The 黑料吃瓜网 River shimmers in the sun as I take my first tai chi class at Great River Park in East Hartford.
Tai chi is a slow-moving martial art famous for its ability to strengthen both mind and body. And it's unlike any workout class I鈥檝e ever taken.
My instructor, , began the lesson on a recent weekend with daoyin 鈥� a series of exercises that are graceful and slow, but require control and balance.
She begins calling out movements. 鈥淪hun shun tui zhou,鈥� or 鈥減ush the boat downstream,鈥� is demonstrated with the delicate grace of a flower in the wind.
There are other forms we go through as well: 鈥減eng niao zhan chi鈥� also known as 鈥渁 roc spreads its wings,鈥� and 鈥渢ui chuang wang yue,鈥� translated as 鈥減ush the window open to look at the moon.鈥� There鈥檚 even an intriguingly-named movement called, 鈥渓ao wen fu ran,鈥� or 鈥渢he god of longevity strokes his beard.鈥�
The dance is deceptively simple at first, but it takes quite a bit of energy to control the slow flow of limbs and hold them in a pose. It鈥檚 unlike yoga and Pilates.
Khow focuses quite a bit on something called the dantien.
鈥淒antien is your body鈥檚 center, [it] has the energy, the chi,鈥� she says.
I feel below my belly button 鈥� Khow says that鈥檚 where the dantien is 鈥� and I breathe in and out trying to 鈥渟ense鈥� my dantien, like she says. For now, I just feel my belly and send it some loving, non-judgmental thoughts.
鈥淵ou can use [tai chi] for exercise, and also you can use the movement for self defense, and ... dancing 鈥� very beautiful,鈥� Khow says.
It certainly is beautiful when Khow moves. Me? I feel somewhat klutzy, scrambling to glide from one movement into the next. Next to me, Dan Thompson of East Hartford is also trying out tai chi for the first time.
鈥淪he鈥檚 got like a dancer鈥檚 body,鈥� Thompson, 70, says of Khow. 鈥淪he knows what she鈥檚 doing. And decades of practice. This is something to strive for. When I鈥檓 90, I鈥檒l be doing perfect tai chi.鈥�
Also here 鈥� Wendy Kwalwasser from Hartford.
鈥淭oday is my 75th birthday,鈥� she shares.
She鈥檚 a regular at these classes organized by .
鈥淭his setting is just exquisite by the river,鈥� Kwalwasser says. 鈥淚 try and come as often as I can.鈥�
