SAT 6th APRIL WORLD T'AI CHI & QIGONG DAY 2002 event in the Botanical Gardens, Harare. see Programme or see photos
What
is World T'ai Chi & Qigong Day?
By International Coordinator & Founder Bill Douglas
PROGRAMME (see more photos of the event)
9.45am Exercises that everyone can do together:
1) T'ai Chi Opening "The
Cycle of the Seasons", Chris
Hamblin
2) Mer Ka Ba or The Flower of Life,
Ten Carr
3) T'ai Chi Chih "Rocking Movement"
Sr Francis Kay
4) "Raising of the Hands Separately",
Ray Walker
10.00am Simultaneous Performance
of T'ai Chi Forms. Each group will work in their own group for about 30
mins and structure their time in any way.
10.30am approx All participants (& any one who wants to join in) make a big circle and do the first set of exercises, then a chance for all to meet for informal discussions. (see photos)
WHAT IS T'AI CHI CH'UAN ?
The Long Yang Form is a long sequence of slow, graceful, flowing, dance movements of great beauty, the full form takes about 25 minutes. Woven into the Form are repeating and developing sequences with seemingly endless changing qualities. These can be seen to mirror the processes of life and evolution containing many symbolic and poetic references. The daily practice of the form encourages openness and a quality of acceptance towards others, transcending the emphasis on the defence of the physical self.
WHAT IS QIGONG ?
Qigong (alternatively spelt Chi Kung) are short exercises with integrated breathing that are repeated to develop and circulate the vital force or 'chi'. They are often based on the unselfconscious movements of animals and have names of birds, deer, bears, tigers & monkeys. There are many ancient illustrations of sages doing these movements.
What is World T'ai Chi & Qigong Day?
By International Coordinator & Founder Bill Douglas (2002)
Celebrated each year on the last Saturday of April at 10am local time all over the world. See more info and details www.worldtaichiday.org
"It is a global volunteer effort unlike the world has ever seen. Tens
of thousands of individuals who have experienced the healing benefits of T'ai
Chi & Qigong health science, will come out world wide to demonstrate these
health tools in public places in cities and towns world-wide on 6th April
2002 at 10.00am local time.
Like a soothing T'ai Chi movement this
event will begin in New Zealand, unfolding across the globe time zone by time
zone to span every continent, ending in Hawaii.
Why?
The direction of Global health care is
heavily influenced by pharmaceutical advertising and research dollars. Therefore
the profound possibilities of T'ai Chi & Qigong are largely ignored, even
though their use portends the saving of trillions of dollars world-wide.
WTC&Q Day happens on the Saturday after United Nations World Health Day,
each year. The first event was in 1999, although overshadowed by war in Europe,
was vastly successful, bringing out 700 people to exhibit T'ai Chi in downtown
Hong Kong, 400 people in downtown Tel Aviv, 500 in Los Angeles, joined by
thousands more in cities spanning 6 continents.
The UN World Health Organisation warns
of a global epidemic of stress induced depression. Research indicates that
T'ai Chi & Qigong practice can lower the incidence of anxiety, depression
& mood disturbance safely.
With 2 billion dollars spent annually on Prozac alone, and over 3 million US children using Ritalin, it is time to re-evaluate healthcare.
World T'ai Chi & Qigong Day will:
* Educate about the profound health benefits of
T'ai Chi & Qigong
* Educate about the vast economic benefits to be
derived from expanding usage of these health tools
worldwide
* Thank Chinese culture for the gift of these health tools
* Encourage international co-operation across ethnic,
racial, economic and geopolitical boundaries for the
focused purpose of celebrating and enhancing
world health. " Bill Douglas, Kansas, USA. (2002)
see more info and details www.worldtaichiday.org
