Tucson Moves Together at Freedom Park
On Saturday, April 25, 2026, Tucson joined communities around the world for World Tai Chi & Qigong Day. At Freedom Park, that worldwide wave became local, personal, and deeply community-centered.
Under the open Tucson sky, people gathered near the ramada to move, breathe, watch, learn, and connect. Some came as longtime Tai Chi practitioners. Some came from Qigong, yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and spiritual communities. Others simply came curious, drawn by the peaceful rhythm of the morning.
The result was more than a demonstration. It was a living example of what World Tai Chi & Qigong Day is meant to be: one community, many traditions, moving together with shared intention.
Event recap (quick answer)
- Where: Freedom Park, Tucson
- What: Opening Qigong + demonstrations and shared practice (Tai Chi styles, fan, sword, and more)
- Why it mattered: a welcoming, community-centered morning of movement and connection
Beginning the 10 A.M. Global Wave with Terri Shank
At 10:00 a.m., Terri Shank helped Tucson begin the global wave with a lovely Qigong opening and flow.
Her opening created a calm and welcoming entry point for everyone present. Through gentle standing movement, relaxed breathing, soft arm patterns, Terri guided the group into a shared rhythm. Many people find this kind of Qigong opening helps them warm up, feel more settled, and arrive more fully in the practice.
It was a beautiful way to begin. Before the forms, before the demonstrations, before the applause, the group stood together and breathed together. That moment captured the heart of the day.
A Morning of Sun, Chen, Yang, Qigong, Fan & Sword
One of the most inspiring parts of the event was the range of skill, lineage, and practice represented.
The morning included demonstrations and shared practice from:
- Sun Style Tai Chi, known for upright posture, agile stepping, and accessible health-focused movement
- Chen Style Tai Chi, with its coiling movement, martial depth, and silk-reeling quality
- Yang Style Tai Chi, characterized by slow, gentle, and expansive movements that emphasize relaxation and continuity
- WaQi Qigong, a gentle movement to cultivate, circulate, and balance qi (vital energy) in the body
- Fan form, with expressive rhythm and visual beauty
- Sword form, bringing precision, focus, and elegance
Together, these practices showed that Tai Chi and Qigong are not one single expression. They are a living family of arts. Some movements were quiet and meditative. Others revealed martial applications and lineage depth. Some were gentle and therapeutic. Others were expressive, focused, and powerful.
The variety made the event feel less like a performance and more like a community exchange.
Instructors and Practitioners Who Shared the Day
The event was strengthened by the presence of several generous practitioners and community leaders.
- Robert Armstrong and Ed Farrelly represented the Tai Chi for Health Tucson community. Their work highlights the accessible, health-centered side of Tai Chi, including Tai Chi for Health, fall prevention, Sun Style 73, Yang Style, and Qigong.
- Terri Shank helped open the event with the Lotus Qigong. Part of El Rio Health’s movement program, she offers Tai Chi as a gentle practice that supports balance, flexibility, and inner calm.
- Hana Kobayashi Alassadi shared WaQi Qigong. Her Sol Center listing describes Qigong as gentle therapeutic movement that supports energy, relaxation, and access to a more relaxed version of oneself. It also notes her training in Dr. Yang Yang’s Wa-Qi curriculum.
- Sifu Gene Nelson brought decades of experience in Tai Chi, Qigong, internal martial arts, meditation, and Taoist movement practice. Public class listings describe him as a Certified Master Instructor of Tai Chi and Qigong with more than 45 years of teaching and training experience.
- Sifu Douglas Henry shared insights from his long Tai Chi journey, including Chen style training and martial movement. His public profile notes that his Tai Chi path began in the late 1970s and included training with instructors such as Ben Lo and Chen Xiaoxing. His demonstration of the Senior Self-Defense Cane added a unique and memorable element to the day, blending Tai Chi principles with cane, broadsword, Escrima, and Hapkido-inspired movement.
- Natasha Korshak and yoga practitioners from The Sol Center joined in the World Tai Chi activity. Natasha serves as Director of the Sol Center and is described as a longtime instructor and trainer of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness.
- Rev. Joanie and other Lightworkers from Community of Light also joined the morning. Community of Light describes itself as a metaphysical and spiritual gathering focused on healing, enlightenment, growth, harmony, joy, prosperity, love, and welcoming people from many beliefs and faiths.
Old Pueblo Tai Chi Shares Wudang-Yang, Fan and Sword Form
Old Pueblo Tai Chi demonstrated Wudang-Yang Style Tai Chi and Tai Chi fan form, offering a glimpse into the graceful, meditative, and expressive side of the internal arts.
The Wudang-Yang demonstration emphasized relaxed posture, mindful stepping, breath awareness, and smooth transitions. The fan form added color, rhythm, and joyful expression to the morning. It was a reminder that Tai Chi can be quiet and internal, but it can also be beautiful, expansive, and celebratory.
For readers who are new to the practice, Old Pueblo Tai Chi offers beginner-friendly classes in Tucson. You can learn more through the class schedule, beginner Tai Chi page, Qigong classes page, and World Tai Chi Day Tucson page.
More Than a Demonstration: A Tucson Community Builder
What made the event special was not only the skill on display. It was the atmosphere.
People from different backgrounds stood together without needing to be experts. Instructors shared space without competition. Practitioners honored different lineages while celebrating a common love of mindful movement.
The presence of Tai Chi, Qigong, yoga, meditation, mindfulness, spiritual community, and local wellness groups gave the morning a generous and inclusive feeling. Freedom Park became a meeting place for people who care about health, balance, inner calm, and community connection.
That is the deeper value of World Tai Chi & Qigong Day. It gives people a reason to come outside, meet one another, breathe together, and remember that wellness does not have to happen alone.
One World, One Breath — Right Here in Tucson
World Tai Chi & Qigong Day carries a global message, but its power is felt locally.
At Freedom Park, Tucson joined the worldwide wave through gentle Qigong, Sun style, Chen style, Yang style, Wudang-Yang style, sword, fan, WaQi Qigong, yoga, mindfulness, and shared community presence.
The morning was peaceful, skillful, welcoming, and alive with connection.
Not just movement.
Not just performance.
Not just turnout.
It was community in motion.
And in a time when people need more opportunities to gather with kindness, calm, and purpose, that may be the greatest benefit of all.
Learn More About the Practitioners and Groups
Want to try Tai Chi or Qigong in Tucson?
If you’re curious, start here:
- Beginner Tai Chi in Tucson: /beginner-tai-chi-classes-tucson
- Class schedule: /schedule
- Terri Shank — El Rio Health Movement Classes
- Robert Armstrong — Tai Chi for Health Tucson
- Ed Farrelly — Tai Chi for Health Tucson Instructors
- Hana Kobayashi Alassadi — Sol Center Qigong & Sound
- Natasha Korshak — Sol Center Instructor Profile
- Sifu Gene Nelson — Yume Japanese Gardens / Tai Chi & Qigong class listing
- Sifu Douglas Henry — Seeking Stillness in Motion
- Rev. Joanie / Community of Light — Community of Light
- Old Pueblo Tai Chi — Old Pueblo Tai Chi
- World Tai Chi & Qigong Day — Official World Tai Chi Day Website
Bridging Theory to Practice
Try This Today: The Centering Breath of Stillness
60 seconds
Somatic Intent: Pause right now to anchor the wisdom of this article directly in your physical body.
- 1Rest both palms over your navel center (Dan Tian).
- 2Soften your gaze and allow your shoulders to drop away from your ears.
- 3Inhale softly into your palms, sensing warmth expanding in the lower abdomen.
- 4Exhale and feel your heels connect into the ground below.
* Always work within your personal comfort zone. There is never any forcing, straining, or breath-holding in Tai Chi.
Old Pueblo Tai Chi — Traditional Yang & Sun Style Classes
Culture Connects Studio • 3000 E. 22nd Street, Tucson, AZ 85713 • https://oldpueblotaichi.com
Questions about classes? Contact Dan Kimball at dan@oldpueblotaichi.com or (520) 222-8232
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Experience the Practice in Person
Reading about Tai Chi is great, but the true benefits come from moving. Join our welcoming morning classes at Culture Connects Studio in Midtown Tucson.
Culture Connects Studio • 3000 E 22nd St, Tucson, AZ 85713 • Mondays & Wednesdays 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Doors open 9:45 AM, arrive 10–15 min early)
