Winter Lecture Series

December 31, 2022 Joe Brady

On behalf of Jacqui, Joe, and the Tai Chi Project we wish you a peaceful New Year and a healthy New Year in 2023. Together we can deliver something different than our national healthcare model. Together we can reduce the incidence of disease. 

For almost thirty years now, we have played Tai Chi in parks and neighborhoods around Denver and provided health education programs at DU, CU, Metro, and OLLI. Our programs provide a supportive environment where anyone can take their first steps toward a healthier longevity. We will be ringing in the New Year with our winter lecture series at the University of Denver. 

Topics include

1. An Exploration of Integrative and Holistic Medicine

Instructor: Joseph Brady MSTCM, L. Ac. Dipl. O.M This class is offered live at Park Hill United Methodist Church Wednesday afternoons

2. Positive Psychology: Enhancing the Quality of Life 

Instructor: Joseph Brady MSTCM, L. Ac. Dipl. O.M  On-line 4 weeks – January 9th to February 6th (No Classes on MLK day – January 16th)

3. Meditation in Motion: the Art and Science of Tai Chi 

Meditation in Motion: the Art and Science of Tai Chi  Facilitators: Joseph Brady and Jacqui Shumway (Senior)  8 weeks – January 11th to March 1st Note: 11:45 to 12:45 (1 hour)

To Register https://portfolio.du.edu/olli/page/129945

For more information about these talks Read More

The Oxford Study Lectures: An OLLI at DU Lecture Series 

Facilitator: Joseph Brady MSTCM, L.Ac., Dipl. OM (Senior)  4 weeks – January 11th to February 1st Location – Park Hill United Methodist Church, 5209 Montview Blvd, Denver 80207 

The Oxford study lectures are part of a long-term study in integrative medicine and lifelong learning. Students will learn about important research of interest to the University of Denver’ University College, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, the Oxford International Round Table, Harris Manchester College in the University of Oxford and Harvard Medical School’s, Osher Institute on Integrative Medicine. These lectures will introduce students to the latest findings in research into lifelong learning and health promotion, that may help determine future directions for lifelong learning here at OLLI and around the world. 

An Exploration of Integrative and Holistic Medicine 

Aging baby boomers and millennials embrace alternative medicine creating a $32 billion business. According to a recent study funded by the National Institute on Aging, 65 percent (a higher percentage than any other group) of older adults said they used some form of alternative medicine they considered either curative or preventive. Human beings are each as different as their fingerprints and what constitutes a healthy lifestyle is likely to be just as varied. In this class we will explore the wide variety of evidence-based heathy lifestyle choices and how to incorporate these into your own “elixir of 100 ingredients, harmoniously compounded. “As health care costs continue to rise, older adults will continue to seek alternative medicine and education about the risks/benefits of alternatives, is necessary to promote effective use of integrative medicine for chronic illnesses and pain. Learn more about the evidence-base for integrative medicine and what it can do for you. 

Class sessions will cover Integrative and Holistic Medicine, Medical Qigong, Culinary Alchemy and Positive Psychology.

Positive Psychology: Enhancing the Quality of Life 

Sponsoring Site – On Campus 

Instructor: Joseph Brady MSTCM, L. Ac. Dipl. O.M  4 weeks – January 9th to February 6th (No Classes on MLK day – January 16th) 

The quality of our lives is determined by the quality of the way we live our lives. Scientist can’t predict what constitutes a quality life for a given individual, but they have discovered what the prerequisites are. According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a former head of the psychology department at the University of Chicago, research has found several principles that are common to all enjoyable activities that set the stage for a life worth living. The research has shown that to be having fun, the mind must be paying attention to what we are doing right now. The individual’s awareness needs to be focused on the situation at hand, not upon what used to be or what should be. The experience of enjoyment exists only in the present. 

An enjoyable sense of accomplishment is experienced when we are engaged in activities that are challenging and require the use of our skills. A flow state of mind is one in which a person is enjoyably immersed in an activity. Commonly known as a “runners high,” flow is also described as an “autotelic experience” denoting states of consciousness that are intrinsically rewarding. Relaxation and enjoyment mark the beginning levels of these experiences, and optimal experiences and even mystical experiences denote the higher levels. Much research into flow states has been done on world-class athletes, musicians, dancers and others. Learn what the research has to offer the rest of us to help to achieve meaning and purpose in life. 

Course Type: Lecture; discussion 

Books/Materials: Recommended: Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Author) (Harper Perennial Modern Classics) Paperback – July 1, 2008 

Other: Video appearance and discussion is highly encouraged 

Joseph Brady, MSTCM, Dipl. OM, is a nationally board-certified practitioner of Oriental Medicine and an internationally recognized expert on healthy aging, and a former columnist on healthy aging for the Rocky Mountain News. Joe has spent over 25 years teaching at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and Metropolitan State University. Joe is currently adjunct professor at the Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the University of Denver’s University College. Former columnist on heathy aging for the Rocky Mountain News. Joe has presented at many scientific and medical conferences and is currently on an NIH working group called Bridge2AI and has twice been a featured presenter at the Oxford International Roundtable at Oxford University U.K. 

Meditation in Motion: the Art and Science of Tai Chi 

Facilitators: Joseph Brady and Jacqui Shumway (Senior) 

8 weeks – January 11th to March 1st Note: 11:45 to 12:45 (1 hour) 

Experience for yourself the accumulated wisdom of centuries with the timeless exercise of T’ai Chi. According to the Harvard Medical Health Publication “Tai chi is often described as meditation in motion, but it might well be called medication in motion”. Designed to be a hands-on learning experience, this class will explore the principles and basic exercises in T’ai chi and the growing body of evidence of it value in treating or preventing many health problems. This introduction to T’ai Chi Ch’uan is both practical and participative; the course introduces you to the basics of T’ai Chi Ch’uan, the skills and principles involved. These exercises can be a powerful complement to medical intervention. Modern studies have reported positive effects of Tai Chi on balance and falls reduction, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, cancer, COPD, heart disease, depression and even schizophrenia. Many more studies are underway to explore the medical benefits of this mind/body exercise. Topics for discussion will include the global health care implications of Tai Chi as well as applications in daily life.