Introducing: Tai Chi Moving Mindfulness Meditation and Resilience Training for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder:
This unique program was developed by Master Tai Chi Instructor and retired police officer Dan Jones. Dan combines twenty-five years of law enforcement, eight years of executive protection and thirty-eight years of tai chi and qigong experience into a program specifically designed to help manage the symptoms of PTSD. He successfully applied the training and techniques from this program during his entire law enforcement and executive protection careers. The mindful, relaxed, fluid movements of tai chi and the coordinated breathing patterns of qigong helps to develop an active calm that is more easily transferable to the fluid demands of everyday life.
Every technique, pattern and aspect of the program incorporates mind, body and breath. Participants are taught easy to learn modified tai chi movements and small patterns to help the mind, body and emotions remain calm during traumatic memories.
From the medical perspective:
Post-Traumatic Stress is among the most severe anxiety related disorders. Because of the extreme fear, avoidance, guilt, and other negative emotions that are often experienced by people with PTSD, creating a comfortable therapeutic mindset can be difficult. Preliminary work elsewhere has shown that Tai Chi is well-tolerated and indeed enjoyed by patients with PTSD and shows promise for reducing several of the target symptoms of PTSD including distressing intrusive thoughts and concentration difficulties.
The role of mindfulness-based strategies to enhance the care of these patients is only beginning to be explored, but preliminary evidence indicates that they are effective in improving a variety of symptoms in a dose-dependent fashion.
Building on this, integrating moving meditation principles derived from tai chi is intended to use a more engaging physical experience to encourage the patient to re-anchor him- or herself in the present moment. It also yields additional health benefits including reduced fall risk, improved pain tolerance, improved sleep quality, and cardiovascular health. It’s also been shown to serve as an effective intervention when used in a seated position for people who use wheelchairs.
The aim of this program is to provide healthcare practitioners (medical, nursing, and allied health included) with additional techniques for the management of stress and trauma. Although it is being developed to target PTSD, it is our hope that it will prove useful in managing anxiety and psychological distress in other contexts.
This training will be presented in four three-hour clinics. There will be a three hour clinic in the morning and a three hour clinic in the afternoon each day. The same training will be offered at all four training sessions. This makes the training more accessible to the busy schedules of medical professionals.
*More detailed logistical information soon to come. For inquiries please contact:
Dan Jones
517-927-9608
Email: djonesdragon@gmail.com
Doctor Cody Weston MD, PhD
517-242-3659
Email: codylweston@gmail.com .