Newsletters and Student Comments

"We wake up to ourselves every day, and it was through Bending Tree that I first began to truly encounter myself. I was twenty-one at the time and there was a big part of me still groping for a sense of clarity and direction to life. Such considerations are not always clearcut for everyone, but looking back it is obvious that what I longed for most during those years was just the simple experience of a quiet and unclouded state. Well Tai Chi has been an outstanding oracle for the attainment of that, and who would have thought that life could slow down as movement is on-the-flow and entelechy on the climb? Ho ho, I tell you, those wellness-wizards at Bending Tree are surely brewing something wonderful. And as it was a haven I sought and they provided, only to reveal that the gates are waiting within."

"Tai Chi is not new to me. About ten years ago I studied at the Senior Center for a couple of years . Bending Tree, though, is unique. The approach is holistic. Each class is a rare, good combination of the best instructional skills and practice. So, at age seventy, I find myself glad to be amongst the group quietly. I trust, in some small measure, I have “offered the teaching” with these reflections. Let me leave with each one who offer the teaching in Bending Tree-gratitude."

"Ever since Bending Tree has become a routine in my life, my clients, coworkers and family have all noticed that I take time to enjoy things, and that I’ve learned to say no and to put myself first when the need arises. They’ve also commented that I have a better posture and walk taller (when one is under five foot tall, this is a very good thing!) For the first time in my life, I’ve learned to do something totally for myself and ultimately, not to feel guilty for it. I’ve learned to take time to enjoy the journey and that slow and steady can be a wonderful thing…. I’ve learned to breathe."

"Unlike other martial arts programs that I had participated in years ago, the Bending Tree form was centered on celebrating life, health, and the unity of the earth and our beings. So I took that chance, the opportunity to try this “meditation” thing. We went to our first class and once I had the privilege of watching the entire form I knew that I had found my new path. It was and is one of those things that you just know is right. It was so awkward at first because my body had learned over the years to balance in spite of itself. As we continued through various joint opening exercises and movements, the pain that I suffered on a daily basis seemed to disappear and was taken over by an inner peace that only one in the form can truly experience. As we moved through the form I just seemed to gain back movements, flexibility, and confidence that seemed to be nonexistent."

I have Parkinson's disease and I have been looking for an exercise routine that is easy on the body, has a lot of range of motion movements, can increase my sense of balance and is fun. I have found the exercises that deal with balance to be most helpful, but all of it is helpful. The instructors have your health at heart. They refute the saying "no pain, no gain". If you are having pain or have a balance problem, they encourage you to sit and do what you can until you are ready to stand and do the full routine."

"On Thursday February 1, 2007, I went for my annual checkup for hip replacement and also for knee surgery. After 3 years, I was told my other leg was shorter by 1/4-inch due to the hip replacement. This came up because of the knee surgery and me not being able to straighten that leg since the surgery in May of 2006. On Saturday February 3, 2007 at Chi Club and before I purchased the inserts, we began with exercises from the Diabetic form. It was at that time that I realized my leg had straightened for the first time in 9 months. It is still straight and I even walk better with the insert and without favoring the other leg. I cannot say enough about the Tai Chi forms and exercises and how they can heal if you just let them. You don’t have to concentrate on them, just remember to be that anti-lock person we are taught from our first time at a Tai Chi class."

My balance has improved so much and I find myself being able to keep my balance in time where I might have fallen before becoming a student. I can now walk up and down stairs without holding onto the banister.

"I began the Tai Chi for Arthritis class a year ago soon after my husband passed away. The meditation and gentle movements of the form led to an inner peace that helped me to get through those difficult months. I fell in love with Tai Chi, and as soon as I graduated from the Arthritis class, I began to learn the Longevity Tree form."

"I have to wear a brace on one leg making it difficult to balance on that leg Doing some of the movements has been a challenge, but I see significant improvement in my balance since I began practicing Tai Chi."

"I am 58 years old and am a mechanical technician. Music is a life long commitment and something I enjoy very much. T'ai Chi has filled any remaining voids there may have been in my life and when I really take stock of myself and my life I don't believe at this point I could be happier or more content. I don't think there are things in life that can make you happy, I believe happiness is something you find if you look in the right places and can recognize what truly makes you as an individual happy. T'ai Chi has revealed itself as I think what will be the last missing element in the formula for a balanced and happy remainder of life for me. From the time Robyn took me kicking and screaming in the van to my first T'ai Chi lesson until now and beyond, I owe you all a great debt of thanks. Jane, Sy, Bambi, Nick, Barbara, especially Jude and all the others at Bending Tree who have touched my life, GOOD JOB! You should feel good about yourselves because it makes me feel good when I think of what you have done for me.