By Julia Boyle
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE
With smooth, flowing movements, 20 adults sweep their outstretched arms from right to left, left to right. Their knees are soft and their bodies follow their arms, like long leaves of seaweed waving in the current. A sense of calm permeates the room and washes over every body.
Jerry Landsman, the resident tai chi instructor at Cedar Crest in Pompton Plains, leads his class through choreographed movements just as he has been doing for the past five years. “It’s fun; they all like it and feel it’s helping their health, which in many cases it really does,” he says.
The gentle martial art
The low-impact, Chinese martial art consists of slow, flowing, meditative movements with major components— posture, meditation, and breath regulation.
Anyone, regardless of age, can combine these components in various ways for a range of intensity—from slow and mild to dynamic and vigorous. One can practice it standing, sitting, walking, or lying down. This is good news for people wanting to reap the gentle martial art’s benefits of health and longevity.
Health enthusiasts often promote and practice tai chi to improve balance, increase strength and flexibility, decrease blood pressure, and reduce pain from diseases such as arthritis and Parkinson’s.
“About 95% of people who learn tai chi practice it for its health benefits, and only 5% do it for its martial arts purpose,” says Master William Ting of Silver Tiger Tai Chi Studio in Mount Laurel.
Who benefits from tai chi?
Because it engages the mind and body through low-impact exercise, tai chi appeals to many people as they grow older.
“Younger people do not usually have the attention span or patience to go slow, so faster movements captivate their interest. Later, when they mature or improve, they will naturally slow down,” Ting says.