Outdoor Tai Chi with Jon and Jane

Come join us for this six-week session of Tai Chi led by instructors Jon Doll and Jane Lang on the Art Center Festival Green located on the southeast corner of 7th and Wisconsin. Registration is not required and classes are open to all ability levels. Ages high school and up are welcome.  

This gentle form of exercise can help maintain strength, flexibility, and balance. Tai chi is often described as "meditation in motion," but it might well be called "medication in motion." There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice, which originated in China as a martial art, has value in treating or preventing many health problems. A person can get started in the art even if not in top shape or the best of health. In this low-impact, slow-motion exercise, a person learns to perform without pausing through a series of motions named for animal actions — for example, "white crane spreads its wings" — or martial arts moves, such as "double wind to the ears." As you move, you breathe deeply and naturally, focusing your attention — as in some kinds of meditation — on your bodily sensations. Tai chi differs from other types of exercise in several respects. The movements are usually circular and never forced, the muscles are relaxed rather than tensed, the joints are not fully extended or bent, and connective tissues are not stretched. Tai chi can be easily adapted for anyone, including those confined to wheelchairs or recovering from surgery
The Yang form in its many variations is the most popular and widely practiced style of T‘ai-Chi Ch‘üan in the world today.

Some of the benefits claimed for tai chi include:

• Better mood, with lower levels of depression, stress, and anxiety.
• Greater aerobic capacity and muscle strength.
• More energy and stamina.
• Enhanced flexibility, balance, and agility.
• Lower blood pressure and improved heart health.
• Reduced Inflammation.
• Fewer falls.