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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Tai Chi Benefits Include the Physical, Mental and Even Spiritual

The longer a practitioner practices slow, controlled movements of Tai Chi, the more dramatic the effects.  The goals are to achieve improved balance in many aspects of life.

Body changes include a better understanding and experience of orthostatic (postural) balance, an improved ability to relax the muscles, and valuable additions to the native repertoire of reflexes that prove useful in everyday life and emergencies.  This is accomplished through a choreographed set of movements that also increase strength and flexibility. Improvement in medical conditions can also occur.

During practice the mind gains benefits with a holiday from ordinary troublesome thoughts and stress.  To accomplish this result, attention to the Tai Chi form brings the mind’s focus to the moment—the present. Peaceful mind supports balance in the body’s functions.

Having discovered the benefits of study, many Tai Chi students want to discover more and go on to deeper levels.  They often report that further practice has the positive effects of increased emotional balance, more balanced relationships, and spiritual growth and insights.

Fran Maher and Brian Coffey teach a variety of Tai Chi and Qi Gong weekly one-hour classes as well as weekend Classical Chinese Medicine seminars.  Their next round of weekly classes begins May 5-June 16, with a 6-week series for $72.  Summer classes will be July 7 to August 16.

Local Insights
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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