For Art Bauer, teaching tai chi to seniors is about being able to help them feel good and ease tension.

“It’s great for preventative health care,” Bauer said.

Bauer, who has been involved in martial arts since he was 19 years old, learned tai chi because he was always interested in health and wellness. For the last 18 years, he has taught the healing practice at the Mower County Senior Center in Austin.

Tai chi focuses on opening up the body’s 12 energy channels by moving in smooth, continuous manner.

Bauer saw the effects himself when he first tried tai chi.

“I didn’t get angry as easy,” he said. “I got very much more relaxed.”

A student of Bauer’s, who now teaches alongside him at the Senior Center and at The Cedars of Austin, can second the positive effects. While Shirley DeepSong has eased her back pain through tai chi, the emotional and mental benefits have been greater still.

“All my life I was waiting for something to help me find balance,” she said.

Tai chi classes take place from 9:30 to 10:30 Wednesdays and Fridays at the Senior Center and from 9:30 to 10:15 Tuesdays at The Cedars of Austin.