Cogitator July 27, 2011

Posted by George Cooper 
on Jul 27, 2011
 

Eastern Arts Center for Health and Wellness 

 

 

VISITING ROTARIANS

Hedy Watrous, President of Connecticut's Deep River Rotary Club, joined us as today's guest speaker.  

GUESTS

Jodi Gladstone's track star son, Caleb, was with us.  Donna Wolcott, John's lovely bride, visited as well.  And President Mike Gemma invited his good friend and fellow coach, Jeff Andreozzi.  Jeff is a manager with New England Credit Card Systems. 

BIRTHDAYS/ANNIVERSARIES

Happy birthday to three Rotarians who celebrate birthdays this week.  Jodi Gladstone's big day is the 27th, Dave Caldwell's the 29th, and Bob MacKenzie's the 30th.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

-President Mike asked everyone to please get on the EG Rotary 'Club Runner' website, and make sure your biographical information is correct.

-Phonebook Chair Betsy DePrimo gave a report that we've received $32,100 in commitments from advertisers, but there's still a long way to go.  Our goal for revenues is $65,000.  This year's goal for net funds is $40,000.  That $40,000 makes up most of our Community Service Distribution funds for the 2011-2012 year.  So please get those ads in today. 

-Also, new Phonebook business is critical.  Get your index card, or an email, to Betsy, letting her know of a good business that ought to advertise in the Phonebook.  Non-East Greenwich-area businesses can go in the book.    

-Dave Iannuccilli reminded the Scholarship Fund board members about their upcoming meeting on the 29th.  

HAPPY BUCKS

Bill TenEyck was happy to congratulate his good friend, East Greenwich Rotary past president, and recent 1st time granddad, Kevin Inkley.

Bob MacKenzie gave perhaps the last buck from his wallet after having a great time at daughter Megan's and Jonathan TerMeer's wedding recently.  Bob also gave a very special thanks to Soozie Sundlun, who took the time to be there and did her usual fantastic job of capturing a special day in pictures.    

Visiting Rotarian Hedy Watrous' daughters, Madeline and Norma, were happy to be on the way to the beach, happy to be out of school for the summer, and also, happy to have signed up for a Rotary project in the Dominican Republic this year. 

Hedy also gave a buck while noting that her Deep River, CT club is comprised of 80% women, and this year's officer corps is 100% women.

George Cooper gave a happy remembrance buck in honor of Bruce Sundlun's two terrific presentations to our club 8 years ago, the first on RI history and the second on his WWII adventures through France after the B-17 he piloted was shot down.    

Jon TerMeer, now officially part of the MacKenzie clan, gave a happy groomsman's buck for his recent nuptials.

PROGRAM/SPEAKER

Hedy Watrous, Eastern Arts Center for Health and Wellness 

 

Hedy Watrous studied kung fu and other martial arts years ago, and this connected her into the world of Eastern health and wellness traditions.  Hedy noted that there are 5000 years of history, and 3000 years of good record keeping, in the world of Chinese medicine.  She believes that 'Western medicine has its place' but Eastern medicine if far superior for people who wish to live more healthy lives.  Hedy now passionately runs her own healing center in Deep River, CT. 

The Chinese 'chi' denotes the physical and philosophical view of connectedness.  Everything is connected, including all parts of one's body.   

The study of t'ai chi ch'uan primarily involves three aspects:

  • Health: An unhealthy or otherwise uncomfortable person may find it difficult to meditate to a state of calmness or to use tai chi as a martial art. Tai chi's health training, therefore, concentrates on relieving the physical effects of stress on the body and mind. For those focused on tai chi's martial application, good physical fitness is an important step towards effective self-defense.
  • Meditation: The focus and calmness cultivated by the meditative aspect of tai chi is seen as necessary in maintaining optimum health (in the sense of relieving stress and maintaining homeostasis) and in application of the form as a soft style martial art.
  • Martial art: The ability to use tai chi as a form of self-defense in combat is the test of a student's understanding of the art. Tai chi chuan is the study of appropriate change in response to outside forces, the study of yielding and "sticking" to an incoming attack rather than attempting to meet it with opposing force.  The use of tai chi as a martial art is quite challenging and requires a great deal of training.
    •         
In Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang, which is often referred to in the West as "yin and yang", is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only exist in relation to each other. The concept lies at the origins of many branches of classical Chinese science and philosophy, as well as being a primary guideline of traditional Chinese medicine, and a central principle of different forms of Chinese martial arts and exercise. 

(Thanks to Google, which allowed me to research and clarify for myself some of Hedy's presentation, and, to copy and paste the above two paragraphs.)  

Here are a few interesting links relating to some of Hedy's program material, including exercises she briefly demonstrated.   

http://alternativehealing.org/fragrant_qigong.htm

http://peacefulwolftaichi.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Treasures_(traditional_Chinese_medicine)