Aging is inevitable, becoming decrepit is not. Really!
Somehow many of us have bought into the idea that we have reached the top of the hill and are racing down the other side.
We accept the notion that we “can’t” more often than we need to. We have been brainwashed into thinking that as we age we will eventually need to use a cane, or a walker or even a wheelchair. Somehow someone talked us into believing that it is inevitable for us to get fragile, lose our balance and flexibility.
Did this loss of mobility just happen between one day and the next? Barring an accident or sudden illness, likely the slowing down we blame on aging has simply crept up upon us. We just weren’t paying attention.
Thank goodness there are people studying the “aging” population. Thank goodness they are discovering that people can stop that race to decrepitude. It is not all downhill … in reality; quite nearly everyone can regain balance, strength and flexibility.
It just takes two things … a positive attitude and a commitment to doing something about it. OK, it takes three things. Attitude, commitment, and physically doing something to reverse the decline.
Sudbury has many opportunities for older people to get active: tai chi, yoga, and Stand Up programs for starters.
I’ve seen lots of people get their lives back over the past eight years by participating in Taoist Tai Chi. A few of the personal journeys have been phenomenal.
A woman in her early 70s came to learn tai chi in the very first class I taught three years ago. She came because it was getting hard for her to get up the three stairs into her house. She was on the verge of using a walker.
Instead she came to tai chi classes. Within the first year she went from grasping the railing to shovelling the snow from the sidewalk for our classmates. I’m still amazed at this.
We are very lucky in Sudbury to have several Taoist Tai Chi classes available each week. This woman went to at least five classes a week for that first year. Her positive attitude, commitment and follow through with physically doing something has paid off big for her.
And for the tai chi group in Sudbury. She continues to come to classes, helps others to learn, sweeps the floors and moves snow when needed. This is the culture of community.
Taoist Tai Chi Society classes in Sudbury are taught entirely by volunteers. We’re part of a much larger organization that spans 26 countries all around the world.
I am one of those volunteer instructors as well as a student.
I’ve been to classes all around northern Ontario, and half dozen locations in the south. Opportunities for learning, gaining more flexibility, balance, and peace of mind are all part of the program.
Beginning classes in Sudbury start January 8. Check out the web page here. Be sure to click the button to show nearby locations. Or search for Tai Chi Sudbury to get to the Facebook page.
From there you can find a link to frequently asked questions, a video that describes all the benefits of tai chi, and detailed class information. Check out www.taoist.org for even more detailed info.
Viki Mather has been commenting for Northern Life on the natural world and life in Greater Sudbury since the spring of 1984. Got a question or idea for Viki? Send an email to [email protected].
