chr12302011a03

TexasbirdingtripplannedThe Potomac Valley

Audubon Society is seek-ing expressions of inter-est in a nine-day birdingtrip to the Lower RioGrande Valley of Texasnext spring.The trip is tentatively

scheduled for March 30to April 7. It will be ledby local birding expertMatt Orsie and include aspecial guided tour of theAransas NationalWildlife Refuge, whichhosts the largest wildflock of WhoopingCranes.Other stops will

include the LagunaAtascosa and KerrNational WildlifeRefuges, the Sable PalmBird Sanctuary, the

Frontera AudubonPreserve and a variety ofstate and county parksthat are birding hotspots.Anyone with an inter-

est is welcome to partici-pate. Aminimum of fourpeople will be required tomake the trip viable. Themaximum number ofparticipants will beseven.The Society will

charge no fees of its ownbut each participant willhave to cover his or herown costs. The estimatedbasic cost per person willbe $1,400. This willinclude all airline andhotel charges and fees forguides and entry to bird-ing sites. Costs of meals,car rental and other pos-sible expenses will beextra. Opting for doubleoccupancy at hotels

would reduce accommo-dation costs substantially.Anyone interested in

participating in the tripshould contact MattOrsie at wvbird-er@comcast.net or 304-261-5602 by January 15.

Friday, December 30, 2011 The Shepherdstown Chronicle 3

George Alwin, AAMS Financial Advisor 75 Maddex Square Drive Shepherdstown, WV 25443 304-876-1961wwwwww..eeddwwaarrddjjoonneess..ccoomm Member SIPC

HAPPYNEW YEAR!

Barbara Feldman, anationally recognizedmartial arts instructorand owner of Blue HeronMartial and Healing Artsin Charles Town, willoffer a new class on the“Fundamentals ofQigong and Tai ChiChuan” beginning Jan. 4,2012, at HarmonyHealing Arts Center, 211East New Street,Shepherdstown. Theclass is perfect for begin-ners or experienced prac-titioners of either disci-pline and fully accessibleto the young, not-so-young and for peoplerecovering from injuries.It will be held from 11a.m. to noon eachWednesday for 11 weeks.Qigong (or Chi-gung)

is an ancient Chinese

practice of cultivatingand unifying mind, bodyand spirit. It does thisthrough slow fluid move-ment and stillness in thebody, balancing and nur-turing the qi (chi) orenergy and deep abdomi-nal breathing techniques.The main purposes ofqigong have beenlongevity, increasedhealth and well-being,spiritual development,preventative and restora-tive medicine and martialability.Tai Chi Chuan has all

of the benefits of qigongin addition to being amartial art. The require-ments shared by Tai Chiand Qigong are few: theability to relax the body,focus the mind, and prac-tice regularly. The class is

intended to provide thebasics for a solid qigongpractice and for develop-ing the fundamentals oftai chi.A professional educa-

tor with over 35 yearsexperience teaching,Feldman has practicedthe martial arts for 32years and the healing artsfor 28. She holds blackbelts in two styles ofkarate, including a 5thdegree black belt in AiMute Shotokan.For more information

about the newShepherdstown classand to register, contactFeldman at 304-725-3756or email her at blue-herondojo@comcast.net.Visit her website at:www.blueherondojo.com.

Qigong and Tai Chi Class being offered

Submitted photoBarbara Feldman, a nationally recognized martial arts instructor and owner of Blue HeronMartial and Healing Arts in Charles Town, will offer a new class on the “Fundamentals ofQigong and Tai Chi Chuan” beginning Jan. 4