Latest evidence suggests that both tai chi and qigong have a positive impact on immune system functioning and inflammatory responses.
The worldwide Covid-19 pandemic has driven more research into medical interventions and options that improve immunity and recovery.
The quest has been wide-ranging and has included the effect that tai chi and qigong have on our immune responses.
During 2020, a group of medical specialists and researchers from hospitals inSydney and Seoul and also from the Harvard, Stamford and Sydney Medical Schools collaborated on a systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 full-text randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for tai chi and qigong. These 19 RCTs involved 1,686 participants in total.
The conclusion: Current evidence indicates that practising tai chi and qigong has a positive impact on immune system functioning and inflammatory responses. Read more: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6320/7/7/39/htm
Please bear in mind that these RCTs required people to practice tai chi or qigong at least twice per week and for at least several weeks. The positive effect on your health and wellbeing from tai chi and qigong can’t happen if you only try it once or twice and then stop. You need to practice regularly. There are very few things in this world that work with just one dose.
Please also note that while the review confirmed tai chi and qigong have a positive impact on immune system functioning and inflammatory responses, it did NOT prove that these activities prevent you from catching Covid-19 or other diseases.
Additional activities that can help you to boost your immunity levels are:
Maintaining a healthy diet
Getting enough sleep
Keeping hydrated, especially in summer and also when exercising
Minimising stress
If you have any concerns about Covid-19 or other health matters, please talk to your doctor and other fully-qualified medical professionals.
Wouldn’t it feel great to have a dimmer switch for stress? Imagine the relief to be able to dial down your stress levels just as you would with a harsh light? Absolutely! With healing, candlelit tai chi and qigong, you’ll learn how to slow down, let go of stress and slip easily into soothing movements. It will be just like having your very own dimmer switch.
Can you imagine how blissful it would be to fall into a deep slumber each night almost as soon as your head hits the pillow? Totally amazing! During tai chi and qigong by candlelight, you’ll learn calming meditative breathing so you can feel settled, relaxed and tranquil when you go to bed.
I offer two different, guided lessons online for this restorative and healing experience on consecutive Monday nights. Both classes involve gentle and effective movement, tailored breathing exercises, relaxation and mindfulness practices.
Join one or both sessions, which you will attend live and online from your own home. You can even wear your pyjamas if you wish, so you can be ready to slip into bed as soon as the session ends.
In the mornings after these sessions, you should wake up feeling renewed, refreshed and ready for the week ahead
Monday 22 November 2021, evening, 7.30 – 8.30pm
Release stress and anxiety and re-balance your world with candlelit 5-Element Qigong. You will learn this ancient Chinese breathing exercise based on the five universal elements (earth, metal, water, wood and fire). The calming qigong movements will soothe your mind and body to restore peace and harmony within you. This guided session is an ideal way to let go of your worries and unwind so you can fall into a blissful slumber.
Monday 29 November 2021, evening, 7.30 – 8.30pm
Let your senses soften in the candlelight so you can slow down and relax your mind and muscles. You’ll feel your stress melt away with the gentle and restorative movements of tai chi and qigong. Your breath will become slower and deeper during this guided session of relaxation and meditation. You’ll be calm, tranquil and ready for bed and a rejuvenating night of sleep.
Cost per session
Attend one session: $15 per person, per session
Attend two sessions: $10 per person, per session (i.e. $20 for both sessions)
Video recordings for each session you attend will be available at no extra charge, which you can replay as often as you need.
How to RSVP
Please contact me no later than Friday 19 November 2021 to arrange payment (online banking or PayPal) and to receive the Zoom link(s) to attend one or both of these candlelit sessions. You can get in touch using the contact form on my website, email me on kiaorataichi@gmail.com or phone/text me on 027 493 9851
More about me (Jocelyn Watkin)
I am qualified tai chi and qigong instructor. During lockdowns over the last 18 months, I have perfected techniques for teaching online, which have included doing tai chi and qigong while seated and also lying down. My students all comment that my lessons have helped them to cope with life and lockdowns as they feel relaxed and calm afterwards, which relieves stress and helps them to sleep.
I am a board-certified and premier instructor for the internationalTai Chi for Health Instituteand am the founder and director of Kia Ora Tai Chi. I have been learning about and enjoying the health benefits of tai chi and qigong since 2003.
Click here to find out more about me, my experience and qualifications.
How to RSVP
Please contact me no later than Friday 19 November 2021 to arrange payment (online banking or PayPal) and to receive the Zoom link(s) to attend one or both of these candlelit sessions. You can get in touch using the contact form on my website, email me on kiaorataichi@gmail.com or phone/text me on 027 493 9851
Jocelyn teaches you from her online tai chi studio
Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could learn tai chi from me without having to leave home? Totally awesome and don’t just dream about it.
Vaccination for Covid-19 is not required as this course is completed online in your own space.
My new online course, called “Tai Chi for Strength, Balance and Mobility”, has received an enthusiastic thumbs up from participants who ‘test drove’ it.
It is now available so you can learn from me at any time that suits you, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and anywhere you have computer, tablet or mobile phone.
This course has six modules, each designed to be comfortably completed within one week. However, you can take longer if you like. There are easy-to-read articles and how-to videos where I show you the movements step-by-step and share the secrets of tai chi. It will be like I am right there in your home with you.
I am a qualified, premier instructor for the Tai Chi for Health Institute. Find out why I can help you learn tai chi that is safe, easy-to-learn and effective: https://www.kiaorataichi.nz/about-us/
The course is ideal for anyone who:
is worried about their balance or who wants to help a family member or friend to improve their balance.
wants to get fitter and stronger.
needs something that truly helps to manage and reduce stress.
would love a good night’s sleep.
is curious about tai chi and how it works for strength, balance and mobility.
is an instructor teaching tai chi for fall prevention or strength & balance classes
One participant said of the course: “The special breathing I learned has helped me de-stress and calm down. It feels like a weight off my chest and shoulders”.
Can you imagine how blissful it would be to fall into a deep slumber almost as soon as your head hits the pillow? During this course, you’ll learn calming meditative breathing that you can use anywhere and anytime you feel stressed or worried, especially just before you go to bed. Click here if you’re looking for sweet dreams
Wouldn’t it be a relief to help a friend or family member improve their balance so you no longer worry about them having a fall and getting hurt? It sure would. Click here to help that special someone to stand tall and with good balance.
How amazing would it be if you could live stronger for longer? Totally! You’ll have access to the videos and articles for at least six months so you can regularly practice and build more strength and balance. Click here if you want to become more mobile and for years longer.
Sabine, a qualified Tai Chi for Health instructor recommends this course: Thank you Jocelyn, for a very enjoyable course. I loved the step-by-step approach and I could feel the improvement of my core strength, breathing and posture. Safety was top priority through the whole course and it was achieved with very clear and easy instructions. Overall, a wonderful experience.
All this and more with my new Tai Chi for Strength, Balance and Mobility course… and you won’t have to go out on a wintry wet night to learn it. You can participate in the privacy and warmth of your own home.
For just $99 you’ll receive:
The full online course of six sessions, with supporting articles and how-to learning videos, which are delivered to your email inbox once per week.
Additional resources of a practice journal and checklist.
Access to a client portal where you can ask questions and share experiences each week.
Due to our ageing population, Aotearoa/NZ’s rates of dementia are surging.
There is some very good news though. A recent study by the University of Auckland says we can limit this surge by managing 12 risk factors.
How much difference will these 12 factors make? Absolutely massive!! Almost half (47.7%) of NZ’s overall cases of dementia are considered preventable. Read that again: “ALMOST HALF”. Wow.
Keen to hear more, I tuned into Kathryn Ryan (of RNZ’s Nine to Noon programme) on Tuesday 27 July to hear her interview with Dr Etuini Ma’u. Dr Ma’u is a a senior lecturer in Psychological Medicine at the University of Auckland and the co-author of the study. He is also a consultant psychogeriatrician for the Waikato District Health Board.
The 12 factors are:
physical inactivity
hearing loss
less education
hypertension
obesity
alcohol
traumatic brain injury
smoking
depression
social isolation
diabetes
air pollution
The critical importance of these factors varies among the most prevalent ethnic groups in NZ: Māori, Pasifika, Asian (which includes Indian in the study) and Pākehā/European. For more detail about the study and definitions of the risk factors: read more here
Also significant, is that while the symptoms of dementia are noticeable only in older age, in the 20 years beforehand the brain is already changing in the person who will develop dementia.
The key message of all this is reassuring: there is something (in fact several somethings) we can do right now to reduce our risk. Start by reading the points in the study:
Talk over options to manage your health and your hearing with your doctor and/or health professional.
A Kia Ora Tai Chi class
Keep up with physical activity and, of course, tai chi counts. The WHO guidelines used in the study define “inactive” as those who do LESS than 30 minutes a day for at least five days per week. As well as attending tai chi classes, tai chi is an exercise you can easily continue for the other days in the week as it can be done anywhere, anytime (at home, at work, in the park) and doesn’t require expensive equipment or clothing.
The people who attend Kia Ora Tai Chi classes are wonderfully social and welcoming. Several of my students who live alone have mentioned that they love the chance to have a natter and meet new friends in my classes.
Another student who had a recent blockage in her ear (causing a temporary hearing loss) mentioned how challenging it rapidly became for her, even when going about her usual tasks in the community with people she knew. She said conversation was difficult and she understood how being deaf can isolate someone very quickly. Fortunately, issues with her ear were soon fixed.
If you have a hearing aid, wear it. If you feel you might have a hearing loss, get it checked. Most of all, try to be aware that others maybe deaf or hard of hearing and find ways to communicate with and include them.
The number of New Zealanders with dementia is forecast to more than double within 30 years. However, if half of these cases are preventable by reducing the key risk factors, there is a good opportunity for healthier and fitter senior years for many of us.
Thank you Dr Ma’u and the team for the valuable work and research.
Kia ora and thank you for your interest in Kia Ora Tai Chi and in learning tai chi and qigong.
Due to demand, the beginners’ tai chi and qigong evening classes are now full. A new beginners evening tai chi and qigong class will start in 2022, possibly in February.
If you’d like to be placed on the priority waiting list for next year, please text or phone Jocelyn Watkin: 027 493 9851. Alternatively, please use the Contact Form to get in touch.
In the meantime, there are still three very good opportunities to learn tai chi with Kia Ora Tai Chi.
The Tai Chi for Strength, Balance and Mobility online course has been designed and developed by Jocelyn (of Kia Ora Tai Chi) and can be completed at any time that suits you. You can learn at your own time and pace as the course is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and anywhere you have a computer, tablet, mobile phone or data capable big screen TV.
It is ideal for beginners and also for tai chi instructors who teach strength and balance classes. Check it out.
Half-day tai chi retreat to relieve stress, sleep better and create a calm and centred universe for you
Come along to Kia Ora Tai Chi’s out-of-this-world mini retreat at the Stardome to learn how to relieve stress, sleep better and create a calm and centred universe for you with tai chi and qigong.
Date and time: Friday 17 September 2021, 1.30 – 7.45pm.
Tai chi at Turuki on Thursday mornings, with co-instructor Aria
With co-instructor Aria, Jocelyn also offers a tai chi class on Thursday mornings, which accepts beginners at any time and of any age and ability. These classes are free and are held from 10 – 10.45am at Turuki Health Care in Mangere No need to RSVP, just come along. Click here to find out more.
Please text or phone Jocelyn Watkin for more information about any of her classes, courses, workshops or retreats: 027 493 9851. Alternatively, please use the Contact Form to get in touch.
Latest evidence suggests that both tai chi and qigong have a positive impact on immune system functioning and inflammatory responses.
Wouldn’t it feel great to have a dimmer switch for stress? Imagine the relief to be able to dial down your stress levels just as you would with a harsh light? Absolutely! With healing, candlelit tai chi and qigong, you’ll learn how to slow down, let go of stress and slip easily into soothing movements. It will be just like having your very own dimmer switch.
Due to our ageing population, Aotearoa/NZ’s rates of dementia are surging.
