Tai Chi Chuan

 What is Tai Chi?

Tai Chi is often described as “meditation in motion.” It emerged sometime between the 1300s and 1600s in China. Some say it was developed by monks, others by a retired general. They agree its ancient roots are in the martial arts, but tai chi movements are never aggressive. Tai chi movements are intended to balance the flow of qi in mind as well as body. The movments use the whole body and are performed slowly, with concentration on breathing and inner stillness. The concept of qi is at the heart of tai chi. In Chinese medicine, it’s believed that disease is due to blocks or imbalances in the flow of qi. Chinese use acupuncture, herbs and tai chi in the belief they can help balance the flow of qi to cure illness and maintain health.

Tai Chi has been used to improve balance; promote postural stability; decrease falls; enhance cardiovascular and ventilatory functions; rehabilitate persons with acute myocardial infarction and rheumatoid arthritis; and reduce pain, stress, and nightmares. Unlike other forms of exercise such as yoga, Tai Chi involves a greater degree of movement. And unlike many types of aerobic exercise (such as running) Tai Chi does not involve any jarring motions that create impact on the spine. It is a slow and deliberate, flowing movement of the body. The practice of Tai Chi entails three key components:

• Movement-slow and fluid movements improve the body’s alignment, posture, strength, flexibility, coordination, balance, and stamina. Many of these benefits of Tai Chi are consistent with many other forms of low-impact exercise, with the added benefit of focus on improved posture, balance and alignment.
• Breathing-focused and rhythmical breathing emphasizes a relaxed body and encourages strong circulation. Oxygenated blood flows to the muscles and brain during Tai Chi.
• Meditation/state of mind-a meditative state of mind during Tai Chi, coupled with these movements and breathing is said to dissipate stress and anxiety, which helps relieve pain caused by psychological and emotional factors.

Benefits of Tai Chi

A number of studies have shown that Tai Chi provides several benefits-physical as well as mental. And some of the benefits of Tai Chi are enjoyed even when not doing the exercises, such as improved posture throughout the day. Tai Chi has demonstrated usefulness in the prevention and treatment of certain problems such as back pain. Importantly, Tai Chi is non-invasive, relatively inexpensive, and gentle on the spine, so many people with back pain are starting to try it as an adjunct to (or sometimes instead of) traditional medical approaches to manage back pain. Furthermore, Tai Chi does not require any expensive equipment and can be practiced anywhere.

• Body alignment and posture in Tai Chi-Training the body to avoid slouching and rounding the shoulders through better posture and spinal alignment reduces stress on the components of the spine
• Balance and coordination in Tai Chi-Transferring of weight from one leg to the other, while extending and retracting limbs, and flexing joints, plays a critical role in improving the balance of the practitioner. It also increases proprioception-the body’s automatic perception of movement and spatial orientation through interpreting signals from the muscles, joints, and connective tissues; “position sense.” A heightened position sense acquired through Tai Chi is helpful for preventing an accident that may lead to back pain. It also helps reduce aggravation of existing back pain by reducing awkward movements. There has been considerable evidence showing that Tai Chi practiced by the elderly greatly reduces the chances of falls.
• Tone and strength of muscles Tai Chi-It provides an overall toning and strengthening of specific muscles. The weight bearing aspects of the Tai Chi have even been shown to stimulate bone growth, which may be beneficial to help prevent osteoporosis .Many of the Tai Chi movements use the spine as a pivot point, gently flexing both the spine and the muscles around it back and forth and around. Through repetition the muscles around the spine, including the abdominals and hamstrings, strengthen and improve posture.
• Releasing stress and anxiety Tai Chi-Deep, focused breathing in conjunction with related movements of the stomach, chest, diaphragm, and other parts of the body bring the mind into a meditative state. Tai Chi also intends to seek an “inner stillness” with a clear mind and focus. This type of Tai Chi action is thought to help release stress, and stress is a factor in causing and/or exacerbating many forms of back pain.