Tucked away in Swampscott’s Vinnin Square Plaza, people congregate six days a week to free their mind, stretch their bodies and exercise. Human Harmonies and Body Mind Systems Swampscott has been open since 2009, offering Tai Chi and QiGong classes as well as training to the public.
Tai Chi and QiGong are forms of martial arts that are known to be slower, allowing people of all ages and abilities to practice.
John Calabrese, who helped found Human Harmonies and Body Mind Systems and is a master instructor, said the classes teach gentle balance movements that help with mental health, flexibility, range of motion and offer rehabilitation to the body.
Calabrese helped lead a class Thursday morning. Students filed in and started with breathing exercises before bowing to each other and their instructors to start the lesson.
Tai Chi and QiGong allow people who might not be able to partake in other martial arts or workout activities to use their weakened or injured body parts, like knees and shoulders.
“When you’re 75, it’s not the same ride as when you’re 20,” said Calabrese. “It’s all about recovery time. You feel energized afterwards rather than feeling like you got hit by a truck.”
The class structure allows for students to get personal attention from instructors and focus on parts of their body relative to their needs.
“It’s kind of like my happy place,” he said. “Knowing that it’s going to make a difference. It’s enjoyable because they are great people.”
For some people, Calabrese said discovering Tai Chi or QiGong could save their life.
“It fills a need that we all have as we age,” said Calabrese. “It maintains balance and health while keeping our brains working well. There are students of all ages and backgrounds, but everybody has a mind and a body that they have to take care of.”
Human Harmonies and Body Mind Systems has a 4,000-square-foot space with two large rooms to hold classes with large groups. Along with Swampscott, there are three other locations in Massachusetts, and one in Colorado, Texas and Oregon respectively.
The studio will hold an open house between March 16 and March 20, where attendees can learn about Tai Chi and see the basics.
