Valley woman promotes meditation with movement

BIG LAKE — Nearly 20 years ago, Carole Milstead faced a potentially serious health problem. Milstead had high blood pressure, severe enough for her doctor to suggest medication.

Milstead had another idea. She said no thanks to the medication and joined a T’ai Chi studio near her home in Portland, Ore. Her health improved and she never looked back.

Now, Milstead is helping Mat-Su Valley residents make improvements to their own health as the owner and instructor of Flowering Fist T’ai Chi and Qi Gong in Big Lake. Milstead has operated the studio, which sits inside the Meadow Wood Mall in Big Lake, for three years. She has a total of 18 years invested in T’ai Chi, a Chinese martial art know for its health benefits.

“It’s a wonderful, wonderful exercise,” said Milstead, who currently offers classes three days per week.

T’ai Chi is a martial art, but also known as a moving meditation.

“Every move is actually a self-defense move. It may not look that way, but you move very slowly,” Milstead said.

It’s that slow-moving meditation that makes it ideal for maintaining good health and improving health, said Milstead, who has worked with the art since 1993.

“It’s a proven fact it’s a stress reliever,” Milstead said. “It’s extremely good for your health, no matter what your age.”

Milstead said T’ai Chi can be valuable for those of all ages, but can be particularly valuable for older adults. While some forms of exercise may be too strenuous for some, Milstead said that as long as a person is willing to learn, T’ai Chi can be beneficial for all.

Bad knees? Bad back? High blood pressure? Poor lung capacity?

T’ai Chi could help all of the above.

“No. 1, T’ai Chi never takes your body any further than you can go,” Milstead said.

Milstead said she’s had older clients with bad knees and horrible balance. But by slowly working through the art, steady progress can be seen.

While other martial arts involve fast, hard movements, often with physical contact, T’ai Chi is just the opposite, using slow, flowing, purposefully executed movements to exercise.

After 18 years, Milstead has no plans of walking away from T’ai Chi.

“It’s just the way it makes me feel is why I keep doing it, I guess,” Milstead said.

Milstead is trying to expose more Valley residents to T’ai Chi, and urges whomever is interested to give it a shot.

“Give it a try,” Milstead said.

Milstead said she typically gives clients three opportunities to try T’ai Chi for free.

“If you still like it after the fourth day, then pay me,” Milstead said.

Milstead currently offers three classes, three days per week. Classes are slated for 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Milstead she has plans to offer classes earlier in the morning and later in the day during the winter months.

For more information, visit floweringfist-taichi.com.