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I had an elderly lady 83 years of age move in to what we call a ” granny flat” about 3 months ago. She is incredibly fit for someone of her age group but had signs of early dementia setting in. Since she is the mother of a friend who resides in the USA I offered to let her live in the flat and keep him posted as to how her mental progress was diminishing or progressing over time when we thought that care would be the only alternative available to her. I practice my Wu Style TAi Chi a little yang and Heaven & Earth Qi Gong every day and the elderly lady wanted to know wHat I was doing. I explained a little about Qi Gong and its benefits and a little light bulb went off standing Qi Gong and Heaven & Earth may be ” simpler” to teach than Tai Chi since she was having difficulties even remembering today’s date or what happenened that morning and yesterday well it never happened. Well she is probably the oldest beginning student of Qi Gong in the world I would say and every morning she is the first to ask are we ” Qi Gonging” this morning. My wife and I have been making her evening meals and she is on no medication for dementia. I can’t say that the Marriage of Heaven & Earth is responsible of her incredible memory improvement since diet company right environment all contribute I am sure. All I know is she can remember most of the alignments and 50% of the movement and her memory of dates and general recollection of dates is markedly improved. Such that her daughter & son in law who came back this week after 3 months are amazed at her improvement but again it is difficult for them as to what has contributed to the big shift. I will keep you informed as to how her mental state improves or otherwise but it is a wonderful gift to be able to give someone in the late stages of her life. I have some questions about how I should teach her and I am contemplating starting a Qi Gong class for those over 55 in Sydney Australia. It would be marvellous to be able to help others. I cannot afford to travel to the USA so how can I best get the skills needed to make this happen? I am in the training circle fo Yang Style Tai Chi have learnt Wu Style Tai Chi and practice the first swing spinal stretch cloud hands and H & E Qi Gong. All taught from the programme athough I have studied10 years plus Aikido & Karate 5 years over 25 years ago.
Some questions teaching an octogenarian
Can I teach the first swing? Spinal stretch? To someone this old and beginning student?
How long should she do a standing meditation? Currently I do 30 minutes she does 6 minutes
How Long should she do H & E Qi Gong? Currently she does 2 sets of 5 repetitions Is there any benefit in increasing the time or amount? I am constantly checking in to see how she feels after and she is fine.Major issue is there are no qualified instructors in Sydney having trained with Energy Arts for 3 years I would like to share what I have learnt. How should I go about starting a small school. I am 63 years Thank you in anticipation of your reply.
Hi Louie,
I love your compassion and empathy with your student.
Seniors have decades of experience and many are still open to new experiences.
Sydney, by the way, is the home base of Dr. Paul Lam;
he’s spectacular. He has trained many instructors world-wide. His “Tai Chi for Arthritis” program is well-suited for seniors (almost all seniors have at least a touch of arthritis.) I, however, am not one of his certified instructors.I’ve been coaching seniors in Qigong and Tai Chi for maybe 12-15 years (I don’t really keep close track of the years.)
I currently facilitate (notice that I don’t claim to “teach”) Tai Chi 4 hourly classes a week at various venues.
I’m strictly volunteer/non-profit: I retired in 1983.
I’d go broke if I tried to open a private studio–average class size is about 6–but I’ve never had an empty class.
No overhead expenses to worry about.My specialty is Old Yang Style Long Form.
Out of hundreds of students, I’ve only taught one the Long Form (and she gave it up when her knees went “whiney.”)I had coached at an assisted living home for just one year.
I bagged that because of insurance issues (management was supposed to have a supervisor in class, but didn’t, yet they insisted that I alone would be legally responsible for all claims. Some people with dementia can get very paranoid and make unsubstantiated complaints about thievery or even sexual abuse–and there’s no way to dispute it without an objective third party present. Anyway this class was just an exercise class–QiGong and Tai Chi really asks for too much concentration and mental adeptness.
Side note: My wife and I were caregivers to her mother (Alzheimer’s) for 7 years–the best I could do was massage Mom’s feet. Once she thought I was the Devil.)One of my classes is for people with Parkinson’s.
Tai Chi can challenge their balance and degenerating Central Nervous Systems. Their ability and stamina to stand and move is limited.Many of my classmates are in their 80s.
I just take folks where I find them.
A former pro-golfer started at age 97 (died at 99.)
A 93-year-old teacher leads the class in the Hula for 10 minutes–Hula is very much like “Cloud Hands.”
My 94 year-old Japanese Nisei is an authority on the Five Elements (Wood/Fire/Earth/Metal/Water). She sat next to a U.S. Navy sailor who entered Tokyo Bay a couple days after Nagasaki.
The last sentence of the obituary for the 92 year-old local retired sports editor, reported him having learned Tai Chi during his final year of life. Both his son and grandson have summit-ed Mt. Everest–heroic family.My mainstay lesson-plan is Dr. Lam’s 6 basic movements in his “Tai Chi for Arthritis” DVD.
I do a “Finger Qi” set to warm-up mind and hands.
I do “Opening the Heart” Qigong.
For Parkinson’s I do “Marriage of Heaven and Earth”
(brain-washing could have some neurological benefit).
The first class of every month I do Master Chen Xiang’s “New Hun Yuan Golden Ruler” drills (for advanced students I do the Golden Ruler form.) Working with the sticks is great way to rehab stroke damage on the disabled side.
I try to work in “Dragon and Tiger Medical Qigong.”
But there really isn’t enough time in a one hour per week class to have students internalize the 7 routines (spotty attendance doesn’t help for retention.) I just do it and incorporate the Six Healing sounds into it–Bruce once told me that it is OK to improvise.
Lately I’ve added the “Inner Smile” work developed by Mantak Chia and Michael Winn. Smiling is healthy.
Micro-cosmic orbit fits in here, too.In other words, whatever interests me at the moment and whatever is fun for the group will be used.
For regular, more serious, and more physically capable students I dwell on the 24-Form Yang Style Short Form–it’s pretty standard and very portable to most classes throughout the world. I will have them show up 15 minutes before class and invite them to stay after class to practice the 24.
Some students really like the Wu Style Short Form.
Others go for a 19 Yang Style Short form.
Some like the Shibashi Qigong sets.
I let them take over the class to instruct their classmates.In one class I have a Master at bagua. He can really show good stepping–wow, what hip action!
So the sky’s the limit.
I learn so much helping these seniors.Take Care,
Bob
Post Falls, Idaho, USA
I suggest that you contact Yoke Chin, who lives in Sydney, and who has been training with Bruce since 2012, after going to a seminar which Bruce conducted in Sydney.
Yoke teaches classes in Sydney, and she has a number of teaching certifications with EA, including Marriage of H, and E.
You will be able to find her contact details on the EA website, under “Instructors”.Paul Parramore.
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