"I see many similarities between hula and tai chi."
-Ramona Sewald
The Tai Chi Ohana is an intriguing group. Meet Ramona Sewald,
certified tai chi instructor at Windward YMCA.
Evening walks on Kailua Beach, leisurely bike rides through
Kailua Town, tai chi and hula at every opportunity—Ramona immerses herself in
life on the windward side. She loves walking and incorporates Pilates and the
elliptical machine into her routine to stay limber.
Ramona is from the East Bay in California. She earned an architecture
degree from UC Berkeley at a time when engineering and architecture classes
only attracted a few other women. She was a project manager for several years
and then followed her fiancé to Japan. They married, had two children, and
finally moved to Hawaii in 2001, after 16 years in Tokyo.
Since Hawaii did not recognize her California architecture
license, Ramona decided to teach herself "tech" to keep up with her children. Now,
her son works in Army communication and her daughter studies at New York
University.
Then, in 2015, Ramona suffered a brain bleed and stroke. Walking
helped her regain functions, and she wears sunglasses to help with the resulting
light sensitivity. And that’s what brought her to our little Tai Chi Ohana.
"Tai chi three times a week helped my recovery, kept me
centered and joyful. My tai chi group inspires me," she said.
Currently, she is in the midst of a two-year kitchen
remodeling project. Thank you, Ramona, for doing the phone interview while taking
a break from painting and tiling your kitchen.
By Wendi Lau
Kelvin’s note: As always, the interview and article are by my lovely wife. Her goal is to introduce students from all classes to each other. Please contact her at (808) 387-6619 to arrange your interview. And remember no pictures or articles are posted that are not approved of by you first.