WorldTaiChiDay.org News . . .

A Premiere Global Ezine Tai Chi & Qigong Magazine,
another free service from www.WorldTaiChiDay.org  

World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, Maine USA 2014

Dear World Tai Chi & Qigong Day supporters,

BRILLIANT TAI CHI TIPS FROM CHEN GRANDMASTER:
Tai Chi Sifu, and Tai Chi Examiner Columnist, Violet Li, has once again created a treasure for the Tai Chi and Qigong world. In her latest article, Chen Style Grandmaster, Chen Zhenglei, offers tips on Tai Chi that can help all of us see our forms more clearly.

Personally, I practice the Guang Ping Yang Style of Tai Chi, but have learned a great deal from Chen teachers as well as other styles. WTCQD CoFounder, Angela Wong Douglas, has practiced the Mulan Style for many years and she has taught me much about Tai Chi. The foundational elements of Tai Chi are common to all styles.

In this brilliant article by Violet Li, from the International Tai Chi Symposium, Master Chen Zhenglei covers fundamental Tai Chi issues, such as "letting the head follow the dan-tien or body's motion." Here is a short exerpt from Sifu Li's article:


 

During the symposium, Grandmaster Chen divided a body into three (San) sections (Jies) to discuss the Tai Chi fundamentals: the top, the middle and the lower sections. 

 

The top section includes the head and the neck. Grandmaster Chen said that it is essential to keep the head suspended or lifted without tilting it forward, backward or sideways during any movement. The head turns only as the body turns. It is imperative to keep the head naturally hung without stiffening it. It is called "Xu Ling Ding Jing" because the pressure point Baihui near the top of the head is the confluence of all energy pathways and only through the head suspension the Qi can flow smoothly to Baihui. Chen cautioned beginners against using muscle strength to push the head up, which will cause stiffness in the neck and block Qi from traveling.

In general, the eyes look straight ahead and move according to the head movement with the peripheral vision focusing on the leading hand. A common mistake is a practitioner bobbing his head up and down or circling it simply because his eyes are fixating on the leading hand as the latter moves.  

Read entire article at Examiner.com
http://www.examiner.com/article/chen-style-tai-chi-body-requirements?CID=examiner_alerts_article 

 

 

EXPANDING TAI CHI & QIGONG INTO HEALTHCARE:

Locally, we are having more breakthroughs, we share with the world in the hope it can help you repeat our efforts worldwide. This month we will be doing a Tai Chi and Qigong Televised Interactive Tele-Conference with several health networks and hospitals throughout the Midwestern United States. See article below with excerpts from the press release. Healthcare is rapidly embracing Tai Chi and Qigong and WorldTaiChiDay.org's free resources can help you do so locally. Also, see a cautionary note in this article.

IN THE NEWS!  Time Warner Cable News in the United States reports on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and  how Tai Chi and Qigong are parts of TCM. See article below.

3 TAI CHI TEACHERS CHANGING THE WORLD!

Also, below read how this newsletter features the work of 3 Tai Chi and Qigong teachers for their contribution to changing the world, and providing examples of how to utilize our free resources at www.WorldTaiChiDay.org to their max.

MIND-BODY SCIENCES CHANGING THE WORLD!

As you know, we've really had some amazing opportunities lately, now teaching Tai Chi for the University of Kansas Hospital and KU Medical Center systems--offering Tai Chi Meditation classes for people dealing with Heart Disease, MS, Parkinson's, chronic pain, and other health challenges.

 

Awareness of Tai Chi, meditation, and mind-body practices has spread rapidly. Dr. Herb Benson's The Relaxation Response on the science of meditation, The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi, and Ken Cohen's The Way of Qigong: The Art and Science Chinese Energy Healing detailing the science of Qigong, really broke things open widely. Over the last decade or so as my teaching has been embraced by medical science, I have become aware of mounting research on meditation and its affect on human neurology, and it led me to spend the last 2 years working on a new book, "The Gospel of Science."

 

This cutting edge neurological research has shown that meditation makes the compassion/empathy parts of the brain larger in meditators, while making the fear/stress part of the brain shrink. As meditation is spread worldwide as physicians around the world are now prescribing meditation more and more offers profound implications as this side effect of "spiritualizing" consciousness, in so far as it makes people think more compassionately, is practiced by millions of people worldwide. Anyone who has practiced mind-body mediative arts like Tai Chi or Qigong usually experiences how we become more patient, kinder, more compassionate and open minded.

Cutting edge research also shows how mind-body practices make us smarter, more creative, and open minded.

 

Our goal at World Tai Chi & Qigong Day has long been to get mind-body practices into public schools worldwide, with the inevitable result of creating an entire generation of mind-body masters in 12 years. It would save global health spending trillions in future health costs, and with a new generation of more empathetic-compassionate citizens, they could create a new world with such freed resources.

 

That is the gist of my book. I would love to hear from anyone who is excited by the concept of this book. You can email me at billdouglas@worldtaichiday.org.

FEATURED IN THIS NEWSLETTER:

In this newsletter we feature 3 Tai Chi teachers who are literally changing the world. Yes, we want to honor their work, but as with all our efforts at WorldTaiChiDay.org and WorldQigongDay.org, our goal is to inspire teachers worldwide to see themselves as larger forces in society ... healing forces ... able to affect positive change in larger and larger ways. These 2 teachers are inspirations to us all.

When we flow with the Tao, all things become possible. It is not an act of ego, but of letting go of ego. Tai Chi and Qigong teach us to let go of what we are, so that we can flow into whatever can nurture the world most. We relax out of the way.

Sifu Laurince McEelroy of Long Island, New York; Mohammed Essa of Cairo, Egypt; and Sifu Chris Bouguyon of Dallas, Texas are making a huge difference in their communities and world. They are great human beings, but this newsletter's focus on them is to spark creativity in all of us to imagine how much more we can all do in our world.

Many receving this Ezine Magazine have put time into learning Tai Chi and Qigong, refining your movements, deepening your consciousness, and improving your health and outlook.

This newsletter is dedicated to our realization that that is only the beginning of our Tai Chi and Qigong journey. As we turn inward with the internal arts, we realize by immersing ourselves in the field of Qi that permeates all life ... that we are intimately connected to the world.

By adding to world healing ... we heal ourselves. The only thing holding Tai Chi and Qigong back from massively being integrated into modern society at all levels ... is the limit of our imagination.

Read on and be amazed at what just 2 Tai Chi teachers have added to the wave of world health & healing that Tai Chi and Qigong offer.

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."
-- Albert Einstein

Yours in Qi,

Bill & Angela Wong-Douglas,
Founders of World Tai Chi & Qigong Day

___________________________________

To: Central Kansas media

From: St. Rose

August 2014

For immediate release

HEADLINE: Tai Chi expert shares health benefits at free St. Rose event

Since stress is at the core of many health issues, St. Rose Ambulatory & Surgery Center is sponsoring a free presentation on Tai Chi Meditation, which combines breathing, visualization and gentle movements to cleanse the body of tension. 

            The interactive televideo (ITV) presentation is called "Tai Chi: A Gentle Yet Powerful Exercise for Managing Stress" and is open to the public.  

            "Tai Chi's powerful stress-management aspects have been shown to dramatically boost immune-system responses," said Bill Douglas, presenter. "Medical research shows that most health issues benefit from regular Tai Chi practice, and Harvard Health Publications called it 'medication in motion.' 

            "Tai Chi has been proven to increase brain size and is the best balance coordinator we know of," Douglas continued. "It is also the lowest-impact exercise and is safe for those with arthritis, yet it burns nearly as many calories as surfing." 

            The gentle exercise has been shown to help with high blood pressure, heart disease, COPD, depression, anxiety, Type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and much more. 

            "Tai Chi is the result of several thousand years of health research in China," Douglas noted. "We can teach the body to move in the most effortless and powerful ways. 

            "It is an excellent program for caregivers too," Douglas elaborated. "It not only helps lower stress, anxiety and depression, it gives physical benefits to help caregivers complete their tasks with less chance of injury." 

            Those who attend the ITV presentation will be introduced to the Sitting Qigong meditative practice, Moving Qigong's gentle movement meditative techniques and a Tai Chi short form. 

            "Just come to the presentation to breathe, loosen and play," Douglas encouraged. "You will feel wonderful when you leave."

The presentation at St. Rose is part of a Midwest Cancer Alliance (MCA) series of health and wellness events for cancer patients in particular and the community in general. St. Rose is a member of MCA, the outreach arm of The University of Kansas Cancer Center.

            St. Rose is part of Centura Health, which connects individuals and families across western Kansas and Colorado with more than 6,000 physicians, 15 hospitals, seven senior-living communities, physician practices and clinics, and home-care and hospice services.

WorldTaiChiDay.org works to help Tai Chi and Qigong teachers worldwide expand their teaching throughout modern healthcare.

Below is a link with free resources to give you a step-by-step guide to do just that.

http://www.worldtaichiday.org/tai_chi_qigong_
as_healthcare.html

CAUTIONARY NOTE on Hospital Classes:

We encourage Tai Chi and Qigong teachers to expand their teaching into healthcare.

Two cautionary notes. You may need to alter your Tai Chi forms to become more gentle, no flying kicks, no deep snake creeps down, etc. Make your forms gentle and accessible in these classes, and constantly remind clients that TAI CHI SHOULD NOT HURT, and that they should talk to you if something hurts, so you can help them find a way to change it so that it feels okay to them. Let their body's change gently over time, not with force and pain. 

Secondly, DO NOT DIAGNOSE clients. Western medical science is great at identifying and diagnosing problems. Let them do what they do best. Encourage your students to get things checked out when problems they have persist.

Do not try to get them to give up current treatments. Just let them know about Tai Chi and Qigong and Meditation research on their condition and encourage them to share it with their doctor. Sometimes they may need less of a drug, or even be able to stop taking some drug as their Tai Chi, Qigong, and Meditation journey expands. But YOU DO NOT MAKE THAT DECISION, their physician does. Just encourage clients to be clear with their physician and to show them the Tai Chi, Qigong, and Meditation research you show them, so their doctors can understand why their patient's condition may be improving.

Below are 4 books I recommend to all my hospital and medical center clients in classes:

 Harvard research on meditation

Harvard Guide to Tai Chi

Medical science of Qigong

Western science based explanation of
T'ai Chi and Qigong Meditation for health






















 

"Traditional Chinese Medicine sees the human body as a whole system, like a network. So each organ system is connected. So one organ system will affect another," Xiu-Min [Mount Sinai Hospital] said.

Dr. Houman Danesh is a pain management specialist who uses alternative therapies like acupuncture, acupressure, cupping which uses suction cups to promote blood flow and healing, and a treatment called Qua Sha, also known as scrapping."The idea is that you have a bio-psycho-type, like you are made up in a certain way so if you are having back pain it may be related to a bunch of other factors and stress so restoring balance with needles or with massage or herbs brings you back into balance. Qua Sha is the idea of scrapping along areas to increase blood flow and to remove stuck chi in the area to bring about healing,"

Danesh said.Other forms include yoga-like movements of T'ai chi and Qigong.

Read entire article ... 

Sifu Chris Bouguyon of Dallas Texas presented at the International Tai Chi Symposium 2014 ... on his important work teaching Qigong to combat veterans. 
 

Many people came up to Sifu Bouguyon after his presentation, some in tears, afterwards to share their connection with his presentation. 

Chris Bouguyon is the Director of SimplyAware and the Training Mindfully with Qigong Principles program was designed to include eight Qigong principles (grounding energy, rising energy, minding the breath, expanding/absorbing, exploring Yin and Yang, sinking energy, listening energy, and smiling energy) to help veterans to redefine their physical, mental, and emotional well being, and most importantly to integrate changes into their lives. 

Sifu Mohammed Essa's work in Egypt has been a profound example to the world of how World Tai Chi & Qigong Day can help to educate an entire nation about these mind-body arts and sciences.

Mohammed has fully utilized the free resources we offer at www.WorldTaiChiDay.org to gain national media attention for World Tai Chi & Qigong Day in Egypt and for his local teaching, and to other teachers in Egypt.

Mohammed Essa appears on National Egyptian Television to talk about World Tai Chi & Qigong Day events in Cairo!

Mohamed Essa World Meditation Day Egypt Report

National Egyptian TV covers World Tai Chi & Qigong Day in Egypt!

World Tai Chi and Chi Kung Day - Egypt News - 2011

You can use our free Media Kits at www.worldtaichiday.org to gain local, regional, and national attention for your events.
http://www.worldtaichiday.org/MediaResources.html

Organizers throughout Latin America used our media kits to gain national and international media attention, gaining coverage of their events from BBC Television: 

BBC News Chinese martial art in Latin America

Laurince McElroy, perhaps more than any single World Tai Chi & Qigong Day Organizer has utilized the resources we provide at WorldTaiChiDay.org and WorldQigongDay.org to have a profound impact on the world.

See some of these free resources below. 

WorldTaiChiDay.org Resources for WTCQD Event Organizing:

Organizing Kits
http://www.worldtaichiday.org/OrganizingKits.html 

Media Kits
http://www.worldtaichiday.org/MediaResources.html 

Event Banner/Flyer Artwork:
http://www.worldtaichiday.org/Posters_flyers.html 

Getting Official Proclamations for Your Events:
http://www.worldtaichiday.org/official_proclamations_
world_tai_chi_qigong_day/acquiring_proclamations.html

Long Island, New York's WTCQD organizers have a 10 page brochure of their event, and on the 1st inside page, is the "Opening Statement" WorldTaiChiDay.org provides to organizers worldwide.
 

They also have a small ad encouraging their event brochure readers to support our work at WorldTaiChiDay.org via getting an Official T-Shirt. [Organizers like Laurince make the work we do for Tai Chi and Qigong enthusiasts and teachers worldwide possible.]

Sifu McElroy is quick to credit the other sifus who collaborate in the creation of LI New York's annual World Tai Chi & Qigong Day organizing: 
 

Sifu Joseph Panico, teaches for Nassau County Department of the Aging, Project Independence, and other programs throughout Nassau County, New York

Sifu Ed Turney, teaches Qigong and Taiji and practices medical qigong.

Sifu Joel Valerio, teaches Taiji in Long Island and Buffalo New York.

Sifu Bob Klein, Long Island School of T'ai Chi Chuan, a renowned Tai Chi author who has been featured in Inside Kung Fu and T'ai Chi Magazine.

Sifu Sharon Infante, teaches Tai Chi and Qigong through libraries, various Suffolk County programs, MS Heritage Park, Stony Brook University Health and Fitness Center and her studio.

Chris Jurak, Mountain Stream Tai Chi and Qigong.

Sifu Spencer Gee, represented the US in 1981 for the first Wushu tour to the People's Republic of China. He teaches Kung Fu at the Two Worlds Fitness Center.

Sifu Bill Donnelly, Head Instructor at Green Cloud Kung Fu. Teaches Kung Fu, Tai Chi, and Taoist Yoga.

Sifu Judith Budd-Walsh, teaches Tai Chi and Qigong for health across Long Island, and she was awarded the Recreation Leader Award by the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

Sifu Elan Abneri, is an assistant Tai Chi instructor for Sifu Tyrone "Wei" Wicksman's Zhang Style Tai Chi Chuan.

When WTCQD organizers get Official WTCQD T-Shirts, and announce to their event's attendees, it enables us to provide thousands of pages of free resources to Tai Chi and Qigong enthusiasts and teachers worldwide.

THANK YOU, SIFU MCELROY FOR SUPPORTING OUR WORK, AND FOR ORGANIZING A FOUNDATIONAL WTCQD EVENT EACH YEAR.

Sifu McElroy has utilized the resources we provide at WorldTaiChiDay.org and WorldQigongDay.org to have a profound impact on the world. See some of these free resources below.  

WorldTaiChiDay.org Resources for WTCQD Event Organizing.

Year after year, Laurince educates local and state officials in one of the most populace states in the world -- teaching them about the profound health benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong, and explaining to them how these arts can benefit the citizens of that great state.

Learn how to Acquire an Official Proclamation
for Your WTCQD Event!

http://www.worldtaichiday.org/official_proclamations_
world_tai_chi_qigong_day/acquiring_proclamations.html

From our sponsor:

"Visionary! If you only buy one book 

on Tai Chi, then this is the book

-- Dr. Michael Steward, Sr., Team USA Senior Coach, and inductee to the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame

"Takes the best parts of Tai Chi and makes them understandable ..."
-- Sifu Hong Yijao, US Tai Chi Forms Grand Champion

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