Colleen Passalacqua Colleen is the Observer-Dispatch features editor. E-mail her at: cpassala@utica.gannett.com.

I took the plunge, literally, and went into the pool -- in public.

Instead of walking during Wednesday's Choose to Move meeting, we learned Ai Chi. This exercise is a Japanese technique performed standing in warm, shoulder-deep water, according to a handout from the Sitrin Family of Services.

I absolutely loved this class.

The combination of warm water, slow, fluid movements, deep breathing and wonderfully peaceful music playing in the background creates a truly soothing atmosphere. Ai Chi is "a most relaxing melding of movement, mind, breath and water," according to the handout.

I was following the movement of instructor Shannon Danforth, a physical therapist at Sitrin. She was great because she had a very serene aura about her. She taught us various postures with such names as contemplating, floating, uplifting and soothing. How can you avoid relaxing with names like these?

According to the handouts:

* Ai Chi is a total body-strengthening program that improves balance, range of motion and mobility. It also increases metabolism and circulation.

* Simply breathing while submersed to the shoulders in water increases oxygen consumption by 7 percent. This increases caloric consumption.

* Deep breathing from the diaphragm massages the liver and drives out vitiated -- or impure -- blood, improving liver efficiency.

* Ai Chi movements calm the mind and decrease stress and insomnia.

I can attest to the decreased stress. When I left the pool after 30 minutes, I was extremely relaxed. I was surprised because I was not looking forward to going into the pool, but I figured I should do it for the column.

I didn't even wear sweat pants, like I said I would! I wore my sister's purple bathing suit with a long, black mesh coverup. My classmates were extremely nice. One woman even encouraged me to take off the coverup. "You don't look any worse than the rest of us," she said.

I appreciated her comment because she helped put me at ease right from the start. For a few seconds I even contemplated taking off the coverup.

On second thought ...

It didn't matter though, nobody was concerned about what anyone looked like in their bathing suits. All we cared about was the relaxing effects of Ai Chi. When we got out of the pool, we were clamoring for more information about this terrific form of exercise.

Sitrin offers classes to the public (call 797-3114, Ext. 400 to register). Unfortunately, there is no night class right now, but Danforth said the center may add one.

I hope they do because I definitely would register. I'm not really into public pools, but this class could turn things around.