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By Jim Feehan
May 1, 2005
Six weeks after open-heart surgery, Jim Funk of
Eugene took up tai chi for its therapeutic value. Five years later, the
retired employee of the city's building department said he's grateful
for what the martial arts form has brought to his life...
 "It's a real benign, low-impact form of exercise that has a meditative component," he said after a two-hour session Saturday.
Funk was joined by about 75 people
gathered near the softball field at Skinner Butte Park to recognize the
eighth annual World Tai Chi and Qigong Day.
This is the second year that the
worldwide celebration has been observed in Eugene, said Suman Barkhas,
a tai chi instructor who organized the event.
About 40 people attended last year's
event. Barkhas said tai chi's popularity is growing because it's a good
stress management regimen.
"My mind goes into a deeper place
during tai chi," said Barkhas, who teaches classes at the Campbell
Senior Center and other locations around Eugene.
Tai chi is a Chinese martial arts
form known for its claims of health and longevity benefits. Tai chi
involves slow motion routines, which groups of people practice every
morning in several parks across China, and, increasingly, other parts
of the world.
Charlotte Behm of Springfield, a tai
chi novice, enjoys the workout and the camaraderie. "It's a great
exercise, and I can feel my knees strengthening," she said.
The meditation and subsequent calm cultivated by tai chi also won over Behm, a mathematics instructor at Lane Community College.
"I feel like I'm part of the universe instead of being so distant from others," she said. |
