26yearold Patrick York with a “Peace Love Tai Chi” Tshirt was taking a free tai chi class with many other people on a Long Beach, California, hilltop.
York does tai chi three times a week. “I live in Southern California, so when driving on the freeways, it can be easy to go as fast as you can, ” he says. “But since I’ve been doing tai chi, I’ve been able to slow down, stop and pull back, and if it’s slow, that’s OK.”
It also helps him in his job as a classroom assistant (助手) for special-needs children. “A couple of times I have guided them through some breathing exercises, and within minutes, I’m more relaxed, they’re more relaxed, and we’re able to move on to the lessons, ” York says.
Dunn, who has been teaching tai chi in Los Angeles for more than thirty years, says that in the past year and a half, he’s gotten an increase in calls from young people. He gives private lessons to 20 people, including several students in their 20s and 30s. “It used to be all senior people. It was uncommon to see anyone younger than 30 learning tai chi. I’ve seen that change quite a bit.Tai chi helps young people to develop that slowness and reduce stress.”
York says that although tai chi’s practiced slowly, it’s not easy. “The slowness of tai chi is deceptive (欺骗性的). It’s not easy to remain slow and connected to the breath. Each movement uses almost every muscle (肌肉). So when we’re standing and we’re in a form and we’re centered low—the legs are engaged, the arms—everything’s engaged.”
Most health research into the benefits (好处) of tai chi centers on people over 50. But the earlier you start in life, the more you benefit from it, says Dr.Michael Irwin, director of UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center. He says the benefits are cumulative (渐增的).
“When a younger person’s experiencing stress, there’s a way for them to deal with that stress so that it does not increase over time—increasing the possibility of them developing disease.”
8. How has tai chi influenced York?
A.He has found a relaxing job. |
B.He has developed a sense of community. |
C.He has become more patient when driving. |
D.He has won the trust of many kids in his class. |
9. What does Dunn say about tai chi?
A.It should be taught in small classes. |
B.It is a great exercise for older people. |
C.It is getting popular with young people. |
D.It has changed greatly since its beginning. |
10. How does York feel about practicing tai chi?
A.It should be a longterm thing. |
B.It is more difficult than it seems. |
C.It can be done anywhere by anyone. |
D.It requires fewer skills than people think. |
11. What does Dr.Michael Irwin suggest people do?
A.Learn tai chi step by step. |
B.Begin practicing tai chi early in life. |
C.Spend more time on tai chi to improve health. |
D.Do research on how tai chi benefits young people. |