So.... Just What is Tai Chi?


What is Tai Chi? 


Tai Chi is a martial art that utilizes gentle, flowing movements to enhance health in the body and the mind.

So what can it do for me?   Let’s take some time to look through all the things that you can expect from learning this relaxing, slow martial art. The benefits of including Tai Chi into your exercise regimen are numerous. Because of the slow, meditative approach to movement, some people question it as an exercise modality since the aerobic component is not high. You should not dismiss it, however, simply because you might not break a sweat doing it! The intensity of this form of exercise can be increased or decreased depending on the depth of the postures and the duration of practice. It is certainly a low-impact form of exercise which is beneficial to people with existing joint issues and to people who want to avoid joint issues. 

Some of the impressive benefits of Tai Chi: 

Physical benefits 
As you would expect, there are many physical benefits when one practices any form of exercise over a period of time. The benefits that research has proven with the regular practice of Tai Chi are surprisingly far-reaching, especially in our current climate of anti-aging remedies. 

The Mayo Clinic lists some of the benefits of Tai Chi as: 
  • Improved aerobic capacity 
  • Increased energy and stamina 
  • Improved flexibility, balance and agility 
  • Improved muscle strength and definition 
  • Enhanced quality of sleep 
  • Enhanced functioning of the immune system 
  • Reduction in blood pressure 
  • Reduction in joint pain 
  • Improved symptoms of congestive heart failure 
  • Reduction in the risk of falls in older adults 

That list is impressive just by itself! There are other studies that have proven improvement for those who live with chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s disease, osteoarthritis, COPD and others. It has also been proven to improve bone mineral density in elderly women. 

Mental benefits 
The benefits of Tai Chi are not only substantiated as physical benefits. There are important mental and emotional benefits as well. 

Let’s return to the list of benefits from the Mayo Clinic. 
They also list the following as resulting from practicing Tai Chi: 
  • Decreased stress, anxiety and depression 
  • Improved mood 
  • Improved overall well-being 
And I would add the following to that list: 
  • Increased mental focus 
  • Improvement in working memory/executive function 
  • Social enjoyment and interaction
In Tai Chi, you should try to connect with and learn to control the energy in your body. This is part of the “healing” aspect and meditative component of Tai Chi. You must remain relaxed throughout and maintain your wrists in “delicate lady’s wrists” to help the flow. As you move, think about your legs being light and your body flowing in a relaxing state. Sometimes it helps to envision light flowing through your body. The energy flow in Tai Chi keeps the movement going. Think of the Tai Chi symbol, the Yin/Yang circle. It flows from one to the next and back again, and each side cannot exist without the other. Every move in the form is connected to the next movement. It is not a telegram where you start a sentence and then stop. You don’t stop between each posture. Use your rotation and weight shift to connect each move. Remember that “hold the ball” is a transition, not a separate posture. Think about gathering the energy into the “ball” and then releasing it throughout the posture.

(Source:  Open the Door to Tai Chi: Tai Chi for the Everyday Person)

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