“I have rheumatoid arthritis and began to lose the ability to walk. I had the opportunity to experience Tai Chi with Chunmei Yang and immediately started to notice changes. I had been working with a Doctor and discovered that I had lost the ability to use joints and muscles which I had not been aware. What I have found is that the gentle movements of Tai Chi make me use these joints and muscles and subsequently my health has significantly improved. For example, it had been found that my eyes could not track, meaning my eyes could not smoothly follow when a finger was moved in front of my face. I now practice this skill through the movement of waving hands which is part of the set. This is just one example of the many subtle ways that Tai Chi works on your physical health of which many of us are not conscious. I believe it is important to practice regularly and I try to do Tai Chi on a daily basis.

However the impact of regular Tai Chi is not only of a physical nature. Those who have arthritis or indeed who have experienced pregnancy, will identify with what we in our arthritis group describe as a mental fog. It can make it hard to remember, focus and think clearly on some days. I know I am far clearer and focused on the days that I wake and practice my Tai Chi. Furthermore, arthritis can leave you with low energy levels that can make it difficult to even get up of a morning. This can quickly lead to bouts of low moods and depression. Recently I was struggling to get out of bed. As I lay there I could hear Chunmei’s voice telling me that I am strong, I am healthy. It took some mental effort to fight the voice telling me I was too tired, but I was able to focus on Chunmei’s mantra and get up. This small victory has led to further successes and I am grateful that I am developing the skill to use all that Chunmei’s teachers.

Chunmei is a patient and caring instructor who has made helped me make changes to my life. I appreciate her gentle approach and humour and am forever grateful that a work mate left her brochure in our office staff room for me to discover her.”