A seated Tai Chi practice can have both physical and emotional health benefits.
Interview with Ralph Somack, PhD — Tai Chi Instructor
Tai Chi instructor, Ralph Somack, has taught tai chi to seniors, people with dementia, stroke survivors, people using wheelchairs and this week begins to teach a seated tai class to people who are blind or visually impaired. Somack, an octogenarian, continues to take on new challenges of modifying tai practices such as qigong, bagua, and Xing Yi for those who want to alleviate stress. In addition, Somack has seen his students benefit from increased self-esteem, ambidexterity, an Increased awareness of themselves as well as others, and a sense of where they are in time and space. To register for Somack’s online classes sponsored by BORP, visit this webpage for the Tuesday 10 am Pacific Seated Tai Chi class or here for the new Tai Chi class for Blind and Visually Impaired Participants on Wednesdaya at 10:30 am Pacific. You can watch videos of Somack’s classes. Here is an earlier Glass Half Full podcast episode about qigong and a short video about qigong.
Imagine if your physician not only understood your invisible chronic illness but also had experience healing her own autoimmune illness. That physician could be Cynthia Li.
Dr. Cynthia Li talks about her book, Brave New Medicine, and answers my questions covering everything
from autoimmune illness, functional vs. integrative medicine, the writing
process, to the role intuition played in her healing process and now plays a
role in her medical practice.
Dr. Li mentions the organization, HeartMath Institute, in this episode. To read Dr. Li’s 2014 (pre-Brave New Medicine publication) contribution to the San Francisco Medicine Journal, check page 19.
If you’ve joined me on this Self-Care Challenge since the first month, thank you! I hope you’re progressing well, learning a lot, and achieving a few goals you may have set for yourself. If you’re new to the Challenge, feel free to join us now. Briefly, here’s what you’ve missed.
The first month we spent identifying symptoms and/or health challenges we’d like to work on. I introduced you to six categories of Self-Care practices. We became familiar with the Health Storylines app. During Month 2 we focused on Diet & Nutrition. In the Glass Half Full Group on Facebook we shared information related to Diet & Nutrition. You’re welcome to join this group at any time to deepen your exploration of self-care practices.
The challenge this month is all about moving your body, and it’s not just called Exercise. That’s a scary word for some people. Even scarier for me is the term…physical education. That brings back miserable memories for me throughout elementary, middle, and high school. The competition, humiliation, and mandatory one piece gym suits never fostered a love of exercise. But I did enjoy other activities involving movement. I loved dancing in high school and college and never thought about it as exercise.
Recently I purchased a Fitbit Charge 2 device which I wear daily. The data feeds into the Health Storylines app. The wrist device tracks my steps which motivates me to walk more. There are days when I don’t officially exercise but do house and garden chores and I can hit 10,000 steps. That’s movement and it certainly counts.
But my feet and legs don’t work as well as they used to. I have drop foot and often am too fatigued to walk. That’s when classes such as gentle yoga and chair fitness classes are a big help. I’ve attended a variety of chair yoga classes and tomorrow I’m going to a Seated Tai Chi class. Adaptive exercise classes are wonderful.
But maybe you don’t have these adaptive exercise course offerings where you live? Or perhaps you just don’t want to leave your home? That’s when the DVD player becomes your coach. I am a big fan of gentle exercise DVDs especially when it’s hot outside and I don’t feel like driving to the gym. Here are some of my favorites: Yoga for the Rest of Us, Chair Dancing through the Decades, Simple Qigong, Sitting Fit Anytime, and Tai Cheng.
Join us in the Facebook group for a month-long focus on moving our bodies. I’ll share some evidence-based research studies as well as ideas for boosting your daily physical activity.
YouTube is a great place to find motivating movement video segments; here are a couple from the Glass Half Full archives:
