Theresa Browne

T’ai Chi Instructor, Lineage Wei Dou Xi

Theresa came to the practice of t’ai chi ch’uan after a period of limited physical capability brought on by fibromyalgia. After being introduced to this gentle series of movements, Theresa was able to start moving, very slowly, regaining limited range of motion. It has been life changing.

Since t’ai chi is an individual practice, there is no pressure to perform strenuous movements to keep up with the crowd. The first exercise is to learn how to belly breathe. Using our diaphragms to fill our lungs drives breath deep into the lower lobes of the lungs and away from tense, upper-clavicle breathing that introduces stress in the neck, shoulders and upper back. Sounds relaxing. It is.

The second exercise is to learn how to walk … t’ai chi walk! We learn how to separate the placement of the advancing foot from the shifting of our weight onto that foot. The effect is that of flowing or gliding forward, always conscious of the center of gravity. Sounds like balancing weight. It does.

Finally, and ongoing, we begin learning a series of movements, called a form. Theresa teaches a simplified t’ai chi ch’uan form that consists of 24 separate sets of movements. As each class builds on the one before, one new form introduced in each class, the result is a united, 24-form exercise set that is performed over 6 to 7 minutes. Sounds like fun. Yes!