Creemore celebrates a decade of local Tai Chi
More than 55 Taoist Tai Chi practitioners from the region were in attendance at Creemore’s 10th anniversary celebration on Nov. 28.
At the request of Laura Walton, the Collingwood Branch of Taoist Tai Chi sent a beginner instructor to Creemore in the fall of 2006. An instructor was provided with the understanding that practitioners from the village would have to go up to the main branch in Collingwood for the next level of classes. Also, given that all instructors were volunteers, ultimately Creemore would be expected to train their own instructors if they wanted Tai Chi classes to continue in the village. Accordingly, four months later Walton was up in Collingwood taking classes (so much for her not wanting to drive to Collingwood). A year later she was teaching in Collingwood, first as a beginner instructor and eventually as a continuing instructor.
Over the years, close to 10 different instructors and assistants drove to Creemore on a regular basis from other locations of the Collingwood Branch in order to teach in the village. Meanwhile, the village worked at getting its own instructors accredited. In return, Creemore has helped out in other locations. Alongside practitioners from Stayner, Collingwood and Wasaga Beach, Creemore participants Dawn McPherson, Ingrid Schilling and Stephen Roat have helped out and operated the existing program at the Stayner Nursing Home for many years. Creemore has had several home grown beginner instructors in the past several years, and currently locals Diana Wiiszniewska and Deb Smith teach beginner classes in Creemore. Walton is the Creemore location leader and continuing level instructor in the village, and still teaches at other locations as the need arises.
‘Cultivating a good heart’ is considered part of the practice of the Taiost Tai Chi Arts, so all teaching is done on a volunteer basis. People generally come to Tai Chi for the health benefits, but often stay for the community of good hearted people who look out for one another.
The good hearted philosophy extends beyond the Tai Chi group, though. In the past several years the Creemore group has raised well over $1,000 for the Clearview Stayner Food Bank and they have also contributed $500 to the Ray’s Place Scholarship fund. When the call came out for support for the Fort McMurray community, Creemore contributed towards the national Taoist Tai Chi initiative, which raised $100,000 towards helping the community get back on its feet.
The Creemore group can be rambunctious at times, especially during the tea break. However, when the group does the 108-move set the room is quiet and serene, and it becomes very apparent why Tai Chi is called a moving meditation. Those who know the set take the lead, and those who are less sure of the moves play ‘follow the leader’ so that they can still reap the meditative benefits.
Laughter is always a large part of the equation, and there is often a lot of good natured kidding around going on in the class. At one point a few of the guys who always gravitated to the back row realized that they were getting a bit over the top with their jokes, so at the next class several of them arrived with duct taped mouths. The instructor gave them a thumbs up! On another occasion, Laura returned from a lunch break during a Health and Leisure showcase only to find that almost the whole Tai Chi gang had disappeared. The group was up on the stage in their Tai Chi shirts, as well as full belly dancing regalia, and they were dancing their hearts out. There were some interesting questions about the practice of Tai Chi following that demo.
The Creemore group has had its growing pains, but it has come a long way in 10 years and they are doing some lovely Tai Chi these days. With any luck, the group will still be gathering to do sets at the Station on the Green for years to come!
