Marshalling Praise for Art of Tai Chi

September 9, 2007

Author: Leslie Scrivener

Source: The Star

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/254609

Aging Canadians seeking the big three – longevity, health and meaning in life – may have found a solution in a single practice, Taoist Tai Chi.

Founded in Toronto by Taoist monk Master Moy Lin-shin, who came here in 1970, the practices have quickly spread to 26 countries around the world.

Some 2,500 members gathered in a bucolic setting at the International Taoist Tai Chi Centre near Orangeville yesterday to celebrate the opening of the Fung Loy Kok Temple, and to mark the group's annual awareness day.

Taoist Tai Chi exercises, which are a soft form of martial arts, are demanding but not damaging to middle-aged bodies. The group claims success for those recovering from injuries or with chronic illnesses. And those interested in community service or philosophical engagement can study the texts of the Chinese sage Lao-Tzu, author of the mystical work, the Tao-te ching. (Some may be more familiar with the popular knockoffs: the Tao of Pooh or the Tao of Physics.)