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  • Review: Tai Chi: The True History & Principles, by Lars Bo Christensen

    Review: Tai Chi: The True History & Principles, by Lars Bo Christensen

    Imagine you are a 19th century team of archeologists and have unearthed the ruins of the city of Pompeii, preserved in volcanic ash from the 79AD (CE79) eruption of Mount Vesuvius. A window into the inhabitants of an ancient Roman history. An educational tool to further study our own Mount St Helens eruption in the late 20th century.

    For Tai Chi historians of the modern era, the uncovering of the Li Family Martial Arts Manual is no less astonishing. This genealogy predates what was known about the origins of the Chen, Yang and Wu styles of the practice, first documented in in the early 20th century about founders of each of the main styles over a century beforehand.

    In Tai Chi: The True History & Principles, Lars Bo Christensen discusses the texts, stored for 300 years by descendants of the Tang Village’s Li family, and specifically, the late 16th century documented postures known as The Thirteen Movements. This origins form, tracing back to the Thousand Year Temple, contains the eight trigrams and five phases that are still practiced. Christensen includes the Chinese translations, not only of The Thirteen Movements, but also the related postures in each of the Chen, Yang and Wu styles.

    In addition to The Thirteen Postures, Christensen discusses the history and philosophy of the duality – what some call the Yin-Yang symbol – which embodies the beliefs of Daoism and Confucianism. Out of nothing and stillness, comes all things. A life of balance and interdependence. Darkness and light, soft and hard, yielding and advancing.

    This book contains copies of documents from the Li Family Martial Arts Manual, citations, historical photographs, sources and references. This material is respectfully compiled and put into context by the author. He also lists additional reading material and recommended authors.

    From texts found in a doorway, a doorway to the past arises. A door to the past that nonetheless impacts the future of our understanding.

    Lars Bo Christensen has been a practitioner of Tai Chi for several decades. An avid scholar of Chinese language and culture, he has penned five books regarding the history and practice of Tai Chi.

    You can find “Tai Chi: The True History & Principles” at Amazon.com. Click on the link below to see more about about this great book!

  • The Loss Of A Special Tai Chi Place

    The Loss Of A Special Tai Chi Place

    When I moved to the city of Vancouver, BC in the late 1980’s, I came across an amazing place to practice Tai Chi Chuan. I first found out about the plaza beside the Bloedel Conservatory in Queen Elizabeth Park from a new friend I had just met on my second day in Vancouver. He told me it was where a lot of people in Vancouver went to practice Tai Chi in the mornings. I decided to go and see this place for myself, and went there the next morning. When I first stepped onto the plaza, it was something I had not previously experienced. Spread out across the plaza and under the covered walkways were numerous practitioners from different styles of Tai Chi Chuan. There were people practicing by themselves and others in small groups moving in unison.

    The author with two of his students off to the side of the plaza in the early 1990’s

    I found myself an area off to the side, and began to practice my Tai Chi form. It was really quite a wonderful experience to be surrounded by all these other people (who were strangers to myself), there for the same purpose. Before this, I had only been practicing Tai Chi in my hometown at class, or by myself at home or the lone practitioner at a local park. Shortly after I finished my Tai Chi practice, I was greeted by several of the other Tai Chi players and was warmly welcomed to their wonderful community. After this amazing first experience, I would go to the plaza for several hours in the morning every Saturday, Sunday, and any days of the week that I might have been off work.

    Practicing Tai Chi in Q.E. Park – 1995

    In the mornings, everyone would find their favorite spots on the plaza and walkway, then go through their various Tai Chi and Chi Kung routines. Afterwards, some would leave and the others would stay to gather for some push hands followed by tea and snacks which several people would bring. It was a special place with an amazing atmosphere, with all the people practicing Tai Chi amongst the beautiful trees and flowers. Visitors to Vancouver from across the world who practiced Tai Chi would come to visit Queen Elizabeth Park and it’s wonderful Tai Chi practice spot.

    I spent many hours in this special place. I would get there for 8:00 in the morning (after the first groups of people were finishing their early morning practice), and spend 4 – 5 hours there practicing my forms and pushing hands with the other Tai Chi practitioners at the park. This was where I first started teaching Tai Chi, when people came up to me and asked me to teach them. When my daughter was young, I would bring her with me, set her up with her toys and books to keep her busy while I practiced Tai Chi along with my new students. Over the years I formed many good friendships and met many others who enjoyed practicing Tai Chi.

    This special space is now lost forever. In 2003, the plaza was rebuilt by the city from scratch as part of an upgrade to the water reservoir which it was built on top of. A whole new plaza was designed, apparently with consultation from various Tai Chi and Chi Kung groups that practiced at the park. (Nobody consulted myself, or some of the other groups) I wonder how much consultation there was, and if any of the concerns or suggestions were considered in the design. The construction took several years to complete before the plaza could be used for Tai Chi again. In the meantime, the various groups and individuals had to find other places in the city to practice their Tai Chi.

    When the new plaza was completed in 2006, it was a stark change from the previous design. In the old design, there was a large covered walkway that wrapped around the outside part of the plaza and fountains. In the mornings, much of the walkway, and parts of the plaza were full of people practicing Tai Chi. The walkway provided shade from the sun, and if it rained or snowed, it provided cover from the elements. You would have to weave your way through all the people practicing there.

    The author’s students practicing Tai Chi in the old covered walkway in the early 1990’s

    The new plaza design was to have dedicated Tai Chi practice areas. At the time of the reconstruction, this sounded promising, but these spaces turned out to be little more than oversized bus stop shelters. The supports for the roof and the benches come out into the covered practice area. The roof is narrow and angled, providing little protection from the rain, especially if it is windy. As for shade from the sun, the roof is made of wooden joists with Plexiglas as the covering on top. Depending on the angle, the rays from the sun will come shining through the spaces of the joists and amplify the heat of the sun. The ground is an uneven mixture of the wooden deck and concrete pads which jut out into parts of the deck. Overall, the new design is not very Tai Chi friendly.

    Pushing Hands with friends under the old covered walkway in the early 1990’s

    The old plaza design allowed for a sense of community, where many would gather after their morning practices to talk, have tea, and push hands. You had to walk through or right beside the people practicing Tai Chi on the walkways and plaza. As a result, there were a lot of smiles, excuse me’s, and good mornings to be had.

    In the new plaza design, the practice areas seem isolated from each other. Instead of a sense of community being fostered, the individual groups now practice by themselves away from the others. There are very few who come to just practice by themselves. There is no more gathering afterwards for tea and Push Hands.

    Tai chi at Queen Elizabeth Park
    Tai Chi group practicing at one of the new Tai Chi arbors (Image courtesy of Flickr.com)

    After the new plaza opened, I started going back to practice my Tai Chi there on the weekends. It was not long before myself and my students went back to the place where we had practiced during the reconstruction of the reservoir and plaza at the park. I would drop by the plaza every now and then, just to see who was coming back to practice. Many of the old-time regulars who practiced Tai Chi at the old plaza, much like myself, chose to not come back to practice regularly at the newly designed plaza.

    Tai Chi Arbors at Q.E. Park in Vancouver (Image courtesy of Flickr.com)

    The City of Vancouver, and the Tai Chi world as a whole, has lost a very special place to practice Tai Chi, and a welcoming place for visitors to meet others who share the same passion. On one of my visits back to the plaza, I ran into one of the older gentlemen who used to go the park every morning to practice. I asked him what he thought about the changes that were made… His response was “they ruined it”. He now only comes to the park and the new plaza for a walk every so often.

  • Language

    Language

    The article “Language” is reprinted on Slanted Flying website with the permission of the author Sam Langley from his personal Blog.

    The word ‘Relax’ is a pleasing one and I’ve yet to find a better word to replace it.
    It is, perhaps though, problematic. We’re all it seems used to doing and not terribly adept at not doing.
    When you tell someone to relax it implies that there is something to do.
    How do you force relaxation? I don’t think you can.

    Now you could accuse me of pedantry but I think that the language we use is very important
    in shaping our reality.
    The words we use habitually effect the way we think, feel and experience the world.
    I used to work as a hypnotherapist and have seen how people’s use of language can have a powerful impact both on themselves and others.

    In China they use the word ‘Song’ to describe the desirable body state required in Tai Chi.
    Roughly translated it means loosened. The term ‘song’ is based on a character for ‘long hair that hangs down’.
    To me this doesn’t seem to have the same meaning as relaxed.
    When you’re slumped on the sofa watching TV you’re probably relaxed but that’s definitely
    not the same feeling we’re trying to cultivate in Tai Chi.

    Obviously you can’t think your way into getting the right feeling.
    With practice you hopefully develop an awareness of tension and are increasingly able
    to ‘Let go’ of it.

    So maybe I should tell my students to ‘let go of tension’ instead of relax……but it doesn’t roll off the tongue as well and isn’t quite so relaxing to the ear.

    Fancy learning Tai Chi in Bristol? Sam teaches regular classes and courses suitable for everyone.

  • Five Reasons To Give Yourself The Gift Of Tai Chi

    Five Reasons To Give Yourself The Gift Of Tai Chi

    For some people, the last six weeks of the year are filled with almost non-stop activity. They have many parties and functions to attend, whether they want to or not. The constant business often leads to unhealthy stress levels, weight gain, and other unwanted changes. All too often, the unhealthy habits that are formed during this time are not easy to change.

    Other times, the winter holidays mean the exact opposite. For many people who do not have these social or familial connections, for one reason or another, the joyful holiday season is the most lonely and depressing time of the year. Something must fill the void, and it needs to be something positive as opposed to something negative.

    Whatever feelings the next few months bring, Tai Chi is a great alternative. Just like something as simple as a seat cushion for a car can make a tremendous difference in the way you feel, a small change like an hour or two of Tai Chi a week can perhaps make 2017 one of the most memorable holiday seasons. Even better, the healthy habits that begin in December usually last throughout the New Year and beyond.

    Reduced Stress

    Tai Chi is often called meditation in motion, and for very good reason. Most classes begin with qigong, which is essentially deep breathing combined with slow movements. The diaphragm breathing reduces blood pressure and stress levels, while the slow movements help practitioners feel looser.

    That same idea continues once the Tai Chi movements begin, as instead of rushing through strength training or other repetitions, participants move almost as if they are dancing in slow motion. This gentle movement, combined with continued deep breathing, is an ideal way to relieve stress.

    Optional Social Connection

    Any activity class is a great way to connect with like-minded people who live nearby. That’s especially true for Tai Chi, because everyone there believes that these routines help bring balance to their lives, and this element is often sorely absent late in the year.

    One really nice thing about Tai Chi is that these connections are strictly optional. Because there is so much emphasis on relaxation and meditation, it is no problem to arrive a few minutes early, find a corner of the room, go through the exercises, and leave quietly.

    More and Less Energy

    Tai Chi helps participants set, or reset, their body clocks. Given the short days and long nights during this time of year, that’s a major advantage regardless of your activity level.

    Despite the slow motion, Tai Chi is a physical workout, as any participant will affirm. As a bonus, rather than being so intense as to bring about physical exhaustion, the movement increases blood flow to the extremities, for a palpable energy surge that has a lasting effect.

    Mostly due to the increased energy during the day, Tai Chi means that participants are more able to relax at night. The meditation element helps as well, because it is easier to unwind when one is not as wound up to begin with.

    Sharper Mental Focus

    Whether it’s due to a full calendar or an empty calendar, we tend to get very distracted during this time of year. Some dropoff is not a big deal, especially in the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. But six weeks of drop-off is something that none of us can afford.

    The improved physical energy, quiet meditation, and increased blood flow all combine to improve mental sharpness. As a matter of fact, there is some evidence that Tai Chi actually expands the brain’s hippocampus, which is the section associated with learning and memory. These findings are truly extraordinary, as the brain usually shrinks with age. Many people see significant results after just eight weeks, so if you want to unwrap a better memory for Christmas, sign up now.

    Better Physical Balance

    Walking across a dark parking lot at night is not easy for anyone, but especially for older people who are afraid of falling.

    Tai Chi’s gradual and controlled motions help practitioners gain a better awareness of their own bodies. Furthermore, the exercise strengthens leg muscles, so seniors, and all other people, have more confidence in these situations. The increased alertness helps as well, because we are more likely to fall when we are tired and not as focused.

    Many of the gifts we give each other this holiday season either will not last are are not very meaningful. But Tai Chi offers lasting benefits from a relatively small change. These benefits improve your life, as well as the lives of people around you, whether that circle is large or small.

  • Force from Structure vs. Acceleration in Taijiquan

    Force from Structure vs. Acceleration in Taijiquan

    Many martial art styles, as well as sports, primarily use speed to generate force (“F”), and therefore emphasize the “a” (acceleration) component of the F=ma equation (Newton’s second law of motion). While acceleration is also used in Taijiquan (太極拳), there is an emphasis on using a unified (whole-body) structure, therefore emphasizing the “m” (mass) component in F=ma.

    Our goal should be to maximize the effective mass by recruiting the entire body into our techniques. This unified body is reflected in the saying from the Taijiquan classics that “if one part moves, every part moves, and if one part is still, every part is still.”

    While someone can be very strong or very fast, if they are using primarily their arm to generate their force then they are mainly using the mass of their arm rather than the mass of their entire body. Training allows one to increase the effective mass (and the corresponding force that is produced) by recruiting more of the body into the techniques.

    In martial arts, force primarily from acceleration can be illustrated by the spinning back fist, which combines spinning the body with whipping the arm. Force primarily from structure/mass can be illustrated by the “one-inch punch” (寸勁 cun jin) which combines the mass of various body parts (whole-body power) to generate the force with minimal body movement.

    Taijiquan primarily practices to control training partners or opponents from mid-range contact, rather than attacking from non-contact like striking arts typically do. When not in contact, many things can be done to help generate acceleration (therefore increasing the force of ones strike) that cannot be done against resistance as is often encountered during contact. As long as one has good alignment upon contact, weak alignments while accelerating may not be problematic.

    One could say that Taijiquan practices to be properly aligned against resistance even while moving and even when the direction(s) of the resistance changes. This results in a unified structure that is ready to maximize ones mass at all times. Acceleration is primarily generated by moving the unified structure (mass) by shifting ones weight (or stepping), and/or by rotating to advance one side of the body, without compromising (or breaking) the unified structure.

    Acceleration used to generate force can be illustrated by sports like baseball and American football where movements of the legs and body are added to the motion of the arm (a “kinetic chain”), which is then transmitted to the ball, generating the ball’s speed when released. Here the weight of the ball produces only a slight resistance to the thrower’s arm.

    A heavier ball is difficult to throw in the same manner, which is why the mechanics of a shot put throw are different from throwing a baseball. Shot put uses acceleration generated by spinning the entire body around while holding the shot at a fixed location at the athlete’s neck, and finishing with pushing the ball away.

    Whereas a baseball player’s throwing motion can go behind the torso due to the relative lightness of the ball, a shot is too heavy to allow this same arm motion, which would likely strain or injure the thrower, and the shot would travel a shorter distance, than one thrown conventionally.

    Each joint has a peak angle where it is strongest, and the shoulder is not strong when the arm is behind the torso. But the minimal weight of a baseball allows one to swing the arm through the weak angles in order to increase the distance that the arm accelerates through, and allows greater acceleration to be transmitted to the ball. The following article includes information on peak joint angles, optimal muscle fiber length, etc.:
    https://www.strengthandconditioningresearch.com/perspectives/stronger-joint-angles/

    Resistance from a partner/opponent’s contact can often easily disrupt acceleration, especially when joint angles are weak. For example, if a quarterback’s arm is touched during the throwing motion, the arm’s motion is easily disrupted and the throw is easily affected. This is what can happen to potential martial attacks that rely on acceleration to generate force; when one is in contact with a partner/opponent the attack can be “jammed” or “jostled” which prevents the power/force from being able to build or to be effectively released.

    When in contact with an opponent, Taijiquan can use techniques like covering (敷 fu), blanketing (盖 gai) and intercepting (對 dui) to disrupt the opponent’s ability to accelerate, and therefore inhibit their ability to generate force.

    Another potential problem with generating force by relying on acceleration is that the resulting momentum is often difficult to change. After force using momentum is issued, it can be countered by “swallowing” (吞 tun), a type of “leading (牽 qian) into emptiness (空 kong).” With Taijiquan we want to maintain our changeability even when attacking, and therefore we try to generate power in a manner that reduces continuing momentum.

    The four terms above (fu, gai, dui and tun) are the “Four Word Secret Formula” (四字秘訣 Si Zi Mi Jue) given by Wu Yuxiang (武禹襄). Zhang Yun (张云) gives a translation with explanations and examples of the four words in the following article:
    http://www.ycgf.org/Articles/Qi-In_TJQ/Qi-in-TJQ1.html

    Continue to page 2…

  • Stability vs. Mobility in Taijiquan

    Stability vs. Mobility in Taijiquan

    In some respects, stability and mobility counter each other. For example, Taijiquan (太極拳) styles that favour wide or long stances (e.g., Chen 陳 style) have a large base of support, and this can increase the stability in the supported direction, although the waist loses some of its rotational mobility, and stepping would require greater shifting in order to lift a leg. Conversely small styles (e.g., Wu/Hao 武/郝) have a smaller base of support but greater mobility of the waist and can step easier and quicker.

    Both of these are desirable, though which predominates depends on the specifics of a situation. We want to have looseness (fangsong 放松) in the joints so that we retain freedom of movement [mobility] in response to pressures, but we also want to retain our balance [stability] and do not want to sacrifice our ability to “root” forces through our structure, which may be compromised if we are too loose (we need to retain muscle tonus and alignment).

    There have been clinical studies on stability improvements using Taijiquan to prevent falls and other difficulties in elderly populations. But how does Taijiquan balance stability with mobility in fit practitioners? If used as a martial art, Taijiquan requires both stability and mobility.

    A treatment system for elderly patients called Moving for Better Balance® modifies Taijiquan-based movements in their program, as noted in the following slide presentation:
    https://www.ncoa.org/wp-content/uploads/Tai-Chi-Moving-for-Better-Balance-1.pdf

    I consider balancing stability with mobility as one of the yin/yang (阴/阳) dualities of Taijiquan. We want mobility to complement stability, and vice versa, rather than inhibiting each other. We do not want to resist or brace in order to maintain stability, and we do not want to run away or collapse in order to maintain our mobility.

    Mobility, as discussed in this article, refers to both the range of uninhibited movement around joints and the ability to step freely, both even while under pressure from a training partner or opponent. Stability is the ability to maintain or control joint movement or position and to maintain ones balance even while under pressure from a partner/opponent.

    Stability and mobility can be viewed in terms of the square (fang 方) and the circle (yuan 圓). The circle provides mobility (like a ball that can easily roll around) and the square provides stability (like a cube whose large base provides solidity). We are directed to find the square within the circle and the circle in the square (方中有圓，圓中有方 fang zhong you yuan, yuan zhong you fang).

    This principle means that when we take a posture to enhance our stability, we should be mindful of retaining our mobility and, when we emphasize mobility, we should still maintain stability. We should be stabile without being stiff or locked in position. Likewise, we should seek stability when moving freely, including when we move into one leg stances or while stepping.

    Taijiquan puts an emphasis on roundness since a spherical shape maintains its center and its balance regardless of how it turns or moves. Roundness allows for smooth transitions and quick directional changes. Like a ball floating on water, the ability to rotate and to move is unimpeded, and this trait is very advantageous for defensive actions. But it would be difficult for this ball to issue energy since it lacks the stability of the square.

    We typically use the ground as our base of support (our “root”), and we mostly depend on this base/root to power our body’s movements, especially if using “whole-body power” rather than isolated limbs. The feet can be equated with the square since they are flat against the ground when generating power. A ball only has a small point of contact with the ground, and though it has stability due to its shape, it cannot generate much push against the ground and therefore does not have much capability to produce power.

    So, while the circle/mobility is great for defense, the square/stability is important for attacking. We want to be able to issue force while defending (the square within the circle), and we want to maintain our ability to change while issuing force (the circle within the square).

    Writing attributed to Yan Banhou (楊班侯) states (Paul Brennan translation with comment in brackets):
    “Taiji is round, never abandoning its roundness whether going in or out, up or down, left or right. And Taiji is square, never abandoning its squareness whether going in or out, up or down, left or right. As you roundly exit and enter, or squarely advance and retreat, follow squareness with roundness, and vice versa. Squareness has to do with expanding, roundness with contracting. [Squareness means a directional focus along which you can express your power. Roundness means all-around buoyancy with which you can receive and neutralize the opponent’s power]. The main rule is that you be squared and rounded. After all, could there be anything beyond these things?”

    Note that “going in or out, up or down, left or right” essentially means “all directions.” “All directions” is often referred to as “six-direction” force, referring to in/out (吞吐 tuntu or swallow/spit, or absorb/reject, i.e. forward/backward), up/down (浮沉 fuchen or float/sink), and left/right (开合 kaihe or open/close).

    Wu Zhiqing (吳志青) stated (Brennan translation) “Consider that with roundness there is freedom of movement, but without squareness there is no solidity to your posture. Moving with squareness leads to stagnancy, for movement that is not rounded is not nimble. Use roundness within squareness to find nimbleness, and use squareness within roundness to seek stability. This is the most important thing in the study of Taiji Boxing.”

    Continue to page 2…

  • Foreigners Travel Half Way Around The World To Learn Tai Chi

    Foreigners Travel Half Way Around The World To Learn Tai Chi

    Every year more and more foreigners travel to China to learn and deepen their studies in the traditional art of Tai Chi Chuan. They travel from countries such as the United States, Canada, Great Britain, France, Brazil, and India. More often than not, their destination is the Chen Village (Chenjiagou), which is the birthplace of Chen style Tai Chi Chuan.

    In the Chen Village, there are several schools that are set up to teach foreign students, even providing dormitories. Chen Xiao Xing, Chen Zhao Sen, Chen Bing, and Wang Xi An all have schools that teach to foreign students.

    The Chen Village has transformed from a dusty little town, to a destination city for both foreigners and native Chinese to go to study Tai Chi Chuan. A lot of money has been injected into the local economy, building new schools, erecting statues, and building large plazas with the Yin Yang design.

    Tour companies and Tai Chi schools have organized tours for visiting the Chen Village, and many Tai Chi enthusiasts make their own pilgrimage to the birthplace of Chen Tai Chi.

    Click on the image below to see more about this DVD which features a documentary on the Chen Village.

    If you enjoyed this wonderful article about Tai Chi, please click the “Share” button!

    Don’t forget to leave a comment!

  • UFC Star Anderson “The Spider” Silva Tries Tai Chi

    UFC Star Anderson “The Spider” Silva Tries Tai Chi

    Mixed Martial Arts legend Anderson (the Spider) Silva is on a tour in China to promote a fight between himself and Kelvin Gastelum being featured in a UFC event in Shanghai on November 23rd. Silva took time out after a press conference in Shanghai on September 25th for some lessons on Tai Chi. He met for some Tai Chi and Chinese tea with Chen Xianglin, who is an instructor of traditional Chen style Tai Chi Chuan in Shanghai.

    In the picture below, Chen Xianglin shows Anderson Silva the correct way of “standing” in Tai Chi Chuan.

    In the video below, Chen Xianglin demonstrates Chen style Tai Chi fajin to Anderson Silva. By the look on Silva’s face, he has not seen this type of power displayed before.

    Let’s take a closer look at his reaction!

    After the lesson on Tai Chi, Anderson Silva enjoyed learning the finer points about drinking Chinese Pu-Erh tea.

  • 3 Reasons To Try Tai Chi This Weekend

    3 Reasons To Try Tai Chi This Weekend

    Work/life balance is one of the current buzzwords in the human resources world. The theory, which dates back to the 1880s, is that workers who live balanced lives are happier and more productive. One rather depressing way of looking at this issue is that workers have been seeking work/life balance for about a hundred and fifty years, but they still haven’t found what they’re looking for.

    Fortunately, individual balance is not nearly as elusive, and many people have found that balance in tai chi. Furthermore, thanks to the efforts of people like 18th-century labor organizer Robert Owen and 20th-century industrialist Henry Ford, you have some free time this weekend to explore something new.

    Physical Exercise

    Before the tai chi wave washed ashore here in the United States, “physical exercise” was almost always synonymous with “physical exertion” and perhaps even “physical exhaustion.” After all, no pain no gain, right?

    But rather than exercise through exertion, tai chi brings the same physical benefits through slow, controlled, and sustained movements that are targeted to strengthen and tone certain parts of the body. We know tai chi works in this way simply because it’s been around for so long. The discipline itself dates back to the Chinese Zhou Dynasty, which was about 3,000 years ago. Chen Wangting, whom many consider to be the founder of “modern” tai chi, developed many routines in the late 1670’s that are still used today.

    In terms of muscular development, the tension from sustained movement has basically the same toning effect as the tension from weightlifting, ab crunches, or other forms of Western exercise. There is also considerable evidence that tai chi triggers improvements in respiration, heart rate, and other functions which many people believe that only high-exertion exercises, like jogging, can bring about.

    Reduced Stress

    In a nutshell, tai chi’s movement and meditation elements reduce stress.

    Deep breathing is very calming, and slow movement usually reduces your heart rate. Moreover, the hand-eye movement has a calming effect on the brain. So, tai chi is exercise for your mind and spirit as well as your physical body. That’s a combination which is very difficult to find.

    Furthermore, the meditation element is half of tai chi. It’s not a sideshow, like the mental element of running. This calmness helps unleash the parasympathetic “rest and digest” nervous system, and that helps people deal with both trauma-induced pain and chronic illnesses. If nothing else, tai chi meditation takes your mind off physical problems, at least for a little while, and that alone is often enough to bring some much-needed relief.

    This is not to say that tai chi is a cure for any of these things, and there are plenty of tools available, like shoulder ice packs, that reduce pain as well. You can find more info here about such tools.

    That being said, we all want better balance in our lives. Tai chi helps us understand that in order to have strong and durable bodies, we must also have strong and durable minds. And, just like physical exercise is the only way to strengthen the body, mental exercise is the only way to strengthen the mind.

    Better Physical Balance

    This is the big one for many people. For many seniors, a vigorous exertion-centered exercise routine is not really an option, because of physical limitations, mental roadblocks, or a little of both. Yet these individuals are among those who need physical exercise most.

    Tai chi to the rescue, because almost everyone can stand and move. Even if these things are not possible, there are many aquatic tai chi classes available, as well as other options for those with mobility impairments.

    Now for the balance part. Tai chi’s slow, controlled movements lead to better body control. In one study, tai chi reduced falls by a whopping 45 percent. Potential like that should be enough to get seniors into tai chi studios in groves, because a majority of folks over 65 will fall and a majority of these individuals can no longer live independently thereafter.

    There are plenty of other tai chi benefits in addition to these three, but hopefully, these are sufficient to at least spark an interest in this discipline. Since tai chi is one of those rare things that really is addictive once it gets in your blood, that spark should be all it takes. So, say your thank-you’s to Messrs, Ford, and Owen then pencil in your weekend tai chi class.

  • Understanding The Science-Backed Health Benefits of Tai Chi: A Beginner’s Guide

    Understanding The Science-Backed Health Benefits of Tai Chi: A Beginner’s Guide

    Many Western fitness and exercise programs work from the outside to the inside. Strength training springs immediately to mind, and even running fits into this mold, at least to a certain extent. The idea is to strengthen the outside of the body, and the benefits then spread to the inside. This approach works for millions of people, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it, and more people should probably try it.

    Tai chi is completely different, because it works from the inside to the outside. Essentially, many Chinese people believe that a person’s ying and yang must be aligned to bring about proper total body health. So, tai chi (pronounced “tie-chee”) consists of three elements, meditation, movement, and deep breathing, to accomplish this objective. Note that only one of these pillars has anything to do with the muscles.

    If people like NBA star Stephen Curry give tai chi a try, there must be something to it. What benefits can this ancient Eastern art form offer you?

    Better Balance

    Many of us take the ability to put one foot in front of the other without falling over completely for granted. But for many people, this simple task that most of us perform thousands of times a day seems like a mountain that’s impossible to climb.

    Lack of confidence may be the problem, especially among seniors. Many fall victims never completely recover, as most seniors who fall end up in nursing homes shortly thereafter. Tai chi’s slow, gradual movements restore this confidence, in many cases.

    Physical injury is often an issue as well. Brain injury victims often have significant problems with balance, and they basically forget what it feels like to stand up straight and have complete control over their own bodies. In a nutshell, tai chi restores that control.

    Improved Endurance and Strength

    To most casual observers, it may seem like the slow, controlled movements in tai chi do absolutely nothing to build strength. But anyone who practices tai chi will tell you differently. The evidence is not just anecdotal, as there are a number of scientific studies (including this one) which conclude that three days a week of tai chi has a significant toning effect.

    The added strength also helps people with poor posture, because in many cases, weak core muscles cause this condition.

    Illness Prevention

    This concept goes back to the yin/yang idea discussed above. Chronic illnesses are physical and not psychosomatic, so it is impossible to think your way to health, no matter how many positive thoughts enter your mind. But ruminating on the pain makes the pain worse, and that’s where the meditation component of tai chi comes in. The deep breathing helps as well, because practitioners exhale toxins while they inhale oxygen.

    The list of chronic illnesses which tai chi can either prevent or render more manageable is very long and includes:

    ● Depression,
    ● Arthritis,
    ● Carpal tunnel syndrome (learn more here),
    ● Hypertension, and
    ● Digestive issues, like irritable bowel syndrome.

    Again, since tai chi works from the inside to the outside, it helps in these areas, since these conditions go from the inside to the outside as well.

    Lower Stress

    Those squeezable executive stress balls really do help, but only for a few minutes, because distraction is not a long-term solution to an issue like chronic stress.

    In contrast, permanently lower stress (not permanently eliminated stress, mind you) is one of the top benefits of tai chi. The movement is relaxing, sort of like being rocked on a ship at sea. The deep breathing helps as well, since that relaxing movement comes to your heart and lungs in addition to your arms and legs. Finally, unless you reflect on stressful things, the meditation takes your mind off your stress.

    When all three of these things act in concert, the result is almost always a noticeable improvement in your mood and overall stress level

    There are many other potential tai chi benefits as well, such as better coordination, more flexibility, and improved circulation. Not all tai chi practitioners will experience all these benefits, but everyone gets something.