I’m sure I’m not alone here. Teachers in all disciples, if they need their students to practice to learn what they are teaching, will relate. I don’t know if “movement educators†have it worse because people tend to think of all movement as “working out†– something you go and do, not an art you have to practice. In fact, one of my favorite concepts when you are talking about getting really good at something is called “deliberate practiceâ€.
I’m sure I’ll have more to say about this work in the future, but we’ve just done a series of demos this fall highlighting the expanding role of evidence-based Tai Chi programs as public health interventions. When you look at the cost of a fall for older adults (I’ve heard figures like $20,000) and the good evidence that Tai Chi can reduce falls and fear of falling (now considered a risk factor for falling), it makes so much sense to fund Tai Chi classes all over: senior centers, assisted living facilities, community centers.
Last week I got back from two weeks in the UK doing an instructor training with Bruce Frantzis on Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body, the core chi gung set in his program. We’re right back into the swing of classes now, but I wanted to post a little review before too much time passes. The Energy Gates set is made up of six different exercises – they run the gamut from standing still holding a simple posture, to vigorous shifting, turning, and swinging.
