NEWTON
Sophomore Mindy Xiong calmly stretches her hands toward the space in front of her. Her pose slowly changes into an old man playing a guitar. She then changes to holding a teakettle.
Xiong is one of about 55 students at the Newton-Conover Health Science High School practicing tai chi, an ancient and graceful form of exercise that has existed for about 2,000 years. The instruction is part of the freshmen and sophomores' P.E. class.
The school offered traditional P.E. last year, but tried tai chi as a special, nine-week course through the NewArt School, said Jerry Willard, the principal of the high school. He and the students liked it enough that he decided to try it as the students' P.E. this year.
"Most kids have problems with focus," Willard said. "I think this will help them with that. And some of our kids are doing projects on Western and Eastern medicines, and this is a nice connection to it."
According to Webster's New World Dictionary, tai chi is a series of postures and exercises as a system of self-defense and as an aid to meditation, characterized by slow, relaxed, circular movements. Each posture flows into the next without pausing.
J.P. Nelson, who taught the nine-week course, also is teaching the tai chi class this year. A martial-arts instructor who specializes in Kempo Jitsu, he has practiced tai chi since 1987. Nelson said he is used to teaching adults privately. Teaching a class full of students is a big change.
"I initially planned to teach the art of tai chi, when I thought there would be a smaller class," Nelson said. "Now, I want to teach the students self-awareness. My intent is to use this as a means of focus."
Xiong said she likes tai chi because of the "side effect," as Nelson calls the stress relief some gain from the exercise. "It's the only time of the day I get to relax," she said. "It's different from everything else around that I do."
Xiong said that her favorite pose is Repose Monkey, which she describes as similar to moon walking -- sliding your feet back while you walk.
Christopher Bare said he likes tai chi more than traditional P. E. activities because it serves a point. Bare said it has helped him concentrate in other areas.
Fellow sophomore Nat Glynn said he was pleasantly surprised when tai chi was offered at school.
"It was something I'd considered doing on my own," he said. "It relaxes me. It helps me slow down and think about my movements more when I'm playing soccer. It also helps me breathe better."
Nelson said enough students are interested in tai chi that he's formed a tai chi demonstration team.
The group, which is comprised of about 12 students, meets after school on Thursdays.
Nelson said that as far as he knows, the Newton-Conover Health Science High School is the first school in North Carolina to offer tai chi in school.
"It's exciting to watch them take charge of it, do it on their own and be excited about it," Nelson said.
■ Sarah Newell Williamson writes for the Hickory Daily Record.
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