4 | Akwa | March / April / May 2023 To me, the best thing about Ai Chi is that ‘however it turns out is exactly the way it was meant to be.’ We all have different bodies with differ- ent muscle activation responses and things going on in our minds and lives. Not one of us will do the pos- tures exactly the same. I try to apply it to all aspects of my life, although I am not always successful. Ai Chi taught me not to be so judg- mental about myself and others. It’s a good lesson if you’re ready for it. For example, instead of thinking that my balance is horrible during a session, I accept it with no judgment. It’s okay to analyze why our balance was off but not okay to think negative thoughts about ourselves. It could just be shoes or the flooring or a sinus infection coming. I wasn’t ‘bad’ or ‘weak’ or any of the other things I used to say to myself. Every time I practice Ai Chi, it will be different, and I will learn something about myself – and it will never be negative. Besides knowing that ‘we can’t do it wrong’ and accepting things the way they turn out; Ai Chi is also beneficial for many other things. For example, it’s beneficial for our thoughts and emotional balance, orthopedic issues (hip, knee, low back, shoulders), bal- ance deficits and most neurological disorders, pain management, and, best of all, over-stressed practitioners and clients. What is Ai Chi? • A slow, breath-centered movement program. • There are only 19 postures, so the joy of doing something you know comes quickly. • A vertical, standing program but has been modified to be done in seated and horizontal positions. • Alignment (in any position that is beneficial to the client) is ke. • With the breath focus, core strength improves. • There’s no stop and start, just flow. • Non-judgmental – ahhh! After Jun Konno and I finalized the Ai Chi Technique along with the book and video, we had to decide what train- ing people needed. Other techniques were very expensive and extensive in terms of time and money. We decided that since Ai Chi is always done cor- rectly (no matter how it’s done), peo- ple could learn from each other, from a course we offered, from the book or video, etc., and that was all they needed to use. However, many prac- titioners working in hospitals must be certified in a technique before utiliz- ing it with clients. That’s how the Ai Chi Certification came to be. If you’ve tried Ai Chi and are inter- ested in more, you can take your Ai Chi experience to a new level with varied courses and certification. The Ai Chi Certification is designed to pre- pare practitioners to offer the best Ai Chi experience and learn modifica- tions to improve client care (whether in groups or one-on-one). There is no stress – the 8-hour certification day is relaxed and will feed your soul. During the certification, we go over basic Ai Chi and general concepts to get everyone on the same page. (There is a ‘basic’ way to do Ai Chi despite us all doing it differently). During the review, we consider stance, move- ment patterns, balance progressions, and common issues to watch for with yourself and your clients. We discuss the benefits (and why the benefit occurs) of Ai Chi for the average healthy adult. We consider the evolu- tion of Ai Chi with several new mod- ifications to make the basic program more effective for special situations. Ai Chi continues to evolve as different practitioners use it for different pur- poses, so this evolution will continue. The history of Ai Chi and its body-mind integration, the impact on the healing process, the clinical aspects, as well as Cultivating the Chi, the Visualization Journey, and a bit of Ai Chi Ne (work- ing with partners) are also included. Since the certification is aimed at practitioners (not clients, although they have attended), we cover several different ways to focus your Ai Chi instruction to create new or advanced Ai Chi opportunities for your clients. Ai Chi Certification By Ruth Sova, MS You can take the Ai Chi Certifica- tion at IAFTC 2023 in Orlando, Florida on Monday, May 1, 2023. Ruth Sova will be assisted by Jennifer Perrin and Mary Wykle, so you will enjoy a variety of per- spectives and guidance.
