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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Find Serenity Locally: No Kicking, Punching, or Screaming Required

Although the gentle movements of Qigong have been practiced for centuries by seniors in China for health benefits, defining and explaining it can be confusing.

Siobhan Hutchinson, accredited T’ai Chi Chih teacher at Next Step Strategies, explains. “The phone rings and a voice timidly asks, ‘Do I need a mat?  Do we roll around on the floor, as I have trouble getting up?’ I can’t help, but gently respond “There’s no kicking, punching, screaming, rolling around on the floor, or backflips.”  Then teasingly add, “No stilettos either.””

Most T’ai Chi forms in this country are considered to be a martial art or have a martial art base. However, T’ai Chi Chih®: Joy thru Movement, is a non-martial art that is more closely aligned with Qigong, the “granddaddy” or umbrella under which all types of “energy medicine” fall.

Those who have experienced the gentleness of T’ai Chi Chih keep returning because of the health benefits and serenity that comes with practice. Even if one cannot stand or stand for long doing these movements, it can be done seated. Plus, its benefits have been confirmed by research, indicating that T’ai Chi Chih specifically helps with increasing immunity, improving sleep quality, and reducing the symptoms of depression.

 

All are welcome to experience this self-empowering practice at Next Step Strategies’ new location at 1970 Hwy 33 in Hamilton, on Thursdays, beginning February 22 at 6:30 p.m. Registration is a must to 609-752-1048 or [email protected].  NextStepStrategiesLLC.com. 

News Briefs
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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