“Calm” is not a word we hear much right now and not something many of us may feel. In our country currently, regardless of political viewpoints, the air is filled with uncertainty, transition, anxiety. I have heard those sentiments in my classes the past two weeks, with big change ahead. “Change” in itself can be anxiety-producing, because we don’t know what’s up ahead. And, the one constant in life is “change”.

So, we focused our attention in class on breathing, on our familiar Tai Chi moves, gentle, slow, and soothing. Tai Chi can be a meditation in motion, emptying out the chatter in our heads by focusing on our bodies through shifting weight and circulating life-giving Qi throughout our body. Tai Chi can be an effective tool for dealing with anxiety, reducing stress, dealing with the unknown and it feels so good.

Many students commented that they felt so much better after class, more refreshed and with renewed energy. Being with like-minded individuals, moving energy together is very powerful. Together we create a positive, calming energy that can be difficult to create alone. As I said at the close of class yesterday as we together honored and saluted the energy of Tai Chi, “Let’s bottle up this energy and take it home with us.”