The residents at Shilhay use their communal room to meet every week to socialise over a cup of tea and to plan activities together. During one of these meetings several years ago, the group decided to explore new ways of becoming active. One of the ideas was to learn more about the ancient Chinese practice of Tai Chi. Tai Chi is a form of gentle martial arts, often described as mediation in motion due to its emphasis on balancing the body’s energy.
As none of the residents knew much about this practice, they asked their Community Builder for advice. This led to their local CPAO being invited along to one of their social cafes to talk about Tai Chi and to explore options.
Based on the group’s interest and curiosity, the CPAO helped the group to secure funding through Exeter City Council (Live & Move). A small group started participating in regular weekly sessions, led by an experienced teacher. The CPAO recalls: "There were maybe 6-8 people coming regularly from the start who were really needing it because of their health.” Over the coming months participation among residents increased as the word spread. One participant remembered that “people came who didn’t think they were going to like it.”
Over the years, and with a change of teachers, the sessions evolved into the closely related practice of Qigong. The current Qigong teacher Caroline, who has been leading the group for over a year, explained that Qigong is “deep relaxation”, offering a “sense of peacefulness and quiet”.
The group now consists of around 7-10 people of all abilities, including a wheelchair user and others who have difficulty walking. With an emphasis on accessibility and inclusion, Caroline ensures that there is a “communal spirit”, engaging people “at their own pace”. One of the participants described the weekly practice as “calm and relaxed”, adding that “the teacher is lovely, very empathetic and caring about all of us.”
Some of the longer-term benefits of this group practice are illustrated by one of the participant’s blood pressure returning to normal as they are able to apply relaxation strategies, learned during the sessions, to reduce their anxiety and stress. Another resident successfully reduced their use of pain medication with the help of regular Qigong practice.
The longevity of these meditative group sessions has created a sense of calm and connection among the group, offering a weekly opportunity for residents to meet and practice together within their own community space.
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