34 JANUARY 2023 I n January 2022, I stood (awkwardly) outside my comfort zone and attended a barre and aerial fitness class in the spirit of our January theme: fitness. After that, I learned that my body prefers something a little less fitness-y and strives more for calm, meditative strengthening. For my 2023 fitness journey, I chose Tai Chi. On a cold Saturday morning, I trekked to St. Stephens Episcopal Church on 56th St. and Oak to check out a session with the Taoist Tai Chi Society ® . Before regaling you with the experience, let’s look at where the practice came from: Tai Chi started with a man named Moy Lin Shin. As a child, Shin suffered from serious health issues because of the living conditions in China during WWII. When he learned of Taoism (a belief that humans and animals should live in balance with the “Tao,” or the universe) and the benefits of Tai Chi, he started practicing and found that it rejuvenated his health. From there, he devoted his life to teaching Taoism to others. After WWII, Shin was initiated into a Taoist temple and received training in meditation, rituals and ceremonies. His family moved to Hong Kong, where Shin studied under Master Liang Zipeng, a notable instructor of Tai Chi and other arts. As an adult, Shin immigrated to Canada in 1970 and founded the Toronto Tai Chi Association, the Taoist Tai Chi ® of Canada, and the International Taoist Tai Chi Society ® , which has locations in 25 countries. Two of them are in Phoenix and Flagstaff. Tai Chi is an internal martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits and meditation. “Some major benefits include improving physical and internal balance and stress reduction. Tai Chi is sometimes referred to as ‘meditation in motion,’” Phoenix leader Patricia Burns, who has been with the organization for over a decade, said. Co-leader Steve Greenburg got involved with the Taoist Tai Chi Society ® in 2016, at age 67, when he decided to commit to a healthier lifestyle. “In March 2020, I was honored to be asked by branch and regional leaders if I would like to become a ‘beginning leader in training,’” Greenberg said. “I had regularly volunteered to help out at sessions and workshops.” Within a few days, covid hit and the in-person practice stopped. Greenberg participated in virtual “Tea Breaks” for the next two years with local, national and international members and leaders. “My self-practice was supported, and my daily Tai Chi sets became a refreshing and centering meditation and overall healthy experience,” he said. Greenberg said his focus is on improving physical and internal balance, relaxation, and stress reduction – precisely what I was looking for. There were 10 people in my class. Participants wore comfortable clothing and shoes. The session started with Greenberg reviewing and practicing moves and demonstrating a few new ones. Rinse, and repeat. The first three moves on the 108 move set (a series of moves developed by the founder – it takes 12 weeks to introduce all the moves, so I only saw a few!) are “Commencement of Tai Chi, Left Grasp Bird’s Tail and Grasp Bird’s Tail.” In between practicing moves, Greenberg and co-leader Cherie Nelson, along with Mary McBride and Patricia Camden, engaged participants by asking how they felt after doing a specific move. Answers varied from “confident, calm, balanced, and strong.” They also spoke on Tai Chi’s benefits for bone density and strength. Cherie reminded everyone to take their time with the moves so that they could benefit from the exercise. “The number of moves I work on in any session varies considerably. There are times when the focus is on a single move for the entire session and other times when the focus is on a sequence of moves,” Greenberg said. Now, I’m one of those people who struggles with coordination. My arms were all over the place. Thankfully, everyone in the class was supportive and helpful, and eventually, I felt (or at least hoped) that I had a strong grasp of the set. After the class, I felt rejuvenated and ready to start my morning on a positive foot. Even the day’s traffic didn’t bother me – and that’s saying something! “I hope people develop a lifetime practice of Tai Chi arts that improves health, flexibility and balance; enjoy a moving meditation with fellow participants, and experience a calm vitality and clarity of being,” Greenberg said. Introductory sessions are held at St. Stephens (2310 N. 56th St., Phoenix) on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. and Saturdays at 9:30 a.m., with a continuing session until noon. taoisttaichi.org Trying to find my inner yin and yang Things we tried BY MALLORY GLEICH Saturday’s Tai Chi participants. Luxury Lifestyle You’ve just got to see Clarendale Arcadia senior residences. 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35 JANUARY 2023 By Mark Hays Awards show season: celebrities get dressed to the nines, head to the red carpet, take a million photos, and then sit down to an hours-long show to celebrate winning actors, directors, producers and such. This process is much the same for the Young Artist Academy (an offshoot of the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 1978 to honor the excellence of young performers). Familiar names like Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Ryan Reynolds, Regina King and Julia Roberts were part of the organization back when they first started. And now, the industry can add unfamiliar names (for now!), like Xavier junior Sejal Patel, to the list. Sejal was nominated for Outstanding Director by the Young Artist Academy for her short film Life with the Patels . Her interest in filmmaking began in elementary school when she and her friends would make short films that they recorded with her laptop. Those early adventures soon led to more sophisticated projects, as Sejal taught herself how to use greenscreens and CGI and attended filmmaking camps during summer break. These days, her projects are on a much grander scale. “One day, I had the idea to make a Modern Family -type film about my own family,” Sejal said. “ Life with the Patels is a five- minute comedy short film intertwining three true stories that culminate into a life lesson shared by all.” The film showcases interactions between her parents, sister, grandfather, aunt and uncle. “The stories intertwine into the shared lesson that we do things for our loved ones, even if we initially do not want to, because we love them,” Sejal said. Once the film was complete, she sent it to the academy to be viewed by the nomination committee. This group comprises casting agents, managers, studio executives, journalists, and governors from other entertainment awards. Once the submissions are reviewed, the committee chooses the nominees – and one of those was Life with the Patels . Sejal was ecstatic to hear of her nomination, which she found out about via email while she was on summer vacation. “I was expecting a rejection, honestly. I opened the email and, to my surprise, it said I was a finalist. I screamed out to my parents and told them the good news. I could not stop thinking about the award show, and I eagerly awaited the event,” she said. The ceremony was held at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles in the fall. Sejal recalls the overwhelming excitement she felt: “This was the first film award show, other than the Arizona Student Film Festival, where I was nominated and able to attend in person. When I arrived and walked the red carpet, I knew that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I wanted the moment to last forever,” she said. The show had all the glitter of the professional Academy Awards. Sejal said she was able to meet other nominees, including many who flew from overseas for the event. “When I got to the front, I posed for the cameras and had the experience of a lifetime. I wanted to savor the excitement and the nervous energy that I felt,” Sejal said. This time around, Sejal’s film lost out to Maya Jai Pinson, whose short film was called I Dare You . Sejal isn’t letting the loss deter her from filmmaking. She said that Life with the Patels 2 is already in development, and she plans to make more short films throughout the year. After high school, she wants to attend the USC School of Cinematic Arts. She dreams of working as a director or producer at a major film studio. Aspiring film director makes her red carpet debut Sejal Patel got a taste of the celebrity life at the Young Artist Academy Awards. PHOTO COURTESY OF LISA ZUBA