In a park on Dilworth Mountain in Kelowna, Jacquie Myers leads a group of six women in the ancient Chinese martial art of tai chi.
Tai chi combines a number of natural movements with relaxation and breathing to generate physical and mental health.
Myers is an instructor at Kelowna’s Canadian Tai Chi Academy, and her group meets regularly at Lillooet Park to practice.
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“It’s movement of the body, it’s relaxation and meditation of the mind,” said Myers.
Performed by millions worldwide every day, tai chi is known as the gentle way to fight stress.
“Coming together so that we can feel like we are not penned up, and we’re being able to socialize at a distance and just move,” Myers said.
Myers and her group say they’ll be keeping the mental effects of COVID at bay with tai chi in the park until at least the snow flies and maybe longer.
“You can just come here and you forget … we have fun, we joke, we kibitz, we are just really good friends,” said Gail McKaig, a tai chi enthusiast.
McKaig says that friendship and experience have become tremendously important to her since the start of the pandemic
“Shortly before COVID, I lost my husband and my adult children live in the States, so this group has become my family,” McKaig said.
Another group member, Jan Gattrell, said the morning sessions on the mountain have given her a finer sense of purpose.
“Every morning to come and find these cheerful women,” said Gattrell, “is a reason to get up.”