by Jocelyn Watkin | Aug 16, 2021 | Information |
Ways to reduce your risk of dementia
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.
Read more about the study:
Find out more about tai chi.
by Jocelyn Watkin | Jun 15, 2021 | Information |
Join in with the Kia Ora Tai Chi team for a free tai chi and qigong session to celebrate Matariki and the wonderful Māori New Year.
Have fun, breathe better and make new friends with 5-Element Qigong, which is a meditative breathing programme to harmonise your mind and body. This is a great chance for a new and healthier you for the New Year.
You will also learn the beautiful and flowing Hikitia te Hā (“uplifting breathing”, also known as Māori Tai Chi).
Ideal for beginners of all ages and abilities. The whole session can easily be done while standing, seated or a mixture of both.
When: Saturday 3 July 2021, 2 – 3pm, please arrive from 1.45pm onward
Where: The theatre building, Nathan Homestead, 70 Hill Road, Manurewa, Auckland. There is plenty of free parking at this venue, which is close to the motorway. Refer to this map
RSVP: Yes please, as places are limited to just 16 people. Please email or text/phone me: 027 493 9851 to reserve your spot. (Note: there is a limit of two people per booking)
Cost: Free (A big thank you to Nathan Homestead and Auckland Council for providing the venue at no charge).
Click here to learn more about tai chi and qigong
Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. It rises in midwinter and is the start of a new year in the Southern Hemisphere.
In 2021, Matariki will be observed Aotearoa/New Zealand between 19 June to 11 July.
More about Matariki
Find out more about the Kia Ora Tai Chi team.
by Jocelyn Watkin | Apr 7, 2021 | Information |
We all had a fantastic time at World Tai Chi & Qigong Day on Saturday 24 April 2021
It’s not every day that we get the chance to lead the whole planet in a tai chi and qigong session. Due to our geographical position, Aotearoa/New Zealand was first on 24th April to celebrate World Tai Chi & Qigong Day. (Qigong is pronounced ‘chee – gong’.)
On the last Saturday in April, tens of thousands of people in 100s of cities across the planet join together to celebrate the tranquility and harmony that is tai chi and qigong. Every session starts at 10am local time in each country.
At 10am NZ time on 24th April, we began this world-wide wave of peace, goodwill and aroha. We opened our arms to welcome others into a global tai chi whānau,
World Tai Chi & Qigong Day 2021 in Cornwall Park
The event was suitable for all ages and abilities. Beginners we made to feel very welcome. Event details:
- When: Saturday 24 April 2021, 10 – 10.45am. Please arrive from 9.40am onwards and be ready to start at 10am
- Where: Cornwall Park, our usual summer tai chi spot under the trees on the left hand side as you’re coming up Pohutukawa Drive from Greenlane Road West. (look for the signs).
- What to wear and bring: Wear comfortable clothing and shoes, bring a water bottle and a sun hat.
Described as “moving meditation”, tai chi is an ancient Chinese martial art that combines relaxed movements which are gentle on the joints with mental focus and mindfulness. Qigong is a meditative breathing programme designed to improve your breathing and well-being.
Check out the video of our 2019 World Tai Chi & Qigong Day celebration in Cornwall Park: https://youtu.be/Io-TbyB-fFw
Find out more:
After the event, Barry (in red shirt) and Goliath stayed on to practice their tai chi cane form
by Jocelyn Watkin | Feb 6, 2021 | Information |
This is a post from February 2021.
Here’s your chance to fall in love with tai chi and qigong. Your heart and health will thank you you for it.
If you want to feel healthier, live stronger for longer and get fitter without puffing, then tai chi and qigong can help you.
The team at Kia Ora Tai Chi are looking for adults of any age and ability, who are keen to make a regular commitment to their health. Come along to learn tai chi and qigong in our new classes for beginners . You can join any time up to (and including) Wednesday 10 March 2021, 6.30 – 7.15pm. Please arrive no later than 6.25pm.
We will be in the Manurewa South School hall, on Totara Road Manurewa, Auckland 2102 (refer to the map further below). Please note that the entrance to the hall and free parking is off Totara Road, which is a different street to the main entrance to the school.
If you’d like to try tai chi, there’ll be a warm welcome at one of the free introductory sessions on Monday 22nd and Wednesday 24th February, 6.30 – 7.15pm.
If you miss the introductory sessions in February, you are still welcome to join the February beginners up until Wednesday 10 March 2021. Your first class is free. After 10 March, anyone who hasn’t already joined the beginners class will need to wait until the next intake. The date is still to be confirmed but is likely to be July 2021 and/or February 2022.
If you’d like to attend, please text or phone Jocelyn Watkin on 027 493 9851 or please use the Contact Form.
After the free classes, you will be encouraged to attend two nights per week on an ongoing basis. However, if you are committed to practicing between classes then it is OK to attend just one class per week. Learning tai chi and qigong takes time but you if keen to gain all of the health, wellbeing and fitness benefits then this investment in your future good health will be worth it.
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
- feeling better all over and less stressed
- improved breathing, with less wheezing or feeling like they’ve ‘run out of breath’
- finding it easier to go up and down stairs
- 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
- toned muscles.
The map below shows you where to find us. Please note that the entrance to the Manurewa South School hall and the free parking is at 18 Totara Road (please don’t go to the main entrance to the school, which is on another street). Please aim to arrive no later than 6.25pm.
To RSVP or to ask questions about the classes, please use the Contact Form
Cost of classes: Your first class is 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.
Learn to de-stress with tai chi and qiqog
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.
Kia Ora Tai Chi students attend at least one class per week, often two, and several practice between each class. Improving your health, fitness and balance 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.
Love your heart and your health with tai chi and qigong
Want to know even more about tai chi? Click here
Please RSVP for a free beginner’s class up until (and including) Wednesday 10th March by using the Contact Form or text or phone Jocelyn Watkin on 027 493 9851.
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.
by Jocelyn Watkin | Nov 20, 2020 | Information |
The summer tai chi sessions in Cornwall Park finished on Sunday 28 March, 2021.
To find out whether there’ll be other free sessions/workshops during the year or in the summer of 2022, please sign up for the free monthly newsletter (to the right of this page) or contact us.
Always wanted to give tai chi and qigong a go? Come along to Cornwall Park for FREE Kia Ora Tai Chi sessions over January, February and March 2021. Fun for all of the family, from children to grandparents.
The sessions start on Sunday 24 January 2021, 9 – 9:45am and will happen every Sunday (9 – 9:45am) until Sunday 28 March. This includes the Sundays of Auckland Anniversary Weekend and Waitangi Weekend. Come along to enjoy relaxing tai chi under the cool of the trees. All welcome.
Location: Under the trees on the left hand side as you’re coming up Pohutukawa Drive from Greenlane Road West. (look out for the signs).
If wet: Please look for the cancellation notice on the Kia Ora Tai Chi facebook page after 4pm on the Saturday evening (the night before a Sunday session). Alternatively, contact me or the Cornwall Park Information Centre at Huia Lodge
Described as “moving meditation”, tai chi is an ancient Chinese martial art that combines mental focus and mindfulness with deliberate and relaxed movements that are gentle on the joints. Qigong is a meditative breathing programme designed to improve your breathing and wellbeing.
Summer tai chi and qigong in Cornwall Park is fun, free and suitable for all ages. You don’t need specialist clothing or equipment. Bring a water bottle, a sun hat, wear comfortable clothing and shoes, and see you there.
Find out more:
Free summer tai chi and qigong in Cornwall Park
