Healthy Acadia Expands Free Tai Chi Class Offerings to Penobscot County
For Immediate Release Please
Date: February 5, 2024
Program Contact: Nina Zeldin, Healthy Acadia, nina@healthyacadia.org, (207) 479-1206
Media Contact: Tracey Carlson, Healthy Acadia, tracey@healthyacadia.org, (207) 667-7171
Healthy Acadia Expands Free Tai Chi Class Offerings to Penobscot County
Brewer, ME. Beginning in March, Healthy Acadia will offer free, Tai Chi for Health classes in partnership with the Bangor Area Recovery Network (BARN). The eight–week course, Tai Chi for Balance and Recovery will meet from 1 to 2 p.m. on Thursdays, beginning March 7 and continuing through April 25, 2024, at The BARN, located at 142 Center Street, Brewer. The course will be taught by Tai Chi for Health-certified Instructor Annette Plank.
Healthy Acadia has offered Tai Chi for Health classes since 2014, introducing hundreds of community members across Downeast Maine and beyond to the practice. While developed by the Tai Chi for Health Institute (TCHI) to bring health benefits as quickly as possible for specific health conditions, the classes are appropriate and beneficial for people of all ages and levels of physical ability.
We want to help more community members discover the many health benefits of tai chi practice,” said Nina Zeldin, Healthy Acadia’s Tai Chi for Health Instructor and Maine’s first TCHI-certified Master Trainer. “We are so thrilled for this opportunity to offer classes in Penobscot County!”
A low-impact exercise that combines slow, fluid movements, mindful breathing, and mental focus, tai chi is often referred to as a moving meditation because it emphasizes the integration of mind and body, improves overall physical and mental well-being, and promotes a sense of calm and relaxation for people of all ages and fitness levels. Regular tai chi practice has been associated with numerous health benefits, including improved balance and flexibility, reduced stress and anxiety, lowered blood pressure, improved immune function, relief of chronic pain and inflammatory conditions, and improved cognitive function.
Healthy Acadia’s tai chi instructors are certified through the Tai Chi for Health Institute, founded in 2010 by Dr. Paul Lam and colleagues to empower people to improve their health and wellness with Tai Chi for Health classes. Tai Chi for Health classes introduce participants to gentle low-impact exercise routines that promote improved health by integrating mind and body. The program is recommended by both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Council on Aging and endorsed by governmental health departments worldwide.
Healthy Acadia offers both in-person and virtual classes year-round. For the full Winter-Spring 2024 lineup of Healthy Acadia’s Tai Chi for Health Classes, visit www.healthyacadia.org/ha-tcfh. Classes generally meet for one hour per week for eight weeks and are offered free of charge, though donations are suggested and appreciated.
Pre-registration is required for all class offerings. Visit bit.ly/ha-tai-chi to register for any of Healthy Acadia’s Tai Chi for Health classes. Once your registration is complete, you will receive the login information (for online classes) via your provided email address. For more information, please contact Nina Zeldin at (207) 479-1206 or nina@healthyacadia.org.
Healthy Acadia is a 501c3 nonprofit community health organization working to build vibrant communities and make it easier for all people to lead healthy lives throughout Washington and Hancock counties, Maine. For more information about Healthy Acadia’s health initiatives, visit www.healthyacadia.org.
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