The movement for calm Auckland programme

The 'new' Auckland programme

First known as ‘The Auckland Tai Chi and Wellbeing Inclusive Programme’, we were successful in our application for an Auckland Council – Regional Sport and Recreation Grant.

The programme’s aim is to increase wellbeing for children and young adults with disabilities and mental health challenges in Auckland by providing access to Tai Chi and Qigong exercises. This is a population that would not ordinarily have easy access to this type of activity. The programme is designed to help physical and emotional development in areas such as breathing and relaxation methods, self-regulation, balance, coordination and core strength.

Auckland Council Sports Grant

We are very pleased to announce that we have been successful in our application for the ‘Auckland Council – Regional Sport and Recreation Grants Programme 2020/2021 and 2021/2022’.

Quoted from the Regional Sport and Recreation Grants Programme Guide:

‘Auckland Council’s Regional Sport and Recreation Grants Programme supports regional sport and recreation sector organisations in their efforts to inspire and encourage Aucklanders to be more active more often.

The Grants Programme focuses primarily on enabling children and young people to participate in sport and recreation, and on providing affordable access to sport and recreation to groups with low participation numbers. These groups include Māori, people with health and wellbeing needs, and those facing other barriers, such as affordability and accessibility.’

About the programme

We have already delivered sessions in the park, at disability groups and online and have seen some very positive outcomes.

Tai Chi was really awesome with Marian and Pete, very accessible to all types of people and loved by everyone who has partaken in a class.

Group Leader - Day Centre for Adults with Disabilities

So why the change of name? We recently thought deeply about how to make this programme and indeed, our whole company programme, easier to see more quickly what we have to offer. Tai chi and qigong means different things to different people and a lot of people don’t know what it is all about and how it can help them. We have our own approach to it, making simplifications for accessibility and making short, easy to follow sets of movements.

The one thing we have noticed in all of our sessions and content is that people always like the way it can help them to feel calm – hence the change of name, quite simply, we do movement for calm.

Moving mindfulness that combines mind body and breath

What you get

This grant will help us deliver a number of online access accounts to the movement for calm membership. The parents and carers will also have access to an online community group to help connect people across Auckland and ask any questions that you may have. Also live sessions will be delivered online via the community group. The accounts will be for Teachers, Group Leaders, Occupational Therapists and individual parents and carers for use at home with their whānau.

The Auckland Tai Chi and Wellbeing Inclusive Programme will allocate accounts to Auckland residents that are supporting children/young adults with a disability or a mental health challenge. Thanks to the grant – the accounts will be at no cost to the user and Tai Chi Earth will also be contributing to the programme.

It is fantastic that we can be involved with this opportunity to increase wellbeing for people with disabilities and their families/whānau in Auckland.