About This Activity
Description
This activity is closed to further registration.
Tai Chi has been described as an exercise for health, conducive to both mental and physical well-being. Recent research has shown that Tai Chi has important anti-aging effects upon its practitioners. Tai Chi, in addition to just extending life, can prevent falls in older adults in the community and improve osteoarthritis, Parkinson disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cognitive functioning. Looking at general health Tai Chi to improves balance, flexibility, and aerobic capacity.
Dr. Bennett's approach, Somatic Tai Chi is a new way of learning and understanding the classical movement art of Tai Chi. This special class emphasizes Tai Chi as a movement discipline for physical and mental relaxation; gaining flexibility, body awareness, and balance. Exercises stressing self-awareness allow students to learn the art of Tai Chi with unique understanding and speed. This class provides an introduction to the basic exercises and techniques of Tai Chi. In this special session, Dr. Bennett, for the first time, will teach students Part I of the Yang Family Secret Long Form. This form is attributed to the founder of the Yang family style, Yang Lu-chan (1799–1872). It is said that when the Yang family was called to the Emperor’s court, they taught a shortened form, keeping this form “secret. Part I is a wonderful introduction to Tai Chi with unique movements not found in other forms. In addition, students will receive chapters of Dr. Bennett’s upcoming book, A Journey into Tai Chi. The class is appropriate for people with no experience as well as for those people with backgrounds in Tai Chi, body movement, dance, or martial arts. Individuals of all ages are welcome.
This class is taught by Bradford C. Bennett, Ph.D. & Susan Spengler, MS.
Dr. Bennett has been devoted to the practice of Tai Chi for more than 35 years. He was introduced to Tai Chi by H. H. Lui in San Francisco and studied with him for 10 years. During more than 30 years of teaching, Dr. Bennett has taught classes and workshops around the United States. He currently organizes and teaches at two retreats a year in California and has a private practice in somatic education, combining his study with Thomas Hanna, PhD, with his Tai Chi experience. He has published articles on both Tai Chi and somatic education. His most recent article, The Somatic Work of Thomas Hanna, Tai Chi, and Kinesiology, in Kinesiology Review can be found on his web site https://www.westeastsomatics.com.
Ms. Spengler studied Chi Lin Chuan Kung Fu with Nina Spadaro in Morgantown, WV, from 1996 to 2003. Spadaro’s teaching style focused on providing a solid grounding in the basic principles of martial arts and deliberate movement. After completing graduate school, Ms. Spengler was looking for a class that would build on the existing foundation from her years practicing Kung Fu. She began studying Tai Chi Chuan with Dr. Bennett over 10 years ago. This style of Tai Chi is an excellent complement to Chi Lin Chuan Kung Fu, involving more circular moves and is generally less physically intense but with the same core principles of stability and deliberate movement. Ms. Spengler began teaching Tai Chi in 2013.
Age Group
All Ages
Location
Greenwood Community Center
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