What do PC and ancient Chinese martial arts have in common?
The fun and culturally interactive physical education course of Tai Chi has grabbed the attention of many students. The popular course is taught by Professor You Yan Xu, an instructor of Chinese and a master in the art of Tai Chi.
“Tai Chi is not only good for physical well-being but also mental health,” says the junior Chemistry major, Nadia White.
Tai Chi is a slow-paced practice, focused on paying attention to the body’s movement as it flows through the different positions. Many students at PC have found this practice to be a great break from the stress of the rest of their heavy course load.
Sophomore Biology major, Lilly Luttrell, sometimes finds herself stressed with the pressures of being a college student, an athlete, and an active community member. Luttrell is a PC Women’s Wrestling team, Campus Outreach, and FCA member. Luttrell found that Tai Chi allowed her to slow down and gave her a place to find peace in college life’s chaos.
“I took Tai Chi to have an outlet of relaxation and ease,” she says. “Throughout all the hard classes I was taking, it was nice to know I had Tai Chi as a calm place.”
Corey Reynolds is a sophomore Pharmacy major at PC. Reynolds decided to take Tai Chi because he needed another credit in his schedule; however, upon finishing the class he found a new sense of accomplishment after learning all the movements. Reynolds found, like Luttrell, that Tai Chi could be a form of self-calming.
“People have different ways of calming themselves. Some people play video games, some people read books, some people pray, and others can do Tai Chi or yoga and it can calm them,” he says.
Chiara Barbieri, a senior French major at PC, also found Tai Chi to be a therapeutic part of her day.
Barbieri says, “Tai Chi helps you connect with your inner self. Focusing on yourself with each movement allows students to learn more about body awareness and what they are capable of with a calm mind.”
Referencing body awareness, Barbieri is also a member of the PC Women’s Wrestling team and she says she thought learning another martial art, like Tai Chi, could benefit her on the mat.
“My favorite thing about the course was learning the movements. It challenged me in a way I didn’t expect; physically and mentally,” she says.
The Tai Chi course at PC does not just teach students the art of movement, it also exposes students to Chinese culture in a hands-on way. The consensus from many of the Tai Chi students is that they loved playing some of the traditional Chinese children’s games.
“My favorite part was when it was Chinese New Year and the professor brought a bunch of Chinese games for us to play,” says Luttrell. “I enjoyed seeing her culture.”
Although these games were somewhat different from American children’s games, some were pretty similar to the games the students played as kids like double-dutch or hacky-sack. Nadia White recognized the similarities between the two cultures often seen as very different.
“It is important to understand and share differences within our community because there are a lot of similarities between us even though we may not think so,” says White.
All PC students taking Tai Chi strongly believe that learning about different cultures is important to gain a greater understanding of the world around them.
Barbieri says, “I think it’s beneficial to learn the practices of other cultures. It broadens one’s cultural diversity and creates a deeper understanding of their ways of life.”
Lorenzo Duren, a sophomore Biology major, puts it in the simplest terms: “Learning makes us better people.”
When asked if the students would refer their friends to the course, the answer resounded, “Yes!” In fact, word-of-mouth is what made Tai Chi a popular course at PC. Semester after semester, students tell their friends to take the course for many of the reasons mentioned.
Barberi said she took the course because one of her friends had taken it the year prior and loved it. After taking the course, Barberi relays the same recommendation to some of her friends who are still undecided about their spring course schedules.
“I loved the class. It opened my eyes to Chinese culture and about my own personal inner peace. I have already recommended the class to some of my other friends,” she says.
Duren also recommends the class to anyone willing to try something new.
“All you have to do is show up and try. The professor is very nice and easy to talk to. I would recommend this class to anyone at PC,” he says.
The future of Professor You Yan Xu’s course looks extremely promising as her students have found immense value in both the ancient practice of Tai Chi and learning about Chinese culture.