Redding Tai Chi Meditation Garden information page has moved to: www.reddingtaichimg.org
We are planning to build a Tai Chi practice area similar to the David Chen Memorial Tai Chi Court (pictured above). With your support and donations we can make this happen!
Donating is easy with Paypal.
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Above: Architectural Plans for the proposed project.
About:
Members of Redding Tai Chi have formed a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization, the Redding Tai Chi Meditation Garden, to fund and create a Tai Chi court for meditative exercise. This will be our gift to the community to foster good health, relaxation, peace, and to reduce emotional trauma in our society. Our project will create opportunities to educate the public about Tai Chi and promote it as a healthy exercise while respecting the history and culture of its practice. Turtle Bay Exploration Park supports our project and has offered us a building site within the McConnell Arboretum & Gardens. This partnership with Turtle Bay will bring our community a project that blends art and nature and is accessible to people of all ages. It will be a place where anyone can practice Tai Chi or other low-impact meditative exercises in a peaceful setting. Our plan is based on the David Chen Memorial Tai Chi Court located at Cabin John Regional Park in Rockville, Maryland.
Background:
Tai Chi is an exercise that originated in China approximately 600 years ago. Originally it was practiced as a combination of self-defense and for improving health. Now it is primarily practiced as a low-impact, slow-motion exercise that improves balance, increases flexibility, and reduces stress. According to the National Institutes of Health, “Practicing tai chi may help to improve balance and stability in older people and in those with Parkinson’s disease, reduce back pain and pain from knee osteoarthritis, and improve quality of life in people with heart disease, cancer, and other chronic illnesses.” Tai Chi can be practiced by people of all ages but because of its slow, meditative nature, people typically start learning Tai Chi as they get older. In Redding there is growing interest in Tai Chi with classes offered at Unity Church (no affiliation), the Senior Citizens Center, and through the Shasta College Community Education program. The proposed Tai Chi Meditation Garden is a 55-foot diameter hard surface with the Tai Chi diagram covering the surface of the court. The Tai Chi diagram is commonly called the “Yin Yang symbol.” The circle itself represents the oneness of all things. The inner part, the black and white “fish,” represents complementary and opposing forces in nature (e.g., hot/cold, light/dark, male/female) and the natural cycle of change (e.g., day to night, summer to winter). Tai Chi exercise is based on the principals of complementary opposites and change, and takes its name from this symbol. The original design was prepared by Hsien-Yuan Chen, who is an architect and member of the Maryland Tai Chi club. There is also a Tai Chi court in Arthur Story Park in Houston, Texas. The Redding Tai Chi Meditation Garden would be the third Tai Chi court in the United States.
Use:
Use of the Tai Chi Meditation Garden would not be exclusive to Tai Chi practitioners but would be multi-purposed, used on a first-come, first-served basis. It would also be used for yoga, Qi Gong, dance, and other activities.
Cost:
Our current estimate for building in the McConnell Arboretum is $175,000 due to the decision to use stamped concrete instead of the costly flagstone. We are actively seeking donations and funding for the project.
Maintenance Budget:
The Tai Chi Meditation Garden is expected to have minor operation budget impact since it is a hard surface for passive recreational activities. An added benefit it provides landscaping that does not need supplemental irrigation. The design is basically a large patio. The surface has a one degree slope to help with drainage. There are expansion joints built into the concrete base and worked into the mosaic surface. Surface joints are filled with a rubber caulk. Locally available stone will be used for the surface and it will be sealed with several coats of clear stone sealant to keep moisture out.
Charles Votaw of the Wu Wei Tai Chi Club in Rockville, MD reports maintenance of their Tai Chi Court “...has been easy. The County uses a leaf blower to keep the surface free of leaves once or twice a month in the fall. The surface is power washed in the spring and it gets a new top coat of sealant every other year or so. We have had a couple of small repairs to the mortar where water did get into the joint.”
When completed Redding Tai Chi will need minimum upkeep and occasional sealing of the concrete and benches.
Construction Begins as soon as we can fully fund the project. Our goal is to start construction in 2023. Every contribution helps.
Donations:
The Redding Tai Chi Meditation Garden will be built with your help. We have established our own non-profit 501(c)(3) organization to finance the project. We accept donations by cash, check, Paypal, or through AmazonSmile.
To Donate by check, please make it out to:
Redding Tai Chi Meditation Garden
and in the memo line please write:
"Donation".
Donations can be made in your name or you can make a donation for or in memory of others.
Return donations to:
Tai Chi Meditation Garden Project
PO Box 493386
Redding, CA 96049-3386
Other ways to donate:
Engraved Brick Fundraiser. You can help support this project and get a brick engraved with your name with a simple donation. The bricks will be placed on the path leading to the Tai Chi Meditation Garden and will become a permanent marker showing your support. Click here for more information! https://polarengraving.com/reddingtaichi
Corporate Matching Funds: Many companies offer matching funds for their employees donation. Please consult with your HR Director to find out if this option is available for you.
For up-to-date news on our progress go to Facebook
and search for
"Redding Tai Chi Meditation Garden Project"
or contact:
Michel Czehatowski
(530) 223-2346
taichi@reddingtaichi.com
Past News Stories
April 11, 2017 ANewsCafe Article: Redding Tai Chi Meditation Garden Project Seeks Online Votes for Grant
April 10, 2017 KRCR Channel 7 News (video): Tai Chi Court and Garden Project Competes for Grant Money
Redding Tai Chi Meditation Garden Planning Committee
Board of Directors:
Michel Czehatowski, Melinda Kashuba, Iraja Siva Das, Bill Campbell
Members at Large:
Hillary Howell, Veronica Johnson
Advisors:
Ron Huett, Construction and Contracting
Founding Members:
Lilian Cesario, Michel Czehatowski, Linda Finkel, Donald Jacobs, Phylliss Nettesheim, Cathy Stone
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