Sports & Activities	UPDATED: Friday, September 14, 2007
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Tai chi makes students focus to relax, become healthy

Posted on Friday, September 14, 2007

By DAVID BLACKBURN

OWENSBORO, Ky. (AP) — To get the most out of tai chi, there are certain things you don't do, said an instructor of the slow-motion martial art.

One is trying to get a lot out of it quickly, said Patty Sheaffer, 59, of Owensboro.

You let the ability come to you, not the other way around, she said.

''I only want you to give 70 percent of what you're capable of,'' Sheaffer told three barefoot students in the Owensboro Medical Health System HealthPark aerobics room during one of her twice-weekly classes.

Above a soft soundtrack of chirping birds and gurgling water, Sheaffer's quiet voice taught the flowing moves that, with mental focus and breathing, form tai chi's big three elements.

When all three are done properly, the body responds better, the movements become easier and students can more easily raise their capabilities at their 70 percent level, she said.

''Your potential actually gets better,'' said Sheaffer, a black belt in, and former teacher of, tae kwon do who has studied tai chi (pronounced ''ty gee'') for six years.

The mind has to be constantly focused on keeping the proper postures, said Carl Meeks, a former kung fu black belt and instructor and 17-year tai chi student.

With experience comes the ability to focus more on breathing, which increases oxygen flow in the body, said Meeks, a director at the Yang Chenfu Tai Chi Chuan Center in Louisville.

''It engages the mind and the body together,'' he said. ''You're paying attention to your whole body.''

Meeks helped lead a tai chi workshop in January at the First Presbyterian Church in Owensboro and worked a booth there at the recent Multicultural Festival.

With all that concentration comes a seemingly contradictory benefit that tai chi advocates say is its biggest appeal — relaxation.

People constantly focus on jobs, families and other factors that make for a busy life, said Winny Lin, a First Presbyterian member who took the workshop.

''We rush so much'' and get little stress relief, Lin said.

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''Many of the students I teach do it for that,'' Sheaffer said.

''It is very relaxing,'' said Priscilla Finnell of Spencer Drive after her first class with Sheaffer following a one-year layoff from tai chi.

''I noticed how my balance was better,'' said Finnell, who is in her early 70s. ''I feel better doing it.''

''It helps center you,'' said Susan Brown, 51, of Maceo, who grew up in Hawaii intrigued by watching a large Asian population practice the Chinese-born discipline.

She joined Sheaffer's class at the urging of friend Katherine Howell, 48, a former student of Sheaffer's who is seeking relief from a stressful job.

''For me, it was a way to get back in an exercise program'' following a 12-year layoff because of work, building a house and laziness, Howell said.

Besides breathing, part of tai chi's calming influence comes from a full-body workout even though the constant, deliberate movements are cold-taffy slow.

Many of those movements involve twisting the body, relieving stress on the muscles by the heart, spleen, lungs, kidneys, liver and other organs, Sheaffer said.

''You can actually massage those organs in your body,'' she said.

Muscles get toned and bone density improves since it is considered a weight-bearing exercise, Meeks said.

Research shows it helps the autoimmune system, bringing relief from diabetes, cancer fatigue, high blood pressure, lupus and other conditions, he said.

''It's not a cure, but it helps. It relieves some of the symptoms of those illnesses,'' Meeks said. ''It helps you naturally realign the body.''

Because every joint is involved, ''it's good for older people with arthritis or joint problems,'' said Sheaffer, who can modify movements for older students if needed.

Sheaffer found tai chi a good therapy after a 41-year hairstyling career left her with arthritis in both shoulders and two rotator cuff surgeries.

''It's a smooth transition from having surgery to get your range of motion back,'' she said. ''I've found how you can get in better shape than before surgery.''

Meeks is helping plan a 2009 international symposium that will bring together masters of five tai chi styles for seminars, training and research comparison.

The event, which will likely be in Louisville, will also be a cultural exchange that will help promote tai chi and its benefits to any age, economic background or fitness level, he said.