Jul 1, 2008 6:51 pm US/Central
Tai Chi: An Ancient Stress Reliever
(WCCO)
If your life is a little too stressful, you could relax a little by learning tai chi.
Dozens of people are learning tai chi in St. Paul this summer and the lessons are free.
"This is not a new fad, this is something that has evolved over thousands of years," said Colin Snow, a tai chi Instructor..
Rice Park in downtown St. Paul is a naturally relaxing place, so it's a perfect venue for a newcomer's first exposure to the most common form of exercise in the world.
"The movements are done very, very slowly, not mechanically, so that the movement can then become a meditation," said Snow.
Snow came from Great Britain five years ago. The St. Paul Public Library pays him to teach what they call free tai chi.
"And we thought, if we're going to invest some time and resources, lets get the best to show library patrons what tai chi is all about," said Sheree Savage, from the St. Paul Public Library.
The people who try it seem to like it.
"I started coming here to use the Internet at the library and I saw the posting for tai chi, so I figured, ya know, why not try it," said Jermaine Thomas, a tai chi student.
"Its about presence, it's about bringing ourselves into our physical body," said Snow.
"I like how it's relaxing. Usually at lunch you sit on the computer and stress yourself out more, so this is much different, much better," said Ellen Konerza, another tai chi student.
Snow will teach three more 45-minute lessons in Rice Park, every Tuesday at 12:15 p.m.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
