Qigong/Tai Chi for Rest and Relaxation at Ebster Recreation Center

Decatur residents Neil Norton & Steve Dorage, and their colleague Drew Bracewell of Clarkston share 60 years combined experience in Qigong/Tai Chi in Decatur. They started their first class at Decatur Recreation Center ten years ago. A new Qigong/TaiChi class is being offered on Wednesdays at the Ebster Recreation Center at 12 pm, taught by Neil Norton. Neil, a twenty year plus cancer survivor, shared, “I wanted to give an opportunity for people with more flexible schedules to relax in the middle of the day, in the middle of the week, often when we need a breathing practice the most.”

Steve started Tai Chi 4 L.I.F.E (Longevity, Increased Balance & Strength, Flexibility, and Energy) in 2014 with the hope of creating a community of Tai Chi practitioners similar to what you might see in China. Steve shares his vision, “We would love to see a Decatur park full of community members moving together on World Tai Chi Day on April 25^th, 2020.” Last year Tai Chi for L.I.F.E. had over 20 people including 6 instructors at Legacy Park. With busy schedules and stress around every corner, Drew believes, “we need a time and place to be just be present to help balance out our busy lives with breathing and gentle movements.”

Steve, Drew, & Neil share a teacher, Dr. Michael Jamison for whom they have been training with for 20 years. In addition to Tai Chi training, several times a year they organize all day Dao Yin workshops at the Decatur Recreation Center with him. Dao Yin is a practice mostly on the ground that cultivates internal energy that Qigong and Tai Chi are derived from.

Neil and Drew work as Arborists, and Neil is the Executive Director of Georgia Arborist Association, while Drew has expanded his interest in wood and Tai Chi through the construction of Tai Chi swords. Both have practiced other types of martial arts with a focus on Tai Chi and Qigong over the last 20 years. Steve worked in the health care industry and recently retired and now focuses on his family, practice, and Tai Chi 4 L.I.F.E. He has been practicing Tai Chi for over 30 years. Steve states, “Similar to saving money for retirement, Tai Chi benefits compound as you age, the earlier you start, the greater the return.”