Have you ever thought about learning the 20 gentle moves of T’ai Chi Chih? Many students of this moving meditation have experienced increased strength, improved balance, reduced blood pressure and a general feeling of improved wellness. New classes for beginners and continuing students are starting the week of Sept. 8 at First United Methodist Church. The church is located at 5510 N. Central Ave.
The Muhammad Ali Parkinson’s Center at St. Joseph’s Hospital is offering several classes for people with Parkinson’s disease and their caregivers. Classes take place at the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center 500 W. Thomas Road, Suite 720. Cost is $5 per class (cash or check), and pre-registration is required. Call 602-406-6903 to register.
Upcoming classes include:
• The Art of Moving, 2-3 p.m. Tuesdays in October. This exercise class is designed to focus on the symptoms of the disease. Lesson plans are designed to maintain and improve function in the areas of flexibility, strength, posture, balance, coordination, communication, voice power and speech clarity. It can be performed seated; wear comfortable clothes and socks.
Garden tours return to Tovrea The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department offers visitors this fall and winter a chance to explore the renovated Carraro Cactus Garden surrounding the landmark Tovrea Castle. Visitors can register online by going to castle’s webpage at www.phoenix.gov/parks/tovrea.html. Participants can join 90-minute guided tours on selected Saturdays starting Sept. 27 through late December. There will be two 1-hour guided tours on selected Saturdays with a maximum of 20 people per tour. The tours cost $15 per person; proceeds will help to fund future castle and garden rehabilitation and improvements. The tours will only cover the grounds and do not include access to Tovrea Castle, which is closed as part of ongoing rehabilitation and renovation. Walking tours are appropriate for youth ages 8 and above with mild grade variations on garden trails. On tours, visitors will see the Carraro and Tovrea Cactus Gardens, outbuildings, machine shop, cactus propagation beds and exterior castle views. For online registration, go to www.phoenix.gov/parks/tovrea.html, or call 602-256-3222 for further information.
Speaking truth to teenagers is no easy task. Especially when it involves talking about their choices ... choices about drinking, driving, drugs, about safe living.
But as a trauma nurse at John C. Lincoln North Mountain Hospital, every week I see the desperate need to do something meaningful to keep kids alive until they reach common-sense adulthood.
That’s why I was thrilled when North Mountain’s Level I Trauma Services Department asked me to present safety seminars for area teens.
Teenagers are the highest risk takers, and they know it. But they don’t want anyone telling them what to do, even if the advice may save their lives. So I don’t tell them what to do.
A series of free, monthly heart-healthy workshops for older adults and the community is being presented by the city of Phoenix Human Services Department Senior Services Division and the Arizona Heart Institute.
“Reducing Cardiovascular Risk” will take place 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, at the Devonshire Community Center, 2802 E. Devonshire Ave., Arts and Crafts Room, presented by Dr. David J. Caparrelli, a cardiovascular surgeon with the Arizona Heart Institute
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