First Tai Chi Lesson

My DSL is on the fritz right now, so I've not been able to get on the Internet much lately. So I'm behind on posting here.

I went Thursday for my first private lesson with Sensei Tetsu for Tai Chi. I had taken group lessons from him several years ago, when I was under the stress of just having lost my mother to Alzheimer's and was then still taking care of my FIL, who also had Alzheimer's. I found the exercise to be physically challenging and emotionally releasing.

I had read that it was a recommended exercise for Parkinson's patients, so it seemed logical to try to work on it again. Sensei was happy to help me in any way he could.

He started me from the very beginning and put me through quite a workout over the thirty minutes of the lesson. I had to tell him to stop twice, because my legs were trembling so badly, so he walked me around the mat and helped me work on my deep breathing, until I was ready to begin again. I could feel my legs and arms limber up and obey my commands more easily as the lesson progressed.

Tai Chi requires intense concentration on the most minute body position changes, and the slow flowing movements are just perfect for me. I would lose my balance at times, of course, but he understood that, and just kept going, giving me the chance to catch up with him. He's an extremely patient teacher, and just perfect for my needs. I hope to continue seeing him once a week for some time.

He's not cheap, by any means, but neither is all the medicine I'm on. And neither would a nursing home be, if I ended up in one. So my DH and I just consider the expense to be like any other medicine that has been prescribed. I wouldn't think of not getting a prescription filled, and I am not going to do without this exercise, either.

We intend to do everything we possibly can to delay the debilitating stage of PD as long as possible, in the hope that a cure, or at the very least, better medicines or procedures, will be discovered before I reach that point. We leave my ultimate outcome in God's hands, but will do everything we can humanly do toward a good result, as well. I believe that is what God expects us to do.