The new facility, along with the recently renovated nearby Fenway Hotel, will bring thousands of international visitors to the area each year
Dunedin, Fla., Nov. 3, 2018 – The Fung Loy Kok Institute of Taoism and its affiliate Taoist Tai Chi Society of the USA are celebrating the Grand Opening of its first International Center in the United States in Dunedin, Florida. The Grand Opening will take place on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018 at 3 p.m. at the Center, where more than 500 Taoist Tai Chi arts participants from 26 countries will gather for a week of training and to celebrate this ancient healing practice.
“We are so excited that the Taoist Tai Chi Society chose Dunedin as their US headquarters,” said Dunedin Mayor Julie Ward Bujalski. “We are an inclusive city that embraces all cultures, and Taoist Tai Chi fits right in. They are a strong community partner and we congratulate them on their upcoming Grand Opening!”
The Center in Dunedin is the second International Center worldwide – the first is in Ontario, Canada. The International Center Florida is a 14,000 square foot practice hall that will host various training conferences and programs for the 42,000 Taoist Tai Chi arts participants around the world. The facility will also offer daily classes and programs to local residents who want to experience the healing powers of Tai Chi.
“The Taoist Tai Chi Society is thrilled to make Dunedin the home of its first International Center in the United States,” said Pegoty Packman, President of the Taoist Tai Chi Society of the USA. “We looked all over the country to find a place that offered our participants small-town charm and tranquility but also was close enough to an International Airport to make travel easy for our participants from all over the world. Dunedin was the perfect spot.”
In partnership with the newly renovated Fenway Hotel, located next door to the Center, the Society is developing wellness travel packages for people looking for a vacation that incorporates health and wellness with a beautiful Florida setting. These programs will be day, weekend and weeklong experiences of the Taoist Tai Chi arts and will be open to everyone – locals and visitors alike.
The Taoist Tai Chi arts involve balance, expansion and contraction, deep relaxation with a full range of motion, and continuous turns of the spine. Sometimes called “Meditation in Motion,” Tai Chi has been shown to strengthen not only the mind, but the body as well. Many practitioners use the Tai Chi arts to manage both physical and mental ailments, including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, asthma, anxiety, depression, and the stresses of daily life.
“In the Taoist tradition, a person’s well-being depends on the harmony of body, mind and spirit,” said Sean Dennison, Executive Director of the Taoist Tai Chi Society of the USA. “Taoist training integrates all these aspects leading to transformation of the whole person. This can be done through a series of movements along with the other Taoist arts such as chanting, meditation, rituals and ceremonies.”
The Grand Opening of the International Center Florida in Dunedin will begin at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3 with free Tai Chi classes and demonstrations, music, food and beverages. A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 4 p.m. Then, at 5 p.m., a Chinese Dragon will lead Taoist Tai Chi arts participants and guests over to the front lawn of the Fenway Hotel for a sunset Tai Chi demonstration. The Fenway Hotel is hosting an Open House from 5 – 6:30 p.m.
For more information visit: https://www.taoisttaichi.org.
The story of how the Taoist Tai Chi Society found Dunedin, Florida
Master Moy Lin Shin, a Taoist master and the founder of the Fung Loy Kok Institute of Taoism and the Taoist Tai Chi Society of the USA, developed the first International Centre in Ontario, Canada in 1984. During the 1990s, Master Moy realized that he would need to open another Center one day, so he began looking in Florida – a state he had traveled to before and liked.
The Society initially found itself in the Clearwater area, where it had a strong local participant base, and was also close to an International Airport. It eventually moved north into Dunedin, finding a temporary location on Main Street. But this still didn’t meet all their needs.
In 2013, Society President Pegoty Packman was riding her bike with her husband along the water in Dunedin when she came upon the boarded-up and fenced-off Fenway Hotel. A sign said that the building was in foreclosure and for sale. Pegoty knew that this building was special, and needed to be brought back to life.
The Taoist Tai Chi Society purchased the Fenway Hotel property in 2014 and began renovations. However, they quickly realized that the building was in much worse shape than originally thought. It was going to require a major renovation – so the Society partnered with Mainsail Lodging & Development, which has taken on the task of renovating and rebuilding this historic building, bringing it back to its original glory.
Today, the International Center Florida sits next to the newly renovated Fenway Hotel.
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International Center Florida: 280 Locklie Street, Dunedin, FL 34698, www.taoisttaichi.org
Tel: (727)734-0929 Toll Free: (877)398-1108 Email: info.usa@taoisttaichi.org
The Taoist Tai Chi Society of the United States of America is a, non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
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