Community & Business
20 August, 2024
15 years of Tai Chi on the Tablelands
COMMUNITY health volunteers and community members gathered last week to celebrate 15 years of Tai Chi on the Tablelands.
The event, attended by Tablelands Mayor Rod Marti and Cr Maree Baade, celebrated the rise of the popularity in Tai Chi, with the group starting small in 2009 to now having sessions that run throughout the week in Atherton, Yungaburra and Jaggan.
At the gathering at Merriland Hall last week, instructor Maria Gillanders told the members that the first Tai Chi session was held by Exercise Medicine Australia in Cairns in July 2009.
After immediate interest rose from this session, volunteers then began teaching 10-week courses at Stan Moses Hall in Atherton.
With increasing demand for the meditative exercise, by 2011 they introduced a regular class in fall prevention as well as expanding their instructor numbers, including a woman in her late 70s.
“She is still one of the most valued teacher in our Atherton team,” Maria said.
Tai Chi initially began in China as a form of combat and self-defence, nowadays it has evolved into a gentle exercise in which participants perform a series of controlled, flowing motions while focusing on breathing calmly.
Like meditation, it focuses on producing a healthy mind and body. Although beneficial for everyone it can be particularly useful in rehabilitation and injury prevention.
For anyone who is interested in attending Tai Chi on the Tablelands, they have sessions:
Monday 4:30pm at Community Hall, Yungaburra
Wednesday 9am and 10:30am at Masonic Centre, Atherton
Thursday 9am at Jaggan Hall, Jaggan
Friday 8:30am at Memorial Park rec shed, Yungaburra
