Shorelines staff writer

Nat Jones of Atlantic Beach and Frank Saul of Ponte Vedra Beach inhaled deeply, stretching their arms high and shifting their weight to the balls of their feet.

As they brought their arms down, their fluid, flowing movements resembled a slow dance, rhythmic and relaxing.

These were satisfying accomplishments for both men, who have Parkinson's disease.

Jones and Saul are two regular members of a free tai chi class that meets each Wednesday morning at Shands Jacksonville hospital. The class is designed for Parkinson's disease patients and their caregivers. Parkinson's disease slows down the entire body, weakens and freezes muscles and interferes with the sense of balance.

Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese form of martial art that is practiced by about 300 million people worldwide, incorporates circular, concentrated movements that are proving helpful for Parkinson's disease patients. In Tai Chi, when one part of the body moves, all parts move, and the exercises improve flexibility, energy and balance.

"The patients get such wonderful benefits from it," said Lyvonne Carriero, Parkinson's program coordinator at Shands. "They say after one class they can see a difference in their balance."

At a recent class, Jones and Saul were joined by their wives, Mae and Elayne, respectively, and about a dozen other participants. Instructor Genera Holladay led the group through a series of postures that were challenging but designed around the limitations of Parkinson's patients. Tai Chi techniques vary by style, and Holladay, who also is a pharmacist and acupuncturist, was using modified medical forms of the Yang style.

"This class differs from most Tai Chi classes," said Holladay, who learned the ancient art while living in Japan and Korea in the early 1960s. In martial arts, the movements are geared outward for defense and striking. For this class, she emphasizes inner energy instead.

"If we are in a challenged health position, using these same techniques can strengthen the body for health," Holladay said. "Instead of letting the energy out, we use it to strengthen the organs, bones and muscles."

Parkinson's patients tend to fall back when they lose their balance, so by practicing balancing on the balls of their feet, they learn to come forward. This also helps with spinal alignment and strengthened posture.

Nat Jones learned he had Parkinson's 15 years ago, and the disease slowly has weakened his muscles; now he needs a cane to walk. He uses the cane mostly for safety, he said, because his poor balance leaves him vulnerable to falls.

"That's where Tai Chi helps," Jones said. "It helps you find the center of gravity. It helps me keep my balance. When I step out of the shower, I know where to put my feet, so I don't have to hang on the bar."

Like most patients with the disease, Jones moves slowly in everything he does. He needs more time to dress, eat and even speak. His wife, Mae, helps him with day-to-day tasks, which take much longer than they once did.

"When you live with Parkinson's, whether as a patient or a caregiver, there is a lot of stress involved," Mae Jones said.

The class helps her relax.

"The deep breathing is very good for the stress; it energizes you," she said.

Saul has had the debilitating disease for 10 years. He has been coming to the Shands class for two years and said he finds it a helpful alternative to surgery and "dwelling on the problem."

Saul also tries to find time to practice the techniques at home, in addition to swimming and taking walks.

"If you are able to carve out time for it, at the end of the day you have to say you don't have a problem with balance," he said.

Some students in the hourlong class attended in wheelchairs, following Holladay's movements as much as they could, keeping in sync with the rest of the group.

Student Ransom Lee of Arlington stood behind his wheelchair for the first 15 minutes of class, holding onto the chair's handles. When Lee became too fatigued to stand, Nat Jones came over and helped him into his chair.

Lee's wife, Jorgelinar Lee, was proud of her husband's accomplishments.

"When he started coming here, he couldn't even move from his chair," she said as she watched him continue with the class from a seated position. "Look how he is today."

By the end of the class, Nat Jones said he was "worn out" but he appreciated that the exercise was good for him. He wouldn't get to exercise at all if it wasn't for the class, he said, because walking is too difficult.

"It's a nice, light exercise," he said. "It's not strenuous. I feel fatigued a lot, so the lightness of the exercise is helpful. It's not heavy, like lifting weights."

Students come from all over Jacksonville to take the class, because it is free to all Parkinson's patients and their caregivers, regardless of where they go for medical care.

Mae Jones said the class is worth the weekly drive from the beach to Shands, near downtown Jacksonville.

If there is enough interest, Carriero said Shands will begin offering the class in other parts of town, including the Beaches, where the hospital now runs a yoga class.

Tai chi helps Parkinson's patients with energy and balance, said Carriero, but it also helps them in other ways

"They start to think, 'I'm not this weak, shaky person. ... I can do other things.' ... It lifts them out of their doldrums. It really helps them."

This article was originally called "Marshaling Art of Balance - Parkinson's patients find relief in Tai Chi " and was found at http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/090702/ nes_10374635.shtml