SOMETHING that combats stress and anxiety and which has even been credited with improving children's behaviour and academic performance would seem to be too good to ignore.

The claims centre on the ancient Chinese disciplines of tai chi and qigong. And Bermuda residents will get a chance to find out what it's all about in Victoria Park tomorrow morning.

Members of the Bermuda Tai Chi / Qigong Association, including six instructors, will be on hand between 10 a.m. and noon to demonstrate how these practices help millions around the world deal with the physical and mental rigours of everyday life.

The gathering will be part of a global event, World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, which involves similar demonstrations being staged all over the world, all of them starting at 10 a.m.

Last year, around 60 people turned out for the corresponding event. One of the instructors, Larry Trott, of Healing Works, encouraged people to bring along their children this time.

"We are trying to encourage families to come along together, with the children," Mr. Trott (pictured)said.

"Qigong is practised widely by children and there are big programmes for children from five years of age in China and Spain.

"I taught a programme in New Orleans and children loved it. It helps the children to be more balanced and it has been shown to help them do better at school, as it aids their focus, concentration and discipline."

Tai chi and qigong have also been shown in research to reduce anxiety, depression and chronic pain conditions.

They are also credited with boosting the immune system, improving respiratory function, burning calories, dramatically improving balance, providing cardiovascular benefit, providing stress management tools and slowing aspects of the ageing process.

Instructors will demonstrate techniques and talk about the benefits of tai chi and qigong to those who come along to the event. Absolute beginners are welcome.

"It is used in many hospitals in China to help with some illnesses that are not treated," Mr. Trott said.

"It is a wonderful complement to modern medicine. A lot of people seem to think eastern practices are being proposed as a replacement of western medicine. But I would encourage people to use the two together and get the best of both worlds."

According to the event's web site, http://worldtaichiday.org: "In modern terms, Tai chi and qigong are ancient systems of biofeedback and classical conditioning. Traditional Chinese doctors of long ago noted that our natural tendency is to hold onto stress, which bogs down the brain.

"They therefore created exercises that would train the mind and the body not only to continually dump stress, but also to actually change the way the body handles future stress (not the way your kids change the way you handle stress, but in a good way).

"As tai chi players move through their slow motion movements, their mind becomes calm, their breathing deepens and slows, and their muscles relax. All this happens while the muscles are toning, making it a very efficient exercise."