Program Host: Vicki Dello Joio
July 10, 2025
8:30 – 9:30 PM Eastern
Adults have beenbenefiting from Tai Chi and Qigong for centuries.
But as a school teacherwho “discovered” Tai Chi in China in 1991 and saw how the students were doingthese movements in the classroom to stay focused and calm, I couldn’twait to learn it and teach it to my own students.
I studied, tried it out inmany ways, got advice from Chinese masters about adapting it for kids andcreated a program that I have been teaching for over 25 years. Kids loveit. Parents love it. Teachers and therapists do, too. It isan activity that is fun to do, easy to learn, and very beneficial for kids.
I met Dr Peter Wayne some years ago. He is the author of the Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi. He was pleased to learn I was working with children. He wrote"the potential benefits of Tai Chi for children has been greatly underappreciated. Tai Chi's wisdom can enhance the resilience, curiosity and health of ourchildren facing an increasingly stressful and challenging world”.
I have shared it atseveral NQA conferences.
We are all kids, kids atheart. I look forward to doing it with you!
Traveling in China in 1991,Cari Shurman accidentally“discovered” the ancient art of Tai Chi. Seeing the graceful movementsin parks and classrooms, she was curious. She tried it herselfand felt the wonderful flow of chi in her body. She realized that Tai Chi could enhance learning, self-esteem, andwellness in her students.
After years of study in the US with a variety of teachers,she returned to China twice to deepen her understanding. Then, trying itwith her own students, she was very pleased with their reactions andtheir desire to learn more. This was from both the stressed out highachievers and those with learning challenges who couldn’t sit still. Thewhole class became more focused. She was inspired to develop a program whichshe called Tai Chi for Kids©.
For more than twenty-fiveyears she has been teaching the focus and relaxation of Tai Chi. It works for all ages.Cari Shurman has greatly expanded the reach of Tai Chi for Kids bytraining teachers all over the U.S. and in many other countriesincluding Brazil, England, Germany, Canada, South Africa, Myanmar, andKuwait. Her videos and audio guides make this possible.
She worked with teachers inthe New York City public schools for twenty three years. And along the way, she has been onpublic TV programs, and conducted workshops in schools and for otherorganizations including the Juvenile Division of the Cape Town PoliceDepartment in South Africa.
Shurman says, “What I’velearned again and again over decades of teaching is that Tai Chi can changeyour life. Join us to learn how to bring the wonderful benefits of Tai Chi into your busy lives in just a few minutes a day.
