On Saturday April 24^th beginning at 10am at Ritchie Wharf, the Miramichi T’ai Chi club will join millions of people around the world in a relay of calm as they participate in the healing and peaceful event that is World T’ai Chi & QiGong Day.

Long time Bread ‘n Molasses readers will remember the article we published about this event last year. 

There are several health benefits associated with regular practice of T’ai Chi. The Arthritis Foundation ran an article in their online newsletter Arthritis Today.

A recent headline in the International magazine, Rhuematology News, proclaimed, "Tai Chi twice a week for 12 weeks helps Rheumatoid Arthritis patients." This would appear to be groundbreaking news as holistic healing methods like T'ai Chi are seldom recognized in medical magazines.

Here's an excerpt from the World T'ai Chi & QiGong Day website at www.worldtaichiday.org :

"On the last Saturday of April each year at 10 am, beginning in the Earth's earliest time zone, a peaceful soothing event will unfold, and change the world forever, as it blooms around the Earth throughout the entire day--time zone by time zone. Gently and effortlessly the world will breathe together in a T'ai Chi & QiGong relay of calm. We have all experienced the soothing calm of witnessing others doing T'ai Chi or QiGong and on World T'ai Chi & QiGong Day the entire planet will have that opportunity.

World T'ai Chi & QiGong Day will be held on the last Saturday in April each year falling at the end of the same month as united nations worldhealing day and earth day, and will entail T'ai Chi & QiGong groups around the world gathering at 10 am (each city's local time) to exhibit T'ai Chi & QiGong to the world in mass gatherings in public parks or the lawns of public buildings, so as to be visible to the community and media.

There are 4 purposes for staging this historic event.

1. To educate the world to the profound implications T'ai Chi & QiGong can offer our personal, social and world health.
2. To thank Chinese culture for providing this powerful health science to the world.
3. To improve world relations by joining T'ai Chi & QiGong practitioners around the world on this World T'ai Chi & QiGong Day, to promote and celebrate a healthier world.
4. To provide a mighty example of how the emerging power of the Internet can be used to promote world cooperation and health, since most of the organizing of this event is done via the Internet through our web page www.worldtaichiday.org  T'ai Chi & QiGong is about personal empowerment and the internet is a powerful enabler."

Whether you participate in the movements or simply watch the demonstration, support World T’ai Chi & QiGong Day and get involved. Contact Dave Bucklow at dbucklow@msn.com  Visit his website.  See you at Ritchie Wharf on April 24^th.