Seven years ago, someone suggested that Shaz Bamasi, RN, with Lourdes in Binghamton, New York, sign up for a tai chi workshop sponsored by the local health department as part of a falls-prevention community initiative. At the time, Shaz had no idea what tai chi is.
Today, Shaz is a certified tai chi instructor who runs the Community Health and Wellness Tai Chi Program at Lourdes. The program began as one free class offered to hospital volunteers and associates, but it rapidly turned into a “tai chi for health” series of classes that has now served more than 750 participants. The program is part of Rehabilitation Services and is supported by administrators and staff alike, some of whom have participated in the classes.
Shaz was converted from a self-described tai chi skeptic to a practitioner because “tai chi works,” he said.
“Briefly stated, tai chi is a healing tradition and technique that originated in China over 2,000 years ago. It is designed essentially to prevent disease by living in balance and harmony both within oneself and the surrounding environment,” Shaz said. “A gentle form of mind-body exercise, tai chi is also known as ‘meditation in motion’ and is based on martial arts forms.”
The program at Lourdes incorporates tai chi for health classes developed by Dr. Paul Lam, founder of the Tai Chi for Health Institute. Shaz said that through movement therapy, deep breathing and the application of various principles, tai chi provides many benefits, including improved balance, coordination, flexibility and muscular strength, thereby reducing the risk of falls; a stronger core, better posture and greater stamina; improved immunity and cognitive function; as well as better heart and lung function. Tai chi’s slow and deliberate movements contribute to physical and mental relaxation, and help alleviate chronic pain associated with arthritis and other health conditions, and relieve stress, anxiety and depression, he said.
A tai chi for arthritis program taught at Lourdes is an evidence-based falls-prevention program recognized by organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Arthritis Foundation for its positive effects on overall balance and physical coordination in the older adult population. This is the population that the tai chi for health program mostly serves.
“I feel that the classes have real value, especially for those who have mobility and/or balance issues,” one participant said. “It gives them a real chance to address those issues … in a manner that gives them increased mobility or [improved] balance.”
“The benefits I’ve received … personally are improved balance, stress reduction, improved muscle strength, an overall sense of well-being and meaningful fellowship with like-minded people,” another participant said. “For many of us, the tai chi program at Lourdes is more than just a class. It is a meaningful part of our lives … it is a community service.”
Besides running the tai chi program, Shaz, a registered nurse for almost 30 years, currently works as an Associate Health nurse as well as in the Emergency Department at Lourdes.
