Class Closure update

 With deepest regret and deep respect for the lives of our students, 

WE ARE CLOSING DOWN ALL CLASSES FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. 

Nov. 17, 2020

Statewide freeze begins tomorrow

Today, Governor Kate Brown issued Executive Order 20-65 following last week's announcement of a statewide freeze to stop the rapid community spread of COVID-19 in Oregon. In light of increasing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, the order outlines necessary risk reduction measures designed to limit gatherings and curb human contact

Starting tomorrow, Nov. 18, Oregon will begin the statewide two-week freeze.

Nov. 19, 2020

OHA reports new records and renewed determination

We are saddened to report that today marks the highest number of cases and deaths reported in a single day in Oregon since the beginning of the pandemic. OHA reports 1,225 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases and 20 new deaths.

“We offer our condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to COVID-19,” said OHA Director Patrick Allen.

Sadly, we have also surpassed our 800th COVID-19 death today, less than three weeks after marking the 700th death. These are family, friends and neighbors, and we note their deaths with sadness and a renewed determination to suppress the spread of the virus.

Two week pause in ALL classes

 Salem, OR—Governor Kate Brown today announced the addition of four counties—Baker, Clackamas, Union, and Washington—to the Two-Week Pause on social activities to help stop rapid spread of COVID-19 where community transmission is on the rise. These four counties join Jackson, Malheur, Marion, Multnomah, and Umatilla Counties on the pause, announced Friday. The pause measures will be in effect for two weeks, from Nov. 11 through Nov. 25.

“As we continue to see alarmingly high case rates reflective of sporadic community spread, now is the time to implement measures to further reduce gatherings and curb human contact," said Governor Brown. "The Two-Week Pause measures are designed to reduce the amount of people we interact with and the frequency of those encounters. We all must continue to do our part to stop this virus from spreading, particularly limiting our social gatherings and interactions, or we risk further closures and restrictions."

Here at Classes at the Orchard we are following the guidelines to restrict contact - and will be pausing all classes until November 24th.

Tai Chi students

No tai chi class

Tuesday Nov. 10th

 

Tai Chi students

Tentative schedule (for good weather)

Tai Chi long form: Tues, Thurs, Fri mornings  10 - 11 am OUTSIDE

Tai Chi Sword class: Friday morning 11 am OUTSIDE

NOTE: class updates on time and place will be texted out the morning of class

Tai Chi Students

 Article on tai chi and health

https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/protect-your-bones-with-tai-chi

Tai Chi Students

TAI CHI class Tuesday morning October 27th CANCELLED

New Rules on Wearing Face Masks

 Effective Date: October 19, 2020 

Statewide Mask, Face Covering, Face Shield Guidance  

This guidance is specific to requirements for wearing masks, face coverings or face shields. 

 Authority: Executive Order No. 20-27, paragraphs 9 and 21, ORS 431A.010, ORS 433.441, ORS 433.443. 

Applicability: This guidance applies statewide to: 

     •All businesses, as defined below. 

    • All persons responsible for indoor spaces open to the public

     •All persons responsible for outdoor spaces open to the public 

    •All public and private workplaces        

    •The general public when:

         Visiting businesses as defined below 

         Visiting indoor spaces open to the public

         Visiting outdoor spaces open to the public

         Visiting all public and private workplaces 

Enforcement: To the extent this guidance requires compliance with certain provisions, it is enforceable as specified in Executive Order 20-27, paragraph 26. 

Oregon Health Authority Public Health Recommendations on Masks, Face Coverings and Face Shields:  

    • In general, it is recommended that people wear a mask or face covering, with or without a face shield, whenever they are within six (6) feet of people who do not live in the same household.  

    •It is not recommended that individuals wear a face shield instead of a mask or face covering. Face shields can be very good at blocking droplets that individuals release, but they are not as effective at limiting the release of aerosols that can go around the shield.

 

Tai Chi Students schedule change

 Class Friday October 16th at 9 am!

We will be considering time changes for next week also

Tai Chi students

 Reminder of schedule change:

starting October 5th, 

tai chi morning classes 

start at 8:30 am

Aikido students - schedule change

 The teen/adult Aikido Weapons evening class 

will now be 5 pm - 6 pm

AIKIDO students

 No class Thursday September 24th due to rain

Tai Chi students and Aikido Weapons students

 Classes have now resumed as the smoke has cleared - hurrah!!

Friday September 18th

 NO TAI CHI class this morning due to heavy smoke

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 17TH

TAI CHI students - NO CLASS this morning due to heavy smoke

AIKIDO WEAPONS students - SHORT CLASS this evening 6 pm - 6:30 pm

Thank you for your patience and understanding!

Wishing everyone health and well-being. 

Tai Chi Students

 For the month of September classes will be on 

Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 

8 am - 9 am

Aikido students Fall Schedule

We are monitoring updates and changes in state guidelines and school district plans.

We do not have a decision yet on fall classes as everything is still changing. 

Tai Chi Students

Schedule update:

TUESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY  CLASSES REMAIN THE SAME

We will be trying out new EXTRA classes on MONDAY and WEDNESDAY mornings
      7:30 - 8 am         Warm ups, Long form
      8 - 8:30 am         Reviewing and breaking down individual movements in 2nd & 3rd section

Tai Chi students

There is class again Thursday July 9th and Friday July 10th :)

Best wishes for a safe and fun 4th of July holiday weekend!
from Avella Orchard's own "red, white and blue"

Possible beginning tai chi class

We are looking at starting a beginning tai chi class and assessing interest - if you or someone you know is interested, please let me know.  Class would most likely be on Mondays and Wednesdays - either in the morning or in the evening.  Like our other tai chi classes, it would be outside, face masks required. 

Wearing face masks = safety and respect

Students please remember to wear face masks in class - as Union County has now become a Covid-19 hotspot, with the highest rate of infection per population in Oregon, safety measures become even more important. We have extra masks if you forget to bring one. 
Wishing you all the best of health -

Aikido students

Please note that the evening Aikido weapons classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays are now from 6 pm to 7 pm

Tai chi classes expand to Friday mornings

Tai chi morning classes will now be 
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings
8 - 9 am 
Thank you for your patience as we work our way through re-opening!

Aikido Weapons classes

Aikido weapons classes
by invitation only
Tuesdays and Thursdays
5 - 6 pm   

Tai Chi morning classes to resume in June

Morning Tai Chi classes will resume in June.
To start with,  June morning classes will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 am - 9 am.
Classes will be held outside, and the dojo will remain closed.

For everyone's safety, 
and to comply with state guidelines, 
please:
- observe 6' distancing 
- wear a face mask
- stay home if you have a cough, or a fever, or are not feeling well

Aikido Weapons forms: Jo 31 count kata

Here is the link to a video of sempai Jesse Burke doing the Jo (staff) 31 count kata

https://youtu.be/CGEjqd-EdrM  

Aikido Weapons forms: Jo 22 count kata

Here is the link to a video of sempai Jesse Burke doing the Jo (staff) 22 count kata

https://youtu.be/3JV556kqETg  

Aikido Weapons Forms: Jo Suburi

Here is the link to a video of sempai Jesse Burke doing the Jo (staff) 20 Suburi

https://youtu.be/YS6DSumHb4c  

Jack misses you all!

Our Gratitude Continues

THANK YOU
    to those who continue to support us
    to those who share plant starts
    to those who left a bag of birdseed
    and to the beauty of rainbows after a storm

The orchard misses you ...

For those of you missing the abundance of flowers in the orchard - please know that the orchard misses you! Here is a "virtual bouquet" of blooms for you ... and may all be well with you and yours ... 

Tai Chi students (video of chi gung exercise)

Here is the link to a video (on YouTube) of the chi gung exercise we use at the end of the tai chi classes. Once again, the sound is not great since I recorded outside.  And, Jack had to be part of the scene again!    https://youtu.be/uQppTovthTE
I hope in the future to be improving my recording skills and replacing these links with better recordings!!
May all be well with you and yours, and may your tai chi practice keep going in these difficult times!
- Danae

Tai Chi Students (video of class warm-ups)

I've taken the plunge and recorded the tai chi warm-ups.
You can access the video on YouTube https://youtu.be/LSkU4siAzDs .  
The sound is not good as I recorded outside and the traffic on the interstate was much louder than I realized.  And, being the cat that he is, Jack had to get in the video too! 
I hope this will help all of us continue to practice while the dojo is shut down :)
 May all be well with you and yours, 
 - Danae

Our profound thanks

We are deeply grateful to all of you who -
     called to make sure we were OK
     offered to run errands if needed
     wrote letters or cards
     paid April class fees anyway
     shared garden bounty
     texted photos of flowers
     let us know you were looking forward to coming back to class!
 We feel very blessed - 
THANK YOU
- Danae and David

Tai Chi students

Even though classes are closed, I encourage you all to keep practicing! 
Looking for inspiration to get started again? Here's a quick 5 minute video clip of (a very young) Master Yang Jun doing the first section of the 103 (long) hand form.
Also, check out the Tai Chi tab on the blog for handouts and other video links!

CLASSES CANCELLED FOR APRIL

Update from Kate Brown, Governor Of Oregon, that schools will remain closed through April 28th.

We are following suit and closing down ALL classes (Aikido, Tai Chi, Yoga) through April 28th.

TAI CHI CLASSES CANCELLED

Tai Chi classes have been postponed until the health emergency is lifted.  

This was a difficult decision to reach, and I encourage students to practice on their own, even if it is just the warm-ups or just the first section. 
I will also be posting tai chi articles and handouts on a new page on this blog in the coming week. 

CHILDREN'S AIKIDO CLASSES CANCELLED

Children's Aikido classes are cancelled 
as of today March 13th until May 1st.

We are following the same closure rulings as public schools.

Please check back in at the end of March and we will continue to post updates.

You can call Danae at 541-663-6756 if you have any questions about the closure.

Aikido & Tai Chi students

March fees now due
- thank you!

Tai Chi students

Quick reminder:
      morning Tai Chi class (Tues, Thurs, Fri) 
      returns in March to starting at 7:45 am

The 2 day Tai Chi Push Hands seminar I recently attended in Redmond, WA was a wonderful learning opportunity offering a thorough background in theory, plenty of push hands practice, and experience in martial application.  I've got pages of notes, insights to share, and new ideas on how to practice push hands. 

YOGA students

There is NO Yoga class Monday February 17th
President's Day Holiday
see you all on Wednesday!

Monday Tai chi evening class cancelled

Reminder: there is NO evening tai chi class on Monday February 17th

TAI CHI Students

 Wednesday evening tai chi class 
is CANCELLED 
due to heavy (and ongoing) snow.

2020 BIG READ

Now available for check-out in the dojo library - 

The book for the 2020 Big Read for Union & Wallowa counties is Julie Otsuka's  "When the Emperor Was Divine".

Beautifully, heartbreakingly written, this story brings us inside the experience of the internment of the Japanese during WWII.
The terse immediacy of the language evokes classic haiku: spare, brilliant, vivid.

Watch for community events around the Big Read!

Warning: there is graphic violence portrayed in the book. 

Note: David Tift's mother Kay worked as a schoolteacher at the Tule Lake internment camp down by Klamath Falls. When I ask her about it, mostly she remembers the ever present alkali dust, and no trees.

Aikido students and Tai Chi students

February fees now due
    Children & Teen Aikido   $35
                     Adult Aikido     $40 
     Tai Chi evening class      $20
     Tai Chi morning class    $35 
 

Tai chi students

Please note that Tai Chi morning classes start at 8 am for the month of January

Welcome Back!

Yoga classes start back up Monday morning January 6th
Tai chi evening class starts back up Monday evening January 6th
Tai chi morning class starts back up Tuesday morning January 7th
Aikido classes start back up Tuesday afternoon January 7th