WESTFIELD — Throughout the month of September, the Westfield Memorial Library will continue to offer diversified programs for adults that feature “something for everyone.” The library is located at 550 East Broad Street.
“Fundamentals of Tai Chi” will continue on Wednesday, September 27, at 7 p.m., with Dr. Gang Huang. Tai Chi is an ancient practice that originated in China. Often referred to as “Meditation in Motion,” this form of exercise is touted as a means to boost both mental and physical health, promote balance and prevent falls, help relieve depression, Parkinson’s disease and dementia, and reverse disease progression in osteoarthritis. It also is believed to help with insomnia, hypertension and fibromyalgia.
In the upcoming program, Dr. Huang will lead a hands-on session to work on Tai Chi fundamentals such as joint health, standing meditation, weight shifting and balance, and Tai Chi walking. The final class in the series will take place on Wednesday, October 11, at 7 p.m.
Dr. Huang is one of the formal disciples of Master Yang Jun, who is the direct descendent (sixth-generation) of Yang Cheng Fu and of Yang Lu Chan, the creator of Yang Style Tai Chi. He has learned Yang style from Masters likeYang Jun, Wang Hanrong and others, and also Chen style from Chen Bing, Chen Zhenglei and Chen Yu. He is an authorized instructor of Yang Family Tai Chi Association and currently teaches Tai Chi classes in Bridgewater. He has introduced Tai Chi to many people since 2014.
Library Director Allen McGinley will present “Burned: The Past, Present and Future of Book Banning in the United States” on Thursday, September 28, at 7 p.m. Efforts to censor stories, topics and ideas have existed for hundreds of years and are as old as printed books themselves. This program will feature an overview of book-banning efforts in the United States, including a look at the history of censorship, how attempts to limit the free exchange of ideas continue today, and what this might mean for the future of intellectual freedom.
On Saturday, September 30, Ahrre Maros, founder/owner ofAhrre’s Coffee Roastery, will present a celebration of coffee at 2 p.m. The date falls between National Coffee Day on Friday, September 29, and International Coffee Day on Sunday, October 1. Mr. Maros has an online presence and two locations in New Jersey: one in Summit and one in Westfield. He will talk about various aspects of coffee, including the many factors that affect the flavor profile of coffee, and offer several tastings to illustrate his points.
Born and raised in Summit, Mr. Maros fell in love with fresh-roasted coffee in his mid-twenties while living in Berkeley, Calif. Not satisfied with the New Jersey coffee he experienced during visits home, he would bring coffee from California, earning him the nickname “coffee boy” among friends. Mr. Maros went to work for his favorite coffee store in Berkeley (Peets), took a business class, wrote a business plan, and borrowed large sums of money from everyone he knew as he prepared to open his own business. The first location of Ahrre’s Coffee Roastery opened in Cranford one week after Mr. Maros’ 30th birthday in February 1990. He has been sourcing, roasting and selling coffee ever since.
To sign up for these programs, a library card or to learn more about the library’s resources, visit https:// wmlnj.org/ or follow the library on Facebook and Instagram.
Library hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.
