TAI CHI CLASSES TAUGHT by HENRY CHENG

Are you stressed out because work has got you down? Do you find yourself lacking energy?

Well then, a Tai Chi class might be just what the doctor ordered. Tai Chi is a form of martial arts that involves meditation, as well as exercise. It was created by Cheung Sam Fung in China during the Sung Dynasty.

Henry Cheng, who is a Master of Tai Chi (Wu Style), will be offering classes at the Standley Park Recreation Center starting on Friday June 30. A second session is also being offered later in the summer, beginning on Friday August 4.

The class will meet every Friday from 6:00-7:00p.m. and costs $45.00 for five weeks of instruction. People of all ages are welcome to sign up.

"I accepted the honor of Master of Tai Chi (Wu Style) from Grand Master Pak Yu Kong," says Cheng. "I am one of only a few to be so honored."

Cheng has studied Tai Chi since the age of twelve and has more than thirty years of experience. He also works with hotels, hair salons, and rehabilitation centers, among others.

"Tai Chi can help tourists to relax and get them over their jet-lag," says Cheng. "It also helps hairstylists keep better balance throughout a long day of being on their feet."

Tai Chi is a lifelong exercise that can increase a person's longevity and enable them to live a longer and more productive life. It can improve the coordination of an elderly person and perhaps even prevent an accident (such as falling and breaking a hip) from happening.

"Tai Chi is also used as a form of self-defense," says Cheng. "But, in the classes I teach, I tend to focus more on meditation and exercise. The self-defense isn't as practical. You might use it one time to save a life, but meditation and exercise are used on a more continuous basis to promote both a healthy mind and body. Self-defense, meditation, and exercise all prolong life in one way or another."

Tai Chi is also a solution for work and personal stress. It relieves fatigue, stiffness, and muscle tightness for those who work at desk jobs most of the day.

"I know that I'm getting older," says Cheng. "But, I'm able to feel much younger because of Tai Chi."

Besides the classes he is teaching at the Standley Park Recreation Center, Cheng also offers private and group lessons. For more information, please call (858) 552-1652.