A 30-year practitioner of the ancient Chinese art, Hynd is honored by the United Nations
Balance is a word that you'll hear often from Doreen Hynd, a 92-year-old tai chi chuan master who has taught the martial art for almost 30 years in both the U.S. and Canada.
"Balance is everything. We all want to live as human beings with very fine balance in our emotions and how we present ourselves to the world," Hynd said in an interview with China Daily last week when discussing the benefits of practicing tai chi chuan, an internal Chinese martial art practiced for both self-defense and health benefits.
On the ninth United Nations Chinese Language Day, which is held annually on April 20, Hynd was awarded a special honor for her outstanding achievement in promoting tai chi culture.
"Tai chi has withstood the test of time for several centuries in Chinese culture. It brings about an awareness of breath and calmness and invites the body, mind and inner consciousness to work together for an experience of lightness and strength," Hynd said.
Born in Australia in 1925, Hynd began her tai chi chuan training in the 1980s at Sydney University. In 1984, Hynd moved to the US and sought out Sophia Delza, who had spent many years in China studying under the famous tai chi chuan grandmaster Ma Yueh Liang, who was the senior disciple of Wu Jianquan, the founder of Wu-style tai chi chuan.
After Delza passed away in 1996, Hynd, by then Delza's teaching assistant, carried on Delza's mission of promoting tai chi culture and taught at places such as the United Nations, Carnegie Hall and the State University of New York.
"A lot of the classes that I am teaching are for retired people, and it was one of the most inspiring things in my life," Hynd said.
During her 24 years of teaching the art, miracles do happen, she said.
A 30-year practitioner of the ancient Chinese art, Hynd is honored by the United Nations
Balance is a word that you'll hear often from Doreen Hynd, a 92-year-old tai chi chuan master who has taught the martial art for almost 30 years in both the US and Canada.
"Balance is everything. We all want to live as human beings with very fine balance in our emotions and how we present ourselves to the world," Hynd said in an interview with China Daily last week when discussing the benefits of practicing tai chi chuan, an internal Chinese martial art practiced for both self-defense and health benefits.
On the ninth United Nations Chinese Language Day, which is held annually on April 20, Hynd was awarded a special honor for her outstanding achievement in promoting tai chi culture.
"Tai chi has withstood the test of time for several centuries in Chinese culture. It brings about an awareness of breath and calmness and invites the body, mind and inner consciousness to work together for an experience of lightness and strength," Hynd said.
Born in Australia in 1925, Hynd began her tai chi chuan training in the 1980s at Sydney University. In 1984, Hynd moved to the US and sought out Sophia Delza, who had spent many years in China studying under the famous tai chi chuan grandmaster Ma Yueh Liang, who was the senior disciple of Wu Jianquan, the founder of Wu-style tai chi chuan.
After Delza passed away in 1996, Hynd, by then Delza's teaching assistant, carried on Delza's mission of promoting tai chi culture and taught at places such as the United Nations, Carnegie Hall and the State University of New York.
"A lot of the classes that I am teaching are for retired people, and it was one of the most inspiring things in my life," Hynd said.
During her 24 years of teaching the art, miracles do happen, she said.