Tai Chi Institute USA is pleased to announce our August 2014 Student of the Month, Mary Bell Mary possesses talents in many areas, is very athletic and an excellent practitioner of The Movement of Life/Tai Chi. We are fortunate to have her as a member of the Tai Chi Institute USA family. Mary has a long standing fascination with exploring how things connect, especially the human body and mind. This exploration led her to become a Licensed Massage Therapist seven years ago, the last three of which she’s been specializing in Thai Massage. The practice of yoga has also been an inspiration and driving force to her for sixteen years. Two years ago she began teaching that as well. Experience taught Mary that the powerful impact and benefits of mindful movement and breathing combined could not be over estimated! Tai Chi was something that Mary had always been drawn to. She thought the movements were beautiful but they mystified her. It was not a type of movement that came naturally to her. When the Wednesday morning class in Warrensville Heights presented itself a year ago she seized the opportunity. This new challenge has brought so much wonderful energy into her life in the forms of greater confidence, coordination and, not least of all, her fabulous classmates and teacher! “I love my Tai Chi class! We have a great little chemistry. Ed Niam is so knowledgeable and patient. We mix it up on Wednesdays, learning not just the Tai Chi form but a Kung Fu form as well. I walked in last summer not knowing the first thing about any of this. I was a little intimidated because I thought I’d make a complete fool of myself. Well, sometimes I do, but it’s a lot of fun and all part of the journey! The form has shown me a whole new way to breathe and move my body, a new type of grace and given me another tool to help find calm in times of chaos. I’ve also met some pretty amazing individuals. Finding those connections in life are what’s important, after all, both within ourselves and with others!” - Mary Bell |
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