Seated tai chi is among the courses being offered in instructor trainings at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center in February and March.
Tai chi can bring wellness to the body, mind and spirit with consistent practice but trying to find a teacher or starting a practice on your own can be challenging. A growing number of senior centers in Alaska are finding tai chi instructors as a result of an effort funded by the State of Alaska to hold "train the trainer" workshops. The goal is to bring tai chi to as many of Alaska's communities as possible by recruiting community members to become leaders in health as certified instructors with the Tai Chi for Health Institute.
In February and March of 2023, Linda Ebeling, a Master Trainer with the Tai Chi for Health Institute, will teach instructor training workshops at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center for Tai Chi for Arthritis and Falls Prevention Part 2, Seated Tai Chi for Arthritis, and Tai Chi for Diabetes. These forms have blended modern medicine with traditional tai chi movements to enhance the safety of participants and yield the greatest health benefits possible. Chief amongst these health improvements is improved balance and a marked reduction of falls, which led the National Council on Aging to endorse the Tai Chi for Arthritis form for falls prevention.
Future instructors and students do not need to have arthritis or diabetes to learn or perform the movements. These forms will provide health benefits to all participants, regardless of whether you have a chronic health condition or not. No prior experience with tai chi is necessary before deciding to begin training to become a certified tai chi instructor. Contact Dana Paperman at ssc@seward.net for more information about the upcoming trainings and becoming an instructor in your community.
