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 teacher who “discovered” Tai Chi in China in 1991 and saw how the students were doing these movements in the classroom to stay focused and calm, I couldn’t wait to learn it and teach it to my own students.
I studied, tried it out in many ways, got advice from Chinese masters about adapting it for kids and created a program that I have been teaching for over 25 years. Kids love it. Parents love it. Teachers and therapists do, too. It is an 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 our children facing an increasingly stressful and challenging world”.
I have shared it at several NQA conferences.
We are all kids, kids at heart. 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 movements in parks and classrooms, she was curious. She tried it herself and felt the wonderful flow of chi in her body. She realized that Tai Chi could enhance learning, self-esteem, and wellness 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 it with her own students, she was very pleased with their reactions and their desire to learn more. This was from both the stressed out high achievers and those with learning challenges who couldn’t sit still. The whole class became more focused. She was inspired to develop a program which she called Tai Chi for Kids©.
For more than twenty-five years 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 by training teachers all over the U.S. and in many other countries including Brazil, England, Germany, Canada, South Africa, Myanmar, and Kuwait. Her videos and audio guides make this possible.
She worked with teachers in the New York City public schools for twenty three years. And along the way, she has been on public TV programs, and conducted workshops in schools and for other organizations including the Juvenile Division of the Cape Town Police Department in South Africa.
Shurman says, “What I’ve learned again and again over decades of teaching is that Tai Chi can change your 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.
