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John Rosenfelder (left), John Poltrack (middle) and instructor David Rosen (right) work on their morning breathwork on Temple Common. -
John Poltrack (left), John Rosenfelder (right), and David Rosen (center) include weights in their morning tai chi. -
John Rosenfelder (left), John Poltrack (right), and instructor David Rosen (center) conduct their morning breathwork with the aid of free weights.
As the early morning mist dissipates on the Temple Common, a group of devoted locals is already partaking in their morning exercise.
The group is led by David Rosen, a tai chi instructor with nearly 40 years devoted to the craft. The free class has been on the common since 2016 and meets at 7:30 a.m., rain or shine, every weekday. In the case of inclement weather, the town-sponsored event can move inside to Temple Town Hall.
Tai chi, a martial art originating in China, has been broadly modified to center around meditation and balance. In a tai chi session, a participant is taken through a sequence of poses meant to foster better posture and connection with the body. There is also a heavy emphasis on the importance of breath, and many of the pillars of contemporary tai chi are shared by yoga. The practice can help patients with chronic ailments such as multiple sclerosis to build nervous function.
“Repetition, slow, repetitive movements, build strength and stability,” said instructor David Rosen. “And the more times you do that, the more that connection that muscle memory builds. And that’s just [because] the myelin sheath keeps getting bigger.”
The myelin sheath serves to both protect and boost the functionality of the nerves. Tai chi has, in some cases, been shown to boost the speed that nerves send and receive electrical impulses. This makes tai chi beneficial for many who practice it.
Rosen believes tai chi to be heavily centered around muscle memory. Once the basics are learned, a pupil can begin to focus on the more-acute facets of their positioning.
“The first thing is learning mechanics, what the names of elements are and how they perform,” said Rosen. “Those alignments and the visualization of how your body’s functioning is what you strive for. So basically, it’s a very meditative exercise.”
Tai chi aims to establish a deeper connection between mind and body. As one flows between the many poses of the art, the positioning of every limb is entirely deliberate. There is a long learning curve, and Rosen encourages beginning students not to become discouraged.
“It’s not an instant fix. It takes a while,” said Rosen. “I tell new students that it’s very subtle.”
In time, there is an element of personality to the exercise.
“As you fully understand what the form is, and how it works, you can own it like jazz,” said Rosen.
A three-year participant of the class, John Poltrack, has found the routine to be a time of meditation before his workday. After years of practice, Poltrack has found that the basics come easily.
“It’s almost muscle memory,” said Poltrack. “You don’t even think about it anymore.”
Tai chi is also seasonally influenced. The elements of the Taoist practice are earth, fire, wood, water and metal. Summer, the season of fire, is the focus of the current routine by Rosen. As the year progresses, so do the breathing and postural exercises of the class. Taoist belief states that the human body changes with the seasons, as well as its needs.
Rosen will soon be shifting into the late-summer teachings.
“The late-summer stretch, which is harvesting and all that stuff is called earth,” said Rosen. “So, right now we’re still on fire and we’re getting ready to go to earth.”
Rosen can be found leading his class at 7:30 a.m. every weekday.