By Kimmy Yam, Image: Justine Goode/NBC News/Getty Images, NBC News, May 5, 2023
Twice a week, dozens of mostly Chinese immigrant older communities head to a tai chi class in South Brooklyn, New York, so they can flow along to the art form’s steady movements while dedicating a deep focus to every breath, every muscle.
Tai chi classes may not match the quintessential image of mental health treatment, but behind the soft background music and fluid motion are moments for participants to quell their anxieties and focus on wellness. They’re also able to skirt some of the stigma that can be attached to professional help, said Don Lee, the chairman of Homecrest Community Services, the nonprofit organization that hosts the classes.
Treatment that’s done through a Western framework, like traditional talk therapy, isn’t always inclusive of and as effective for everyone, often failing to honor Asian family dynamics, cultural values and racial sensitivities, experts said. But in recent years, other, more culturally fitting methods have been on the rise.
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