On a brisk spring day in the fields of Bayview Corner, the yin and yang were flowing.

Three t’ai chi instructors were met by about two dozen practitioners on World T’ai Chi Day.

It was a celebration of the day, but local t’ai chi teacher Sarah Birger said it was more than just a gathering for the world’s celebration of the martial art form. It became a chance to expose islanders to the benefits of t’ai chi in all its forms.

“It was so great to hold the event as a collaboration with two other t’ai chi instructors,” Birger said.

Birger said it was good for students to observe demonstrations of various t’ai chi styles, including the Yang style as performed by teacher Lynne Donnelly, the Chen Man-Ch’ng style as taught by Simon Leon, and the Sun style, which Birger teaches on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Island Athletic Club in Freeland.

No matter what the style, Birger explained, the essence of the form is much the same.

“The essential principals of t’ai chi ch’uan shone through in all the demonstrations,” she said.

“Slow, even and continuous movements, as if there is a gentle resistance, awareness of weight transference and shifting balance, upright body alignment, loose joints and mental focus.”

Birger said she was thrilled that her students were able to see other styles presented by longtime instructors such as Donnelly, who has been practicing for more than 30 years.

Leon agreed that the entire spirit of the day is what the practice is all about.

“I’d just like to say that Sarah’s initiative to invite Lynne and myself to bring all our t’ai chi students together … was very much in the true spirit of t’ai chi,” Leon said.

“There was a warm and harmonious feeling to the event as we all shared our common love of t’ai chi practice together,” he added.

Birger noted that it is said that the exercise is “rooted in the feet, bursts forth through the legs, is commanded by the waist, and flowers in the hands.” To get outside and practice in the field and be rooted in the actual ground, she said, felt right.

“It felt good to be outdoors and alive, like when I was 10 and had no worries, just the present moment in which to play and explore.”

Indeed, there is a youthful exuberance that regular practitioners of t’ai chi claim keeps them fit well beyond a body’s average capacities.

Birger teaches one student who, after two months of class twice per week, has been able to walk up the stairs normally again without having to take one step at a time, as she had previously.

“Studying t’ai chi is a great way for people to improve their balance — physical, emotional and mental — with just a little effort,” Donnelly said.

In t’ai chi, the emphasis is on staying centered while moving. This development of balance can carry over into the daily routine of one’s life, Donnelly explained.

“People who do t’ai chi have far fewer falls, and fewer injuries from falls that do occur,” she said.

Donnelly also claimed that studies have been done in the United States that show people who practice daily t’ai chi have a greater resistance to viruses.

And, she said, it doesn’t matter how old you are when you start.

“It’s one of the rare physical practices that you can get better at for the rest of your life. I have had several students in their 90s,” she said.

Birger said the idea of engaging in t’ai chi outside exactly at the same time thousands of other people around the world were doing the same thing felt empowering and encouraging.

“If you think of the world as a slice of Swiss cheese, so much of our news media and attention focuses on the holes, the problems,” Birger said.

“This felt like we were focusing on the cheese itself. And I love cheese,” she added with a smile.

The group hopes to hold the gathering again next year for World T’ai Chi Day — always the last Saturday in April — and expand the event to include a celebratory picnic following the exercise.

To find out more about t’ai chi classes with Birger, click here

or call Island Athletic Club at 331-2582.