Johnny Packard

Johnny has practiced tai chi for 15 years and has taught for 12, including on Zoom straight through the pandemic. He is a student many tai chi styles, and also enjoys practicing qigong, tai chi sword, and traditional as well as competition forms.

In his personal practice Johnny strives to maintain the openness and humility of a beginner’s mind. When he leads a class or practice, Johnny aspires to the best qualities of his teachers: clear simple patient instruction.

Johnny in certified in many tai chi forms by the Tai Chi for Health Institute. He trains annually with globally renowned tai chi expert Dr. Paul Lam. Johnny updates his certifications every two years. In 2023 Johnny became a TCHI Senior Trainer and is authorized to help improve the tai chi and teaching skills of regional instructors.

Johnny is also the President of the United States Tai Chi Community, a professional organization for tai chi teachers and enthusiasts.

In his own words, Johnny describes his Tai Chi journey:

After 25 years of hard labor in agriculture and landscaping, my body and mind was failing from the strain. Bouts with West Nile Virus and Lyme Disease made things much worse. My knees and elbows ached all the time. I was irritable and not much fun to be around. Just treating the symptoms was a dead end. I knew I had to do something to take better care of myself, and my wife agreed.

So we resolved to join the local YMCA and spend the time and money to preserve and maybe improve our health. I went to the Y looking for an exercise that would help me reverse all the damage, and I tried just about everything: Weightlifting, Swimming, Spin, Yoga, Cardio-Kickboxing, and of course Tai Chi. I hated most of it. I was fine with the physical work, but mindless repetitive movements made me crazy. It just wasn’t fun. And if it wasn’t fun, there was no way I was going to show up and stick with it.

Tai Chi was different. It was endlessly fascinating. I would learn a simple movement like Sun style “Open and Close” and think, well that was easy. And then the next week in class I would discover another layer in the movement, like its martial application or its breathing pattern or how to use the mind to make the movement. I was hooked. Physically I was feeling better, and mentally I had found something that offered a lifetime of depth.

It helps that Tai Chi for Health Institute instructors are trained to allow participants to work within their limitations while challenging us to grow beyond them. That’s one of the best things about Tai Chi. It’s community of diverse people, of all kinds of abilities, but everyone shares the desire to improve themselves and support each other. I’ve been fortunate to learn from many gifted instructors and participants.

Regular Tai Chi practice has improved the strength and mobility in my knees and other joints. Tai Chi has made my movements while gardening and landscaping more efficient and relaxed. I was also surprised and delighted to find regular Tai Chi practice has made me calmer and more focused. My family and employees noticed the difference too!

Johnny runs Tai Chi Lake Geneva’s free Tai Chi workshops, teaches the fundamental form classes, and leads practice sessions. Johnny is also the owner of Botanica Fine Gardens and Landscapes. Visit Botanica on Facebook.