Dennis Newport

I am primarily interested in senior populations, using tai chi applications to enhance health and well-being. I have been studying tai chi for well over a decade and am proficient in all three major tai chi formats, as well as some other orientations. I have been certified to teach chair tai chi via Moonwillow Tai Chi in Woodstock, IL, and am currently a candidate for teaching certification out of Peter Wayne’s Tree of Life/Boston. Mister Wayne is associated with Harvard Medical, although his tai chi group is independent.

Tai chi is inner motion made manifest. Any tai chi forms should reflect a relaxed, mindful, and joyful inner disposition.

It depends on the client’s level of physical health and his/her fitness history. In general, I begin by training for relaxation via the breath and familiarity with the action of joints. After some initial meditation, client is introduced to warm-ups that facilitate eventual involvement with a form chosen by the client. This can all be done seated, standing, or a combination of both.

A number of clients have told me of how they have used centered breathing to enhance their own lives. In particular, one woman, who was in a wheelchair, was rushed to the emergency room with elevated blood pressure. Once there, she decided she did NOT want to be given more drugs or medication. Instead, she told them she would get her blood pressure down by centered breathing. And she did, and doctors were then able to treat her larger issue. After my group classes, which feature many returning clients, I am often told how relaxed people feel, and how loose they have become.

I am a longtime actor, appearing on many Chicago stages and film sets. I find that tai chi has become a continuation of actorly orientation to inner states of mind and body.