Holland College introduces tai-chi sessions to help students, staff with mental health

by Nash Alonto

Oct. 12, 2023

Duane Nguyen teaches tai-chi to Holland College students and staff every Tuesday and Friday at lunchtime at McMillan Hall. Its main goal is to help students and staff with their mental health. He hopes more people would join the sessions over time and one day do a daily tai-chi flow. (photo by Nash Alonto)

In front of about 15 people inside the dance studio at Holland College’s McMillan Hall, Duane Nguyen gave a few words about what tai-chi is about and performed a demonstration of a basic exercise.

The first lesson of the sessions on that Tuesday noon was about the “basic horse stance”.

“The goal of the tai-chi sessions is to help people [become] more relaxed and more comfortable, and because tai-chi will focus on helping your physical and mental health…it is to achieve co-ordination of the muscle…and enhance your mental health,” he said.

Nguyen teaches tai-chi to Holland College students and staff every Tuesday and Friday for 30 minutes at McMillan Hall. It is the first time the college offered tai-chi, though not the first time on the island. According to a Saltwire article titled “Tai-chi more than just an exercise for group in Summerside, P.E.I.”, it was introduced by the Fung Loy Kok Taoist Tai-chi in 1980.

Nadine Moore, the Athletics Recreation and Facilities Co-ordinator for the college’s Student Activities and Athletics Department, said the idea for the tai-chi sessions came when Nguyen reached out to Holland College library technician Leslie Holt and offered his services of teaching tai-chi to the college community.

“It would teach students a discipline of relaxing their mind and body after some stressful times with their school programs or examinations and just teach the students how to regulate themselves,” Moore said.

She also said there is a growing concern over mental health with the student body, and she and Nguyen thought the tai-chi session would be a nice fit to offer to students and staff.

Computer Information Systems student Kevin Pou, who is one of the participants, said the tai-chi sessions are a good experience.

“At the beginning, it was little hard to understand, but now…it helps to keep calm,” he said.

Nguyen wants more people to join the tai-chi sessions, and after a long time, they would be able to learn the 24 tai-chi stances and one day do a daily tai-chi flow at the school.