(upbeat music) - Understanding Us is a local nonprofit that gives people experiencing homelessness the tools and resources they need to connect with themselves and the world around them.

Maggie Laun is here today to tell us about Balancing with the Unhoused program.

Hi, Maggie.

- Hi, Mary.

- So nice to have you.

- Thank you.

- I know you told me about this.

We have to share this more widely.

- Yes.

- So the Balancing with the Unhoused is basically Tai Chi and Qigong, - Tai Chi and Qigong.

And there's also stilts that people use, and bongo boards and all sorts of ways to kind of get out of the trauma that people are experiencing and into a, you know, a focus and a way to focus and quiet the noise upstairs.

- Okay, that's great.

- Yeah.

- I know you do this every Monday.

I have to make sure I get this right.

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday?

- Yes.

So we gather at 9:30 and we serve burritos and coffee and there's a whole sign up so we know who the regulars are, and the regulars get rewarded at the end with actually a cash piece.

And so we socialize for the half hour, and then at 10 o'clock on the dot, a man named Mohammed, who's a lovely man, an unhoused man who learned the Tai Chi leads the group, and quiet descends on this group of people that- - Yes.

You were saying what a difference it makes in how you can witness this.

- Yes, and I think that's part of why I wanted this kind of exposure, for people to witness this.

They'd be welcome to come have a cup of coffee with us if they want, and watch these, and meet these people that have a difficult life.

- Yeah, and you said silence prevails.

- Silence prevails.

And the the community that's being built is quite lovely.

- That, yeah- - Wonderful, wonderful.

I think it's so great what you're doing.

- Thank you.

- And I thank you for doing it, and thank you for being here, thanks.

- Thanks.

- And if you'd like to know more about Understanding Us, Balancing with the Unhoused, the program that goes Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 9:30 to 10:30 year round.

It's in the Public Safety Building at 475 South 300 East.

And you can go and watch.

Go to understandingusnonprofit.org.

(upbeat music) I'm Mary Dickson.

Thanks for watching "Contact."

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Hi, I'm Mary Dickson.

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