UTC RAVE Alert

Zibin Guo, PhD

Zibin Guo Tai Chi Profile Photo

Dr. Zibin Guo is a UC Foundation Professor of Medical Anthropology at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a Tai Chi Master. In 2005, Dr. Guo developed a form of Wheelchair/Adaptive Tai Chi Chuan program to make the traditional healing/martial art accessible to people with ambulatory limitations. Prior to joining the UTC faculty team, Dr. Guo served as a lecturer in the Department of Social Medicine of Harvard Medical School and the Director of Clinical Studies at New England School of Acupuncture. He specializes in applied medical anthropology with a special focus on applying traditional healing knowledge to develop intervention programs that promote physical and psychological well-being among vulnerable populations.

Since 2016, Dr. Guo has been implementing the Wheelchair/Adaptive Tai Chi program that provides training to healthcare providers and instructors across the country supported by the Adaptive Sports Grant program of USVA. As of March 2020, this instructor training program has been provided to almost 500 VA healthcare providers who work at more than 50 VA Medical Centers/facilities across the United States and territory.

VA Maryland WTCC

Dr. Guo’s inspirational quotes:

vI developed the Wheelchair/Adaptive Tai Chi program to train health care providers so they can help and train veterans. Tai Chi  is perfect for those with limited physical function. This limited function has always been considered a weakness. What I want to do is transform that into a strength through Tai Chi movements and understanding of the principles of the circle and redirecting the flow of energy. By doing so, veterans, especially those with physical or psychological disabilities, or PTSD, can empower themselves.
vSince I began working with Veterans, the synchronization, the sense of harmony, the camaraderie, it’s all very empowering to them. Tai chi also reinforces a person’s perception that they can do it. It gives them a sense of control, and for many, it helps with physical symptoms, such as pain. The number one benefit I hear from Veterans is that they enjoy the camaraderie and the harmonized movement. Second is the confidence and control they gain from those movements.
vI’ve spoken with suicidal patients who have told me that Tai Chi liberated their sense of negativity, and I’ve found that people who engage with Tai Chi  are more likely to have a proactive lifestyle. Wheelchair Tai Chi program transforms the traditional idea of wheelchairs to an empowering tool that can help veterans gain power and control.

Social, Cultural, and Justice Studies

Anthropology, Geography, and Sociology