If you’ve been to San Francisco, you probably have seen a group of older adults in the parks, practicing Tai Chi.
But what is Tai Chi and why do people practice it?
During ancient times in China, Tai Chi was originally used as a martial art whose secrets was kept by a few families and was used for killing. Traditional practitioners of Tai Chi think that it is essential for students to know its roots since the breath control and relaxation techniques were established with the intent of injuring an opponent in a methodical and efficient way.
Obviously these days, we no longer need to practice Tai Chi with the express purpose of killing a person. Tai Chi exercises are now being practiced to fight another enemy: overwork, stress, fatigue, or lack of understanding of one’s body and oneself. Practicing Tai Chi each day fosters health and a clear mind, increases the circulation, and assists in balancing the body.
A practitioner of Tai Chi will do some meditating and perform gentle and slow movements in order to achieve desired outcomes. This is the reason this healing art is sometimes referred to as “moving meditation”. Several of its adherents believe that Tai Chi smoothens and increases the flow of vital energy called chi (or qi) throughout the body. Practitioners in the United States mostly use Tai Chi for health purposes. It is actually considered a form of alternative and complementary medicine. Folks who perform Tai Chi exercises do so to improve their well being, yet no one knows how it actually changes the body or whether it does in fact improve health.
Throughout history, several variations and styles have been developed. Tai Chi Taoist style was brought to the US by Master Moy Lin-shin. This type of exercises stresses more stretching and elongating movements. The Chuan style of Tai Chi came from the Lang family and has a number of family variants. Tai Chi for health reasons involves movements that are graceful, relaxed, and slow and can be performed within a group or by oneself. The movements are comprised of routines or forms. There are movements that are named for birds or animals. Thirteen movements are used in the most basic style of Tai Chi, while there may be dozens of movements for the more complex styles. There are 108 basic moves in the Taoist style of Tai Chi. Each of these movements segues into the next. The entire body is in motion, while the movements are done at the same speed and in a gentle manner. The body needs to be kept upright at all times during the exercises.
As with other alternative and complementary approaches, Tai Chi has certain aspects that everyone does not agree with. Since little is known scientifically about it, acceptance of its instructions is a matter of faith rather than facts of empirical science. Also, aside from the more traditional styles, certain blends of Tai Chi styles have been developed, such as the ones mentioned a while ago. This creates a difference of viewpoints as to which styles actually epitomize “real” Tai Chi.
Meditation and breathing are very important elements in Tai Chi. The practitioner is required to breathe in a relaxed manner and deeply as well as concentrate. Meditation and deep breathing has real benefits that may include improvement of balance, calmness, a more efficient digestive system, promoting the exchange of gases in the lungs, and massaging of the internal organs.
Tai Chi Health Benefits
There are several reasons why people practice Tai Chi. Some of them are:
• To improve sleep and overall health and well being
• To relieve arthritic stiffness and pain
• To promote balance. Tai Chi can greatly reduce the likelihood of falling, which is especially important for the elderly
• To boost muscle flexibility, coordination, and strength
• To gain benefits from meditation. Tai Chi can lower stress and help clear your mind.
• To gain benefits from exercise. Tai Chi It is a low-impact type of exercise. Since it’s also weight bearing, it is very good for the bones. Moreover, it is an aerobic type of exercise.
While it may be true that Tai Chi exercises for health are considered safe, it is always wise to consult first with your healthcare provider before embarking on Tai Chi or for that matter, any type of exercise.
Some Things to Consider:
1. Caution should be used for people with the following conditions: Osteoporosis, fractures, sprains, back pain, joint conditions, hernia, and pregnancy.
2. You should not practice Tai Chi when you’re sick, tired, or after eating.
3. If you perform Tai Chi while your body is improperly positioned, you might end up with sore muscles, and even with sprains.
If you’re in the US, you can teach or practice Tai Chi without needing to be a health professional or have a license to practice or teach it. Neither the Federal government nor the States regulate Tai Chi and Tai Chi teachers and there is no standard training for the styles or exercises. If you want to learn Tai Chi, you can learn from an instructor who has experience in training. You can also learn Tai Chi from books or videos. This may help you know how to practice the movements properly and safely.
The notion that disease and illness develop from imbalances in a chi energy field is part of other CAM alternative and complementary therapies, like homeopathy and Reiki. Tai Chi is a holistic form of body- mind medicine. This type of medicine stresses the interactions among behavior, mind, body, and brain, as well the manner in which behavioral, spiritual, social, mental, and emotional factors impact health.
You can know more about Tai Chi by visiting the website of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) – https://nccam.nih.gov/health/taichi/.
Having been around for thousands of years, Tai Chi is a practice that has aspects of martial arts and healing in it although the latter is a relatively new thing. It is a very easy and calming form of exercise that benefits your mind as well as every part of your body.
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