Tai Chi & the homeless

[GeneChing]

KSL TV
Tai Chi lessons bring exercise and hope for Salt Lake City's homeless
By Alex Cabrero | Posted Feb 8th, 2017 @ 9:33pm


Bernie Hart leads morning tai chi classes at the Salt Lake City Library for the city's homeless. (Photo: KSL TV)


Fred Davis is among the homeless who comes in the morning to enjoy the workout, and take his mind off of his troubles. (Photo: KSL TV) 

SALT LAKE CITY — Thanks to volunteer instructor Bernie Hart, morning Tai Chi lessons at the Salt Lake City Library bring exercise and hope to the city's homeless.

“Blank stares” is what Hart says he was met with when he first talked about setting up the program.

“It was like they couldn’t understand…the event and the ideas,” he said.

Five months ago, Hart went to the library, knowing that many of the cities homeless also went there in the mornings.

“We didn’t know what to expect. We started with an idea and nobody,” Hart said.

But nobody soon turned into one, then a few, and now as many as 40 people come in the morning to practice Tai Chi as their morning workout.

For many, it allows them to simply have a time in their day where they get to focus on something other than being homeless.

Fred Davis came to Salt Lake City two years ago, and is among the cities homeless population.

“It’s still kind of hard, you know, to get by day to day,” he said.

“We’re really exploring an idea about how motion and movement influences how we think about things,” Hart said about the program.

But the morning lessons offer the chance to take his mind off his troubles — at least for a few minutes — and help him get a good exercise.

“It gets you moving and your body feels wonderful after you finish,” Davis said.

Of course, Hart knows that Tai Chi isn’t going to solve the city’s homeless problem — that’s going to take more than morning exercise — but he just wants people of feel better about themselves.

“They see changes and something happening,” Hart said about his class participants.

And for the homeless, change can lead to hope.

Contributing: Freeman Stevenson
Freeman Stevenson is a web producer at KSL.com

This is a great concept, worthy of it's own thread. I'm constantly impressed by Tai Chi's ability to reinvent itself and stay relevant and vital in the modern world.

[robertdreeben]

This is a great concept, worthy of it's own thread. I'm constantly impressed by Tai Chi's ability to reinvent itself and stay relevant and vital in the modern world.

Me to! Hence the literal translation: "Supreme Ultimate Boxing"

[bawang]

those homeless people look very well fed. if he tried that here hed get murdered.

[Oolong]

Being a traveling Kung Foo hobo, this article gets me... right here.

I'd be more worried about teaching them basic health qigong and nutritional advice tho.

[GeneChing]

[GeneChing]

There's a vid and more pix behind the link.

Pay it Forward: Homeless tai chi
BY MAREN JENSEN WEDNESDAY, MAY 31ST 2017



(KUTV) A Utah couple has a unique approach to helping the homeless population in Utah--tai chi.

Bernard and Marita Hart started the group Understanding Us, and host free tai chi classes outside the Salt Lake City Public Library on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings at 9 a.m..

They've been offering the service since October of last year.

"We've been having 34, 35, 40 people a day," said Bernard Hart, also known as Bernie.

The Harts worked with children who have autism, and found that tai chi could help calm their nerves.

So they decided to try the practice with the homeless population "to see if the ideas could get people comfortable, feeling good about themselves, thinking about their day in a different way," according to Bernie Hart.

And for those who attend the free tai chi sessions, it seems to be working.

"I feel relaxed. It takes you to a whole other realm of comfort," said Leroy, who is homeless and has attended the class for about six months.

People from all walks of life are welcome to join the class, which is starting to form its own little community.

"At first you're a little bit apprehensive," said Carl, who used to be homeless. "But once you get involved with the rest of them, you feel included."

The Harts and their volunteers also feed participants coffee and burritos before class, and send them away with a couple of dollars.

"We feel good being here," said Bernie.

Mountain America Credit Union donated $500 to help Understanding Us continue its efforts. They hope to expand their efforts with more programs and partnerships.

For more information on Understanding Us, or if you want to help out, you can visit their website or Facebook page.