Introduction to Tai-Chi at the Children's Museum:
Experience the gentleness and power of Tai-Chi !

To read more about Tai-Chi, click here .

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Join this three-class Tai-Chi introduction,

Wednesdays March 24th, March 31st, and April 7th from 6:30 to 7:30pm

Location: The Children's Museum, 10 King Street West, Kitchener, ON N2G 1A3 - Click here to view a map

Fees: $36 for the 3 classes, or $15 per individual class

Registration:

Registration is via the Children's Museum. Please call (519) 749-9387, visit http://www.thechildrensmuseum.ca or fill in the museum's contact form here.

Class Outline:

With this session you will learn several 5 to 15 minutes exercises:

• Warming-up exercises to develop muscle tone, introduced in the context of their Tai-Chi application and health benefits,

• Joint loosening exercises,

• A 5-move graceful Tai-Chi form called "Four Directions Tai-Chi". Moves are broken down to understand their martial application and health benefits.

• An enjoyable QiGong sequence.

Why should I attend?

You will explore how relaxed coordinated movement help center the mind, relieve stress, benefit health, and improve athletic performance.
Several short and easy-to-learn exercises will be taught, including a Tai-Chi form and a QiGong routine. Handouts will enable participants to continue practicing on their own. This program is more suitable to adults, but we found that motivated teens also enjoy it a lot!

Patricia Beretta developed an original wellness system based on Tai-Chi and QiGong, providing busy professionals and parents with a feasible self-care program to relax and recharge their energy. With an enjoyable practice of 10 to 15 minutes daily, anyone can experience a real difference and cope better with life's stressors.

How can this help with relaxation, health as wells as athlete's performance?

Slow exercises have been developed in China many centuries ago to help martial artists stay in good health, to heal diseases, and for Buddhist monks' spiritual development. The premise of the Chinese health system is that our vital force permeates our entire body, providing vitality and supporting all body and mind functions. This vital force or energy is called Qi, pronounced "tchi", and also spelt Chi or Ki.

Tai-Chi and QiGong are slow exercises with deep breathing, graceful movement and relaxed motor control that improve oxygenation and help Qi flow freely in our body. Free flow of Qi calms the mind and also promotes good health. Understanding the martial application of each posture and move enables you to position your body more accurately, with more relaxation and proper joint alignment. As a result, the form will have optimum benefits on health because energy will flow freely. Also, athletes report that they are able to bring Tai-Chi key principles into their discipline and improve their performance, for example with running, tennis, karate etc.

Who can Attend?

No prior Tai-Chi experience or of any other form of exercise is needed. Exercises are simple and suitable to all. They are enjoyed by people who never exercise as well as by athletes and martial artists. If you have some Tai-Chi or QiGong experience, you will be interested in learning short routines that you will find a very powerful adjunct to your current practice. Adjustments will be shown if you find some positions inadequate for you. You should in any case check with your doctor whether Tai-Chi is suitable for you.

How Should I Prepare:

Make sure you wear loose comfortable clothing. You can practice barefoot, with socks or indoor shoes as long as they are comfortable and provide the right level of support and grip. Indoor shoes tend to me more comfortable in the winter season. For examples of footwear, click here. Enjoy a light dinner prior to joining, but avoid a heavy meal 2 hours prior to the class. Bring yours favorite drink in a closed container. There is no need for props.

About the Instructor, Patricia Béretta:

The pace of corporate life in the biomedical sector made Patricia Béretta develop a regular routine for stamina and stress relief. With a short Tai-Chi sequence she found that she could recharge and relax in only 10-15 minutes daily. Patricia later trained as a Shiatsu Therapist and Acupuncturist. She studied exercises and stretches that open the main energy pathways of the body, and began to regularly practice breathing exercises.

This original curriculum was designed using her athletic and Tai-Chi experiences. Patricia also leverages her clinical skills and brings together a series of gentle exercises that significantly help with stamina, body tension, and stress.