Chris Chi

Tai Chi for health & wellbeing

 

 

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What Have I Done That Really Matters

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In the documentary ‘More Than a Game‘, Dru Joyce II reflects on a decision he had to make when his son’s high school basketball coach left and Dru was asked to take over as a first year coach.

The team, St Mary St Vincent, was a potential title winning team and had a young Lebron James on the team – now a famous National Basketball Association player and rated by many as the best player in the world.

Dru said he was already making money as a businessman and, when considering the offer, he asked himself ‘what have I done that really matters?’ Well, he decided what really mattered to him at the time was to accept the role as coach.

And I suppose it’s a question many of us ask ourselves at some stage in life.

For the first half of my working life I did mainly boring jobs that did not really mean anything to me apart from collecting a wage to pay the bills.

After several years I decided to do things that really mattered to me. So I went back to university and completed a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Psychology and Media Studies.

Later I followed my passion and built a business around Tai Chi, which has given me the opportunity to travel Australia and New Zealand to run specialised Tai Chi workshops. These have included Chair Chi training for Aged Care staff and residents, as well as workshops and programs for teachers and students at both primary and secondary school level.

Looking back, I could have made a lot more money if I’d stayed working in those boring jobs. But I have no regrets, because I have done and still do now what really matters to me – and I hope also matters to others with whom I’ve worked.

Be Upright

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When I work with residents at aged care centres, running a Chair Chi session, occasionally something special happens that makes it all worthwhile.

The other day I was working with a group of residents and one was resident stooped over in his wheel chair, his back at about a 45 degree angle.

We were focusing on aligning the body vertically and I’m very careful when I teach this technique not to cause pain or aggravate any existing injuries.

I make sure the residents watch my demonstration before they consider attempting the realignment and I always say ‘if you feel any pain stop what you are doing’.

Anyway, this particular resident next to me said he suffered from ‘severe depression’ which he said is one of the reason he stoops. So I gently guided him towards a vertical alignment not expecting much change from his posture, because I’d seen him stooped several times before.

Then an amazing thing happened. As he moved his body this time, he managed to achieve an almost vertical alignment without experiencing any pain. The transformation was incredible! I asked him to work on what he had achieved each day.

Next week I hope he is part of our session again. It will be very interesting to see if he has practiced and whether he can do the alignment again. With encouragement I think he can.

I’ll keep you posted of his progress.

The Johnny Weissmuller Question

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A question I ask aged care residents when I’m running a Chair Chi workshop is “Who was Johnny Weissmuller?”

TARZAN 1934 Johnny Weissmuller by LALO VAZQUEZ

Usually one or two will know the answer.

Why ask this question? To stimulate residents’ long term memory and also to get a laugh.

This is how I go about it.

I’ll say, “Now it’s time to do the Johnny Weismuller”. I then ask “Do you know who Johnny Weissmuller was?”

Anyway, Johnny Weissmuller was a champion swimmer and a movie actor famous for his portrayal of Tarzan during the 1930s and 1940s. And when he thumped his chest with his hands and yelled, you knew he was nearby in the jungle.

I get the residents to do a milder version of Tarzan by lightly tapping their chests with their hands … but the yell is optional. Occasionally we get one or two residents who do the Tarzan yell as well. 🙂

So far the funniest response to my question was when one resident smiled and replied, “It’s Mrs Weissmuller’s husband!”

Sports Chi: Waverley Warriors Women’s Football Team

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Recently I had a very enjoyable time running my Sports Chi presentation for the Waverley Warriors women’s football team.

We covered Tai Chi basics, adapted for football, which included mindfulness, correct body structure, breathing, balance, relaxation, protecting yourself and Chi.

Twenty five women attended plus one eight old boy who did an outstanding job performing the ‘don’t think, sink’ drill. We trained for an hour and it was pleasing that the women came into the session with an open mind and were willing to have go at some drills and concepts that were different to their previous sports experiences.

Sports Chi is a concept I’ve developed that help sports people to improve their skills and performances in games. I’ve had this idea in the back of mind for a long time – to combine two of my passions, Tai Chi and Sports and now it’s time to launch it on a wider scale

We all had a few laughs with the ‘make em laugh’ drill which has a specific purpose in developing a key Tai Chi skill. I’ve used the ‘make em laugh’ drill with primary school students in our Pozitive Kidz are Happy Kidz workshops and with senior managers in business and the result is always the same – a good laugh and the learning of an important skill.

Working with the women brought back memories from the time I used to coach junior girls and women’s basketball teams in the 1970s and early 1980s besides junior boys and men’s teams.

I suppose I have always been coaching over the decades but in different environments; schools, aged care, business, etc.

Now I’ve come back to where it all started – sports.

Oh, the Pain … the Pain

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Sydney Workshop Participants

One of my favourite quotes from the 1960s American television show, Lost in Space, was uttered by Dr Smith.

He would often cry ‘oh, the pain the pain’ when facing a difficult situation. It always provided me with a good laugh.

But it is not laughable when you are the one suffering pain.

Last year I was running our Aged Care Chair Training Level Two workshop which has a Pain Management component and I received positive feedback from a participant. He also provided me with information about two leading researchers in the area of ‘pain management’ who run conferences called Explain Pain.. Their next conference was scheduled for Christchurch, New Zealand later that year so I decided to attend to learn what the current Western research is on pain management.

While in Christchurch I also took the opportunity to deliver our own first international Aged Care Chair Chi Training Level One workshop after the Ease Pain conference.

Anyway, when I got back from the conference and with the help of my colleague, Sue James, I decided to create a workshop called Ease Pain … the Chi way using practical skills from Tai Chi and Chi Kung (energy work).

This year we launched our first Ease Pain … the Chi way in Sydney and it was well received. We’ve scheduled more workshops in various Victorian Country areas and interstate and I’m looking forward to our next Ease Pain .. the Chi way workshop in Echuca on the 25th of June. Here’s a link to our complete Australian and New Zealand 2018 schedule.

This particular workshop is designed for anyone, not just aged care staff.

So if you find yourself saying ‘Oh, the pain, the pain’ then come along to one of our workshop and learn how to ease the pain.