by Jocelyn Watkin | Jan 6, 2020 | Information |
This is a post from January 2020.
When: Sunday mornings, 9 – 9.45am, starting on Sunday 5 January 2020 and every Sunday morning in January and February (weather permitting).
When: Tuesday evenings, 6 – 6.45pm, starting on Tuesday 7 January 2020 and every Tuesday evening in January and February (weather permitting)
Where: Pohutukawa Drive in Cornwall Park, Auckland 1051. Refer to map: Tai chi will be under the trees to the left of Pohutukawa Drive, about half-way up this road (when entering Cornwall Park from Greenlane Road West). Look for the signs and your instructors in red Kia Ora Tai Chi shirts. Details on how to get to Cornwall Park
What to wear: Loose, comfortable clothing, sun hat, sun block and flat shoes. Please bring insect repellent and a drink bottle of water.
Ideal for beginners. All ages welcome. Just come along. No need to RSVP.
What happens if it is wet? The cancellation notice will be posted on the Kia Ora Tai Chi facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/kiaorataichi/ Or you can ask Jocelyn by text on 027 493 9851.
by Jocelyn Watkin | Jul 19, 2019 | Information |
Note: This is a post from July 2019
If you want to get fitter without puffing, feel healthier and live stronger for longer, then tai chi can help you.
If this sounds like something you want then the team at Kia Ora Tai Chi would love to hear from you. We are looking for adults of any age and ability, who are keen to make a regular commitment to learning tai chi.
To find out if tai chi is for you, please come along to one or both of the free “taster sessions” on Monday 29th and Wednesday 31st July 2019, in Manurewa.
To RSVP or to ask questions about the classes, please use the Contact Form
After the free sessions, we encourage anyone who can attend AT LEAST once per week to enrol in a new tai chi class for beginners, which will start on Monday 5th and Wednesday 7th August 2019, 6.30 – 7.15pm.
Cost of classes: The classes on the 29th and 31st of July 2019 are FREE. After that, prices start from $9.50 per class. A discount is available for those who are referred by ACC and Age Concern for the Community Group Strength and Balance Exercise programme (“Live Stronger for Longer”). You must be aged 65+ to be referred.
What to wear: Please wear loose comfortable clothing and flat-soled shoes (such as sneakers, trainers or tennis shoes). Please also bring a drinking bottle of water.
Here at Kia Ora Tai Chi, we are all constantly amazed at the health improvements that our students tell us about once they attend our classes on a regular basis:
- sleeping better at night
- finding it easier to go up and down stairs
- improved breathing, with less wheezing or feeling like they’ve ‘run out of breath’
- playing with their children or grandchildren for longer without getting tired
- lowering their high blood pressure
- feeling more flexible and moving better with less aches and pains
- better balance/less falls
- feeling better all over and less stressed
- toned muscles.
Learn how to reduce stress with tai chi
There have been hundreds of clinical studies over many years that confirm the health benefits of tai chi, especially for the Tai Chi for Health programmes that we teach at Kia Ora Tai Chi. You can read more about these clinical studies here.
One aspect consistent across all studies and trials is that none of these benefits happen overnight or after just one class. The trials take place over several weeks, sometimes several months, and the people being studied do tai chi at least 2 -3 times per week.
Most of my students attend at least one class per week, often two, and several practice between each class.
We are now looking for a group of new beginners who accept that their health and well-being is worth a regular commitment to tai chi.
Find out more about Kia Ora Tai Chi classes, how to get to the venue, and what to expect.
Discover more health benefits from tai chi.
Want to know even more about tai chi? Click here
Please RSVP for the free classes on the 29th and 31st July 2019 by using the Contact Form. You are welcome to attend one one or both of these classes.
Come along and say kia ora. We’d love to see you. We’re a friendly bunch at a great venue that has lots of free parking.
A Kia Ora Tai Chi class
by Jocelyn Watkin | Jul 8, 2019 | Information |
Sadly, there is no magic, instant cure for the common cold.
Depending on your immune system, plus how much time and rest you can give yourself, most people will overcome a cold virus in just over a week or so.
However, being aware of the risk factors of catching a cold and reducing those risks can help avoid or reduce the severity of a cold.
There are five broad risk factors:
- Lack of sleep
- Stress
- Age
- Season
- Smoking
Tai chi can really help with the first three.
Sleep: Rest and getting enough sleep is vital for good health. Nearly everyone who attends my tai chi classes mentions how they always get a better night’s sleep after class. It’s not just the exercise that helps you to sleep. It’s also the calming effect of the deep breathing and the slow, smooth continuous movements of tai chi.
If you do get a cold or other illness, try to rest and sleep as much as possible as it will help with your recovery.
Stress: Relieving stress goes hand-in-hand with rest and a good night’s sleep in terms of helping to reduce the risk of catching a cold. Numerous studies and clinical trials have proven the tai chi can reduce stress
Studies at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh suggest that psychological stress can raise your risk of developing a cold. They suggest it affects how the stress hormone cortisol works. This hormone regulates inflammation in your body. When you’re under stress, cortisol may be less effective at managing your body’s inflammatory response to the cold virus. This may cause you to develop a cold. Read more about this
To minimise stress Carnegie Mellon University recommends a number of techniques, which include tai chi. Discover these techniques
Click here to read an article I wrote on how to use tai chi breathing to bust stress in just a few minutes per day.
Age: Children and older people are more at risk of getting a cold. In children, this is because their immune systems are not fully developed. In older adults, it is because their immunity levels drop as part of the ageing process. Clinical trials have concluded that regular sessions of tai chi may boost the immune systems of older adults and could also help to improve the effectiveness of vaccines, including the ‘flu vaccine. You can read more about these trials here:
Season: Just because the weather is cold, doesn’t mean you’ll get a cold. However, you’ll probably spend more time indoors in the winter months and that means more ‘rubbing shoulders’ with other people. You can lower your risk with good hygiene like washing your hands and lower the risk to others by staying home when you are sick and covering your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough.
Smoking: Smoking compromises your immunity levels and second-hand smoke can disrupt immunity in others. If you smoke, talk to your health professional about how to quit.
While some risk factors are hard to control, others can be managed. Regular practice of tai chi could lower your chances of catching a cold.
Read more about the risk factors for the common cold here
Related information: A cold fact: High stress can make you sick
by Jocelyn Watkin | Mar 7, 2019 | Information |
This is a post from March 2019.
Kia Ora Tai Chi has partnered with Cornwall Park to offer four FREE tai chi lessons at their Park Life event, which will be held on Saturday 30 March, 2019, 11am – 4pm. (If wet, the event will be held on Saturday 6 April).
The tai chi sessions will be:
- 11 – 11.45am: Tai chi for beginners – Learn easy, flowing steps of this ancient Chinese martial art. Low impact, fun, family-friendly and ideal for all age groups. (Note: This will be the same tai chi that we taught at the “Summer Tai Chi in Cornwall Park” sessions.)
- 12 – 12.45pm: Yang-style tai chi – Join in to do the 24-step and combined 42-step forms. It is fun to watch or jump in and have a go in the spirit of “Let’s play tai chi together”.
- 2 – 2.45pm: Tai chi as moving meditation – Learn how to relax and de-stress with special tai chi movements. Once learned you can do these anytime, anywhere. Gentle on your joints and ideal for beginners of all ages.
- 3 – 3.45pm: Tai chi for beginners – Learn easy, flowing steps of this ancient Chinese martial art. Low impact, fun, family-friendly and ideal for all age groups. (Note: This will be a repeat of the 11 – 11.45am session.)
Location: Same as for “Summer Tai Chi in Cornwall Park”. Under the big trees on the left-hand-side of Pohutukawa Drive (as you come up from Greenlane Road). Look for the tai chi signs and the Kia Ora Tai Chi team wearing red shirts.
What to wear:
- Comfy clothes and shoes
- A sun hat, sun block and insect repellent
- Bring a sweatshirt or jacket in case of cool weather. Please bring a water bottle, too.
No need to RSVP. Just come along and join in with your friends and family. A big thank you to the Cornwall Park Trust Board for funding these sessions so everyone can enjoy learning tai chi for free.
Get that summery feeling back with tai chi in Cornwall Park
More about Park Life
This is a free event celebrating nature, exploration and all the things you can experience in the park, which will be closed for motorised traffic. With no cars, you will be able to freely roam the 425 acres of land while discovering activities, games, performances, food and more that will be spread throughout the park!
When: Saturday 30 March, 2019, 11am – 4pm
Bring your friends, whānau, a picnic, and your walking shoes for a free fun-filled day in the park.
Find out more:
by Jocelyn Watkin | Feb 19, 2019 | Information |
Note: This workshop has taken place. Contact Kia Ora Tai Chi to find out when the next workshop will be.
Worried about stress or your health? Struggling to find time to keep fit? Sign up for a tai chi workshop which will help you.
In just three hours, you’ll learn how you can reduce stress and increase your strength and fitness. Tai chi can be done at work, at home and almost anywhere. You won’t need fancy shoes, special clothes or any equipment.
At the workshop, you’ll be taught a very special form of tai chi called: Tai Chi for Arthritis (TCA). It is safer and easier to learn than other tai chi programmes. Clinical and medical studies confirm that TCA helps to relieve stress and pain, reduce falls, increase strength and improve the quality of life.
You don’t have to have arthritis to feel the health benefits of this amazing programme. But, if you do have arthritis, it is more likely you can do this type of tai chi than any other. Dr Paul Lam, of the Tai Chi for Health Institute, developed this programme with the help of a team of medical and tai chi experts. Come along to have a go for yourself.
Your instructor will be Jocelyn Watkin.
This workshop is open to anyone, even if you’ve never tried tai chi before and is ideal for high school students and adults of any age, who are any of the following:
- First time beginners.
- Need to get fitter and/or stronger.
- Feel stressed or worried about their general health.
- Curious about tai chi.
- Are missing Jocelyn’s Summer Tai Chi in Cornwall Park session and are keen to learn more tai chi.
- Jocelyn’s current students (those who attend her evening classes at Clayton Park School), who want to incorporate more depth into their practice of TCA.
You won’t be on your feet for the whole 3-hour workshop. There will be the chance to rest and sit down several times to listen and learn about the medical background to TCA, why it works and also to watch a demonstration. You can also do tai chi while seated at any stage.
When: Sunday 3 March, 2019: 9.30am – 12.30pm
Venue: The Mercy Spirituality Centre, 104 The Drive, Epsom, which has free parking on site. Refer to map.
Price: $40 per person, payable before the workshop.
Please register/RSVP by Tuesday 26 February, 2019: send a text or phone text or phone the instructor, Jocelyn Watkin on 027 493 9851 or use the Contact Form
Places are limited to no more than 14 participants
Cancellation policy: Full refund if you cancel by 26 February 2019. 50% refund if you cancel between 27 Feb to 1st March. No refunds after 1st March.
This workshop is for you if you want to learn how to reduce stress and to improve your flexibility and balance and to increase muscular strength and fitness with tai chi.
Find out more
