’s Church in Parksville and will run Tuesday mornings from 9:30 to 11 a.m. More info: 250-954-1002 or evagrodt@telus.net.
