FACULTY PROFILE - RAY SOL, ASU OLLI TAI CHI INSTRUCTOR
By: Aimee Shramko
Posted: 02/26/2025
“Birth age 84 - Cellular age circa 56” is the standout statement on Ray Sol’s (1) website stimulating curiosity and prompting immediate investigation. Ray, ASU OLLI faculty member, also known as “the tai chi guy”, explained in an interview, “Chronologically, I was born in the early 1940s, but biologically, the condition of my cells is 56.”
Puzzled by how this works and its implications, I began researching how cells age. I learned that the number of times a cell divides or splits determines its age. When it splits, telomeres that protect its chromosomes shorten. Shorter telomeres are linked to aging and disease. It is suggested in multiple studies that following a healthy lifestyle may help prevent the shortening of telomeres and thus extend your time here on earth.
Ray is certainly a testament to following a healthy lifestyle. His way of life includes many of the tenets of the now infamous Blue Zone (2) locations: he maintains a healthy diet, engages in regular physical activity, uses the practice of tai chi for stress management, has a strong purpose in life, and maintains social connections through taking OLLI classes and teaching tai chi in private practice. He engages in a compassionate and empathetic view towards others, and vows to “stay curious” about all life has to offer and teach us through travel and exploration of creative endeavors.
Ray has been practicing and teaching tai chi, one of the martial arts, for health and wellness for over 25 years. Tai chi incorporates balance, flexibility, and relaxation with intentional gentle movements synchronized with breath and mental focus. He practices six days a week for a weekly total of ten to twelve hours. I took Ray’s tai chi class on Zoom during the pandemic through OLLI and saw an improvement in my fluidity of movement over the four weeks of the class. At the same time, it gave me a sense of calm and centeredness.
During our interview, Ray and I discussed his philosophy that a healthy lifestyle begins with positive visualization, or the creation of mental images of success and intent, to form an optimistic mental outlook. He supports his visualization with strong affirmations that his goals are achievable and creates a roadmap to both meet those goals, and to generate the motivation needed to complete them.
The concept of visualization is well supported by research on the neuroscience of mental imagery. Ray and I found that we both took Dr. Jamie’s Valderama’s (3) OLLI class on Mindfulness for Stress Management, and discussed the teaching that the brain has limited ability to distinguish between real experiences and vivid mental imagery. When you visualize an action, the same regions in the brain activate as when you actually perform the action. Therefore, picturing yourself achieving a goal can help you reach that objective6.
Extending that concept to physical ailments and illness, Daniel Plotkin (5), a geriatric psychiatrist, states that “all medical conditions are a combination of mental and physical factors….it’s rare to have a condition that is 100% physical/body or 100% mental/mind”. This echoes Jamie's teaching that “the body is always a precursor for where the mind is about to go – physiology drives psychology which drives physiology”.
Further, studies by Becca Levy (4)
of Yale University who advocates against ageism, have shown that health problems such as memory loss, hearing decline, and cardiovascular events previously thought to be entirely due to one’s age, are actually influenced in part by negative beliefs about aging. Positive age beliefs, on the other hand, lead to better health and even longer life. As Ray advocates and is a testament to, a positive outlook on life can help you achieve longevity.
Ray supplements his tai chi practice with weekly hikes of 2-3 miles over rocky terrain which help him keep his sense of balance intact. He enjoys the dual benefits of hiking outdoors for exercise and connecting with nature. Dr. Valderama revealed that just 20 minutes spent in nature reduces anxiety, while increasing that time to 30 minutes improves sleep patterns, energy levels, and happiness. An avid nature conservationist, Ray has served as a volunteer speaker with the McDowell Mountain Preserve and thrives on helping park visitors appreciate the beauty of the desert.
Photo Caption: Hiking the McDowell Mountain Preserve
A self-proclaimed “Renaissance Man”, Ray’s list of creative endeavors and hobbies is robust. Not content to limit himself to just the study and practice of tai chi, he vowed several years ago to emulate the lifestyle of the “Elite Warriors” such as the Samurai of Japan. These men devoted their days to physical training in martial arts skills, but reserved their evenings for the development of creative outlets such as playing musical instruments, writing poetry or stories, and painting or sculpting. Ray chose not one, but several of these to master.
Author of the mystery series “Dark and Stormy Night”, Ray has crafted over a dozen short stories. He writes Haiku poetry which he submits annually to the Arizona Matsuri Festival of Japan, and is learning to play the Native American flute.
Ray paints stunning and ethereal watercolors that incorporate abstract expressionism, reflect ancient mythology, and/or pay tribute to his Scottish heritage.
As we learned in Dr. Valerama’s classes, creating art has been shown through extensive research to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, to calm the nervous system, increase mental functioning, and improve self-esteem. All of these things contribute to the mind-body connection and as Dr. Valerama explained, maintaining both a healthy body and mind not only go hand in hand, but also help to extend your life.
Using the technique of “camouflage painting” Ray employs hidden images blended into the background of the work that relay a secondary meaning within the primary subject. Energy Wave and Celtic Cross shown below have been entered into the Arizona Watercolor Association’s spring exhibition held on April 17th at the Shemer Art Center while other works have received awards at national juried art shows.
Photo Caption: Twin Towers – 9/11
Photo Caption: Moonlight from the Setting Sun; The Three Badb
Photo caption: Energy Wave, 2024
Photo Caption: Celtic Cross, 2024
Lastly, Ray believes that travel is essential to expanding the mind, remaining open to differing points of view, and connecting with others. He travels often, spending one and two months at a time at each destination. His favorite trips have been to New Zealand and Scotland where he connected with his ancestral roots. This summer he plans to visit Ireland with his daughter.
Ray’s number one goal these days is to live to be 100, and once achieved, he’s going for 120! Observing the enthusiasm, seemingly boundless energy, and positivity that he radiates constantly, I believe he can do it!
HAIKU – by Ray the Tai Chi Guy
SPRING
Now comes the springtime
Cold winter snows are going
Plants and trees awake
Springtime and new life
Fresh air to bring renewal
And make you happy
Harbinger of spring
With small white flowers in bloom
You welcome new life
Cover Photo Credit:
**Watercolor on paper. “Hope” free form abstract watercolor with applied brushstrokes.
References:
(1) Ray Sol is a regular ASU OLLI lecturer and the owner of Tai Chi body Balance LLC, a health and wellness consulting business. Ray’s OLLI classes for the spring are already underway, but if you are interested in beginning a tai chi practice, you can contact Ray via his website. http://raymondsol.com/biobackground.html. He offers private and group lessons onsite in Scottsdale several times a week.
(2) ”A "blue zone" is a geographical region around the world where people are known to live significantly longer than average, often reaching the age of 100, due to a combination of lifestyle factors like diet, strong social connections, regular physical activity, and a sense of purpose; the term was coined by researcher Dan Buettner who marked these areas with a blue pen on a map during his studies on longevity.” AI Generated answer, Google
(3) Dr. Jamie Valderama is an Associate Teaching Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator at Arizona State University for the Integrative Health Initiative housed within the School of Social Work. Her classes are offered regularly through OLLI.
(4) Becca Levy and the Fight Against Ageism, Jane E. Dee Yale Public Health Magazine Focus Spring 2023
(5) On Total Well-Being Daniel Plotkin, Premium Magazine, 2025
(6) A great idea I got from a former high school teacher of mine who I’m still in contact with and who taught visualization to students is to make a “goal board”. You can include pictures and affirmations of your goal and place it somewhere you’ll see it frequently to constantly remind yourself of these goals.
