MANCHESTER, NH – Maybe you have seen them. A group of 8 to 10 people gathered by the gazebo in Derryfield Park moving slowly and gracefully in unison. Every Friday at noon the group gathers to practice the art of tai chi.
On this Friday the group has gathered in the shade of the gazebo. The Uncanoonuc Mountains are visible across the valley and a breeze slides up the hill and gently fans the practitioners. Their teacher, Meghan Rice-Frades, begins by leading them through a brief warm-up. The class consists of people who range from newbies to people who have been doing it for years.
She explains to the class how the moves tie back to the martial arts origins of the practice in 17th Century China. The forms have names like “over the mountain,” and “dragon holds the ball.” During the class one student coins a new term, “show off your purse,” for a movement she is trying to master.
The movements are slow and intentional. Each one should take four seconds. According to Rice-Frades, “Tai chi is part of a traditional Chinese medicinal practice to keep the body healthy and moving with low impact and a meditative art.” It has been shown to help with improving balance, treating pain and fatigue. It is also recommended for people who have ALS, Parkinson’s Disease, PTSD, fibromyalgia, and diabetes.
The group is practicing Yang form tai chi, which is the most common. Participants learn a short-form series of 13 moves which they repeat during every class. It is designed to work for everyone from beginner to expert. “Newcomers won’t be able to memorize all the forms during the first lesson, but they will be able to follow along,” says Rice-Frades.
Julia DiStephano has been coming to classes for about a year and a half, but she still feels like a neophyte. She likes it because it keeps her mind engaged. She says it is like yoga, “It helps integrate the body and mind”.
Mary Murray started two months ago at the urging of a friend. She also attends the Thursday tai chi class and the Tuesday qi gong class that Rice-Frades offers at the WB Cashin Senior Activity Center. “It helps me with balance and improving my range of motion. I also like the sense of community.”
Rice-Frades practiced martial arts in her teens and did a little tai chi in college. She returned to martial arts about 15 years ago when her then 5-year-old son expressed an interest in it. They both began taking classes with Master James Rath in Nashua. She started with kung fu and karate and then, at the urging of Master Rath, she started doing tai chi and, “fell in love with it.” It wasn’t long before she became an assistant and then a teacher.
She has been teaching in Manchester since 2018 when she was approached at a health and wellness fair by the Cashin Center. In 2021 she moved the class to Derryfield Park. Doing tai chi outside is traditional. “It helps students be better in touch with the elements of nature – wood, fire, earth, metal, and water,” she says. The uneven ground also challenges the body and helps practitioners get more out of the activity.
Anyone interested in joining the class can do so by meeting near the gazebo in Derryfield Park at noon on Fridays. The cost for the class is $5 and new participants will be required to fill out a waiver form and provide contact information in case of cancellation.
“Wear comfortable clothes that you can move in and comfortable shoes that will stay on. Activewear is not necessary,” Rice-Frades advises.
The classes will continue outdoors in the park until October when they return to the Cashin Center. At that time participants will need to sign up through the Cashin Center. Their activities are open to Manchester residents age 55 and over.
Rice-Frades’ goals for her students are simple, “I hope they have fun and I hope they engage in some form of movement that they normally wouldn’t do.”