Depending on where you live, finding a Tai Chi class may be as easy as pie or nigh on impossible. If you live in or close to a major city, your odds of finding a good educator are literally good than if you live in a small rural area. Even so, with Tai Chi gaining in popularity you may still be able to find a local class. If your town has a karate dojo or martial arts studio, that may be the first place to inquire. While they may not give any classes in Tai Chi it's possible they may have connections with someone else studio that does or know of person who teaches classes.
Other places that may have classes in Tai Chi or suggest you on where to find one may be:
Holistic Center
-Holistic Wellness Centers
-Therapeutic Massage Studios
-Health Food Stores
-Adult learning Centers
-Churches
-Ymca/Ywcas
-Senior Centers (even if you are not a senior the person who
teaches Tai Chi may teach added classes elsewhere)
-Local or society College
-Local high school
-Local dance studio
-Bulletin board at your local bookstore or supermarket.
-Community Center
Also, searching for tai chi and the name of your town on google may come up with something. With diligence and a diminutive luck you may be able to find a class not too far from home.
However, in the absence of quarterly classes, you should still be able to start practicing Tai Chi by working with a Dvd or tape. The best videos for beginners will have an emphasis on comprehension permissible posture and furnish ways to self-check to be sure you are staying on course. Tai Chi for Busy People, by Dr. Keith Jeffery is one example of a good beginner's Dvd.
Since there is no test or acceptable rating system for Tai Chi instructors there is nothing to show that a given educator is qualified, or even competent, to teach Tai Chi. Unless there is no other choice available, I would steer clear of a educator who considers Tai Chi to be just someone else practice like step class or Pilates (This is not to put down Pilates, by the way, I literally know a lot about Pilates - I helped write a Pilates book, as a matter of fact - and it's a great practice system).
The best Tai Chi teachers are fully aware of the martial origins of the varied postures (whether or not they choose to apply that data in class), along with some of the history - including the origins of their particular form - along with data about vigor flow and the healing aspects and health benefits of Tai Chi.
Because Tai Chi is so easy on the joints and doesn't want great athleticism classes can tend to be very mixed when it comes to age and corporal conditioning. Classes can also have a wide range of taste levels with more developed students assisting the educator with teaching the starting and less experienced students. However, not all teachers, regardless of their Tai Chi taste and instruction level will be able to deal with a class with multiple skill levels adequately.
My mother, before she passed away in 2007, had some serious problems with balance and leg compel due to anemia and other corporal issues. She decided on her own to try a Tai Chi class not far from her apartment in New York City (I live near Philadelphia, so I didn't get to see her as often as I would have liked). She was not comfortable and felt very alienated because the educator seemed to be production no provision for integrating her into the class. She told me she was intimidated because all the other students were much more developed than she.
When she told me about this during one of my visits I was a bit perturbed. A good, experienced Tai Chi educator should make it a customary focus to be sure all his students are comfortable. No one should ever feel isolated because they are a beginner or are in any way infirm. I recommend that she try a new educator and a new class and keep going until she found the right one, because Tai Chi was exactly the type of action she needed. I demonstrated some of the form I was working on so she could see how polite it was, and she was very encouraged and excited about the expectation of trying someone else class.
Sadly, my mother suffered a stroke only a few days after my visit and never recovered. When I was next in her apartment a couple of weeks later, I noticed an entry on her calendar indicating she had literally signed up for a new class and teacher.
The chapter here for every Tai Chi student is that Tai Chi should be for everybody, regardless of age or corporal condition, but your first class and educator may not be the right ones for you. If you don't feel comfortable in the class or with the teacher, don't give up Tai Chi -- try a distinct class, and keep going until you find one that works for you.
I perceive this guidance may not work for everyone since you may be lucky to find a educator at all, but if you can find a video that works well with the style and form you are learning, and can supplement your class with learning from the video, you may be able to persevere and get through the difficulties You have with the class.
Good luck in your journey to Tai Chi fulfillment.
How to Find a Tai Chi Class Or educator
No comments:
Post a Comment