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 Master Peng You Tai Chi Masters were located at 5 sites throughout the community, leading others in the practice of Taijiquan. Master Peng You Lian (President of the Canadian Organization of Traditional Taiji Quan Associations) "kicked" off the challenge at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre at 11 am Monday morning in what many call "meditation in motion".
Dr. Peter Voros, psychologist at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, provided welcoming comments to all the Tai Chi participants. Ron Saddington, President and CEO, TBRHSC and Carl White, President, St. Joseph's Care Group addressed the participants explaining what good mental health is and why mental health is important. Master Peng You Lian stressed how Tai Chi connects both mind and body health.
Mental Health Awareness Week is a national event held annually to create awareness of mental health issues. This year's theme is Practice Mind + Body. The message centres on healthy mind, body and spirit. It's a positive, proactive, enjoyable way to equip ourselves for the many and varied challenges that life can bring.
The Tai Chi Challenge hopes to encourage the community of Thunder Bay community to take time out of their busy schedules and practice good mental and physical health.
Mental fitness helps us to achieve and sustain a mentally healthy state, just as physical fitness helps us to achieve and sustain a state of good physical health.
Having a good mental health enables us to more fully enjoy and appreciate our environment and the people in it. We can often better resist stress and tackle our challenges in a positive frame of mind. It allows us to be creative, to use our mental abilities to the fullest extent, and make the most of opportunities.
People's responses to stress, and difficult events, are as individual as the people experiencing them. So everyone will assess and measure their mental fitness in different ways. But there are common factors which facilitate good mental health. By considering some of these factors, it is possible to identify how we can improve our mental fitness.
- Realistic attitude: When we are able to feel and draw on optimism, a sense of perspective and flexibility, we gain the resilience needed to endure shock, hardship or change, and to carry on with our lives.
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Self-esteem and confidence: Instead of focusing on what we are lacking, we need to focus on the qualities we do have that make us a good friend, a valued colleague, a loving parent.
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Emotional support: Close ties with family and friends build support networks through which we receive help and, in turn, help others.
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Mental agility: Giving our minds and bodies a workout by engaging in a variety of mental activities, such as solving crosswords or playing a musical instrument, enhances mental agility and promotes overall wellness.
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