Shirley Iwata has been part of Tai Chi Tuesdays since day one, and she doesn’t hesitate to credit it with improving something many people take for granted, which is balance.

“Just the Tai Chi walking, which is called slow walking, but it’s really about fully shifting your weight,” Iwata explained about the program through Mineral County Health Department. “You put all your weight on one leg, lift the other, and then slowly bring it down. When that foot comes up, all your weight is on one leg. And by gosh, my balance needed more help than I realized.”

Like many beginners, Iwata appreciated the thoughtful way instructor Janet Smith introduced the practice. It starts simply, with a chair nearby. 

“If you start leaning one way or the other, you can reach for the chair and keep moving without falling over,” she said. “It gives you confidence.” 

She’s also found creative ways to practice at home. A hallway, for example, becomes a built-in support system. “You can run your hands along the walls if your balance goes a little haywire,” she added with a laugh.

This first round of classes focuses on arthritis relief and fall prevention. The 16-week series began on Jan. 20 and has drawn steady interest from the community. On Tuesdays, Smith begins her afternoon at 2:45 p.m. at the old DeBorgia Schoolhouse, wrapping up at 3:30 before heading to Superior for a 4:45 p.m. class in the back room of River Side Soups & Sandz. Attendance varies, with eight to 15 participants typically attending the west end class and around 25 joining in Superior for the same Tai Chi lesson.

The Tai Chi program is funded by a grant from the Department of Public Health and Human Services. The grant covers venue rental, Smith’s wages and mileage. Smith wears many hats in her work with the health department, serving as a parents as teachers family engagement specialist, certified lactation counselor, child passenger safety technician, tobacco prevention specialist and birthing doula and childbirth educator.

Each class follows a gentle, approachable rhythm: a warm-up, practice of Tai Chi forms and a cool-down. 

“Some people joined a month after we started and felt a little lost at first,” Smith said, “but they caught up.” 

Her goal is simple: to give students the tools and confidence to continue practicing at home long after the class ends. Fellow student Dawn Sanberg says the benefits are immediate. 

“I feel better after every class,” she said. “I do my homework religiously. It’s not very hard, but it does take more concentration than I expected.” 

And that, it seems, is part of the magic -- slow, steady movement paired with just enough focus to keep both body and mind in balance.