Fundraiser set for World Tai Chi and World Healing Day
News NEWS | March 24, 2022
Submitted to The Union
Homer Nottingham strides into a meeting like a man half his age.
With the help of Kiwanis Club, of which he is a member, Nottingham is planning to honor World Tai Chi and Qigong Day on April 30 with a local fundraiser for Nevada County Media, a Grass Valley organization that offers free membership for any student wanting to learn to make video or audio recordings.
Nottingham, 83, attributes his youthfulness to his practice of Tai Chi and Qigong. Many know of him through his classes on at the Pioneer Park band shell in Nevada City.
Nottingham wasn’t always a Tai Chi master. In his earlier life he was a division vice president for American Express in the LA marketplace. On a business trip to Hong Kong in the 1980s, he was introduced to Qigong. After his return he took classes at Esalen in Big Sur and Omega Institute in New York. He then began teaching Qigong and Tai Chi when he retired in 2001, and has been teaching and training new instructors for over 20 years.
On their shared birthday (March 24) in 1978, Nottingham met his wife-to-be Jan during a real estate transaction. Attracted by her “extraordinary beauty and friendly attitude,” he asked her to dinner to celebrate their mutual birthday. They were married exactly one year later.
Together they keep up on their Qigong/Tai Chi practice and run Vital Energy Arts. Through their business, at various venues, Homer teaches classes and workshops and trains new instructors, and Jan does expressive arts workshops.
“Qigong/Tai Chi keeps us in tip-top shape and keeps us young,” Nottingham said. “We are both in great shape and enjoy a productive and fun life because of our practice.”
On April 30, World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, Nottingham will hold a fundraiser at Pioneer Park, 421 Nimrod St., Nevada City. The event will include food, Tai Chi and Kung Fu demonstrations, a performance by the Grass Valley Taiko Drummers, and Nottingham’s classes in Tai Chi and Easy Ageless Tai Chi/Qigong.
There will also be a silent auction of items donated by local merchants and individuals. All proceeds will go to Nevada County Media, where Nevada County students are eligible for free membership. There, they can learn how to record, edit, and share video and audio projects. NC Media provides all training and use of equipment to members.
“World healing is the goal of World Tai Chi Day,” Nottingham said. “All over the world, in every town and country, we will be coming together for ‘One World-One Breath.’”
Tai Chi demonstrations start at 9 a.m. April 30, followed by Easy Ageless Tai Chi/Qigong for all.
Source: Diane Miessler