Ready to join us? Just drop in. Newcomers get all our attention. Suggestions for other locations and times are welcome, especially if you have a few people prepared to attend regularly, or just a great site with lots of passers-by.
This changes often, so check it before heading out. Better yet, sign up on MeetUp to get automatic notification.
As for the weather, we practice year round, rain or shine. Check here if in doubt when extreme weather may change that. Again, MeetUp is best until we can set up notifications from this site.
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Locations
Here are our current locations. Feel free to suggest other dates and locations. Just email ken@emptystep.net with your ideas and we will discuss.
Avon-by-the-Sea Gazebo
Park near The Promenade restaurant, across from The Columns restaurant, at 600 Ocean Avenue · Avon-by-the-Sea, NJ. We will be under the large gazebo behind The Promenade on the boardwalk facing the ocean.
Spring Lake South Pavilion
The South (not North!!!) Pavilion is at 410 Ocean Ave N · Spring Lake, NJ. Park nearby then look for us on the boardwalk near the entrance to the swimming pool, along the rail overlooking the ocean.
When the heat or sun are too much, if you arrive late and we are not in sight, look for us on the second level.
Clothing
See below for a special section on footwear. Otherwise, almost anything will do. Tight blue jeans will get in the way of flexibility, but would not be the end of the world.
Make sure to wear layers when the weather is in-between. Tai chi will warm us up quite a bit because of the slightly low stance we assume for minutes at a time. We can start chilly and be sweating at the end. If it is chilly, a hat is a good idea.
Speaking of “chilly”, we practice outdoors in all weather all year round on boardwalks overlooking the ocean. Temperatures there can be much lower than inland, and if the wind is from the sea it will be even colder. Tai chi itself warms us quite a bit, but please come prepared with extra layers to best enjoy your practice.
Footwear
Simple flat-bottom shoes are recommended. Springy running shoes will make the balance a lot harder, and we do spend a lot of time poised mostly on one foot.
If you decide you like tai chi, search the web for “tai chi shoes”. There are very inexpensive canvas slippers you can buy. I wear these, but for dry weather I prefer cotton-sole shoes for the spin moves. Note that those are just suggestions; feel free to try other styles keeping the following in mind:
- too grippy gets in the way of spins and pivots;
- a narrow sole makes balance tough. We want edge-to-edge support; and
- springy running shoes make balance hard and endanger our ankles.
Finally, if it is warm enough, barefoot is fine, except for the spin moves. We can cheat on those–there are only a couple.