By: Christie Citranglo, Sydney O’Shaughnessy, Sarah Chaneles
Every Tuesday, a community of older adults gather for a tai chi class at the Lansing Community Library.
John Burger, the instructor of the class, has been practicing the Chinese martial art for 30 years. He works with a variety of different groups of all ages, and he claims tai chi is more than physical fitness.
“You can see people here talking to each other, and I like the fact that they become friends and have conversations outside of tai chi,” Burger said. “I’m glad to see that, and it makes me feel good that they interact and communicate with each other. I could not even be here, and they’d still enjoy it.”
Burger is affiliated with Lifelong, a company that strives to enhance the lives of older adults in Tompkins County. The library and Lifelong have been working together for seven years.
Library Director Susie Gutenberger helps organize most of the library’s daily events with Lifelong. She and her team provides a safe space for older adults through organized classes and events.
According to Gutenberger, Lansing, unlike its neighboring city Ithaca, does not have a large space dedicated to community events. Therefore, for some older adults, leaving the town is impossible. Interacting with their peers without a community space was difficult before Lifelong approached the library about having activities for older adults.
“We are trying to find a way to bring these services to rural areas so the community can take advantage of these events for older adults,” Gutenberger said.
Nonagenarian Frankie Lechner has been attending the Lansing Community Library’s tai chi classes for a couple months. She enjoys coming to the class because she is able to get together and talk with the other participants.
Photo By: Sydney O’Shaughnessy
Burger, already teaching through Lifelong in Tompkins County, agreed to teach the library program. Before teaching tai chi classes, Burger studied the sport for 10 years. Along with his classes at the library, he also teaches tai chi at Ithaca College.
Reflecting on why he began practicing tai chi, Burger said the spiritual aspect of the sport drew him to the martial art. Burger said tai chi allowed him to tap into its principles such as helping a person become more spatially aware and seeing their body as a whole, not separate parts. These principles help older adults improve their balance and prevent falls — but that is not the only reason why some older adults love tai chi.
“If you start saying [tai chi]is for this or for that, you’re not talking about tai chi anymore, you’re talking about something that’s a means to another end,” Burger said. “Being goal-oriented is like work and requires a lot of discipline.”
Tai chi student Frankie Lechner, 90, is a retired substitute teacher in Lansing. She notes the class has brought together a dedicated group of older adults for a fun and healthy shared experience.
“I just started here. I love seeing all the older ladies together, and the people I meet here are always good people,” Lechner said.
Despite the health benefits of tai chi, the participants come to the library to thrive in the community and the friendships that blossomed over time in the class.
“Having fun is all that matters,” Lechner said. “Learn that early, and keep that hanging on. You’ll put up with an awful lot of people who are always trying to tell you the better way of doing something. Do as many things as there are to do, whether you think you can or not.”
