The Dragon's Head Blog: Taoist Tai Chi® on Good Morning America
The NYC Tri-State Branch of the Taoist Tai Chi Society of the USA was contacted for a television interview on Good Morning America, an internationally broadcast program.
They answered a call that came in during last Thursday night’s class. The caller said he was from ABC News, and that the Mayo Clinic and the NIH (National Institute of Health) had just released a study documenting effective relief from chronic pain with holistic alternatives to opioid painkillers such as acupuncture, yoga and tai chi! He said that Good Morning America (GMA) would be producing a segment the next morning and asked if we could have a few people join on the set to demonstrate some tai chi movements. Three participants from the NYC Tri-State Branch came together very early on Friday and were warmly greeted by the wonderful staff from GMA. The shoot went quickly but with much enthusiasm on set, including being joined on camera by one of the technical crew who had done some tai chi before. Dr. Jennifer Ashton, the Good Morning America medical correspondent, provided further information on pain management noting medications are valuable in certain situations however these drug-free treatments can be successfully employed in many circumstances without negative side effects.
Next to a pair who were demonstrating an acupuncture treatment, we were introduced as members of the International Taoist Tai Chi Society (plus a GMA crew member) and performed the first four movements of our set. We were delighted to be included in the segment and to bring greater awareness of the health benefits of Taoist Tai Chi® arts to such a large audience. We are grateful to the Good Morning America staff for the opportunity and their hospitality. See the clip from the show at the link below. We start at about the four-minute mark.