Health benefits

Originally, tai chi was developed as a martial art in response to attacks being carried out on monks. Executed by an experienced tai chi master, it is a lethal art-form. These days, however, tai chi is renowned for its health benefits. Although there are different styles of tai chi, there are numerous principles which are core to this art-form. Applying each of these principles is imperative in order to benefit from this art. In the initial stages, it is best to practise each principle one at a time.

Hold your head up straight and keep your face and your neck relaxed. Touch the roof of your mouth with your tongue each time you inhale. Imagine yourself as a youthful spirit.

Drop your shoulders and relax them. Relax your chest, allowing it to collapse slightly. This will enable deep breasthing. This posture optimises the flow of chi.

Relax your waist and your hips. Ideally, all tai chi moves should come from the waist as this allows for a solid foundation that is simultaneously strong yet flexible.

Harmonise every single movement. Through application of the above principles, your body will move in harmony. In every tai chi move, the body must move as one i.e. if one part of the body is moving while another is static, chaos will reign instead of harmony.

Let the moves flow from the mind. With tai chi, lead with the mind. This basically means you are focused on what you are doing although your mind is actually still. Your mind and body should be entirely relaxed; there should be no force in your movements as this will inhibit the flow of chi. Visualise the moves you are going to make, and the energy will follow to that which you are directing your attention.

Harmonise your mind, body and spirit. When you are practising tai chi, you must have harmony between the internal and the external in order to achieve oneness.

Maintain continuity. Although ‘Tai chi moves’ breaks down the form into five levels, it is important to flow from one movement into the next. Breaking the sequence of movements breaks the flow of energy. Tai chi movements do not stop. They merely change direction.

Applying each of these principles mindfully can have incredibly positive benefits on your health as demonstrated by the numerous anecdotal stories.

Tai chi moves

One of the most popular styles of tai chi in the West is derived from the Yang style. There are five levels to this style, which follow on from the other, and the entire sequence takes about 12 minutes to complete.

Level one commences with the balancing of chi. This is followed by the preparation move, then hold the ball in your right hand. Stroke the peacock’s tail and hold the ball in your left hand. This is followed by a warding action to the right, then roll back and press. Move to an apparent close and go into the single whip stance. Raise hand, cut to the left and push to the right. From here, flow into the stance of white crane spreads its wings. Cut to the left, then cut to the right. Brush the knee and push. Hand strums the lute; step up, punch and parry; step up, back fist and check; step up and punch, followed by apparent close.

Now into level two.  From the previous apparent close, return to mount tiger, hold the ball in your left hand, slant fly to the right, hold the ball in your right hand, then slant fly to the left side. Fist forms under the elbow, then repulse monkey (to the left, then the right) an hold the ball in your right hand. The next stance is work the shuttle to the left and then the right, followed by wave hands in the clouds and then ending this level with single whip.

From here, flow into level three with a high and then a low pat on the horse. Execute a right heel kick, and then a double strike to the ear. Separate the left leg and spin clockwise. Do a right heel kick, followed by the needle at the sea bottom and fan back.

This leads into the first stance in level four of white snake shows its tongue. Give a high kick, tame tiger stance, sweep leg to the right side and go into golden rooster standing on one leg. Brush the knee and punch. Hold the ball in your left hand and ward off. Roll back and press. Flow into an apparent close, followed by a single whip.

Go into a leg sweep on the left side (now level five) and step up to form seven stars. Step back and execute a lotus kick. Archer shoots an arrow, step up to parry and punch. Step up, back fist and check; step up and punch. Go into apparent close. Close the form with the balancing of chi.

Benefits of Tai Chi

Tai chi, when applied with complete awareness and synchronisation of breathing, movement and mental focus, can greatly promote the well-being of the mind, body and spirit. All three elements are inter-connected; when the mind is peaceful, this will be reflected in a healthier body. Likewise, a healthy body is indicative of a peaceful mind and spirit. The gentle exercise of tai chi has been known to alleviate symptoms of ill-health, develop increased mental focus and calm the mind through meditative exercises.

Some of the advantages of doing tai chi include:

Healthiness – tai chi optimally enhances the flow of internal energy through the body’s pathways. This, combined with the balancing of yin and yang energies during the practice of tai chi, optimises the flow of chi to all internal organs. With sufficient practice and mindfulness, it is possible to direct to chi to areas of the body which are in need of healing. Anecdotal evidence has shown tai chi, when practised regularly, can heal illnesses, retain the agility of the mind and prolong life.

Release of anxiety – the meditative-like movements of tai chi can significantly increase harmony within yourself, thereby decreasing anxiety and stress. Through practising tai chi, you will feel this dual benefit reverberating through in all of your daily routines and activities. You will learn to detach your mind from your consciousness, thoughts and emotions, and feel at peace within yourself.

Self-confidence – during the practice of tai chi, great emphasis is placed on adopting the correct posture. With practise, you will develop a greater awareness of your body and its need for better posture when sitting and standing, which will have a direct bearing on your confidence. For example, sitting/standing tall will affect your breathing patterns, a core component of tai chi. Tai chi also trains you to be erect in your postures – to align your head, shoulders, ribcage and hips one on top of the other, even when executing complex forms.

Spiritual advancement – developing and improving all of the above will take you on a journey of spiritual advancement. The more you practise with mindfulness, the more you will learn to let go of all external influences, including wasteful thoughts, and just be in yourself. This path of spiritual growth can take you to another plane, where you can experience a quietening of the mind, a sense of stillness and a oneness with the universe.

What is Chi?

Chi, internal energy, is present in every living thing within the universe. Without it, life forms as we know it cannot exist. Chi is the very essence of life. According to Chinese beliefs, this chi is stored in the Dantien, an area just below the navel.

Within humans, there are two sources of chi: prenatal and postnatal chi. We inherit prenatal chi from our parents, which influences our physical health. Our diet and lifestyle affects the presence of postnatal chi, over which we have control. Each person can increase their postnatal chi by following good eating habits, exercising regularly and taking care of themselves, which in turn gives good health. However, poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking and drinking depletes our reserves of postnatal chi, resulting in poor health.

Chi flows around the human body via pathways known as meridians, which convey chi to all organs of the body. If any of these meridians becomes blocked, illnesses are sure to manifest.

Through a combination of movements, breathing and mental focus, it is possible to restore internal balance and bring about harmony and cure illnesses. These three elements are fundamental to benefit the mind, body and spirit. All three must work together in harmony in order to fully benefit from the healing effects of tai chi.

BREATHING: Slow deep breathing is key when practising tai chi. It is important to regulate the moves and synchronise them with the natural breathing rhythm, and not the other way round. The breaths should always come from the Dantien.

MOVEMENT: In an inactive state, when the body is at rest, the flow of chi is likely to be sluggish. Tai chi moves will stimulate the flow of chi around the body. When you have been practising tai chi and/or chi kung for a period of time, you will begin to experience a warm sensation in various parts of the body. These sensations, which reflect the flowing of the chi, will intensify over time and with practice.

MENTAL FOCUS: To feel the full benefits of tai chi, the mind has to be in harmony with the movements and the breaths. If you are not present in the current awareness of your actions, the benefits of tai chi will be limited. By simply having a soft focus on your breathing and movements, you can eventually redirect your chi to where it is required within your body.

What is Tai Chi?

Tai chi is an ancient Chinese martial art that is characterised by a series of slow and graceful movements, frequently practised by people in outdoor spaces in e.g. China and South Korea. It is an exercise system that is gaining followers throughout the world as health benefits are shown to be associated with its precise practise.

Forming part of the age-old Chinese exercises known as chi kung, tai chi employs the flow of energy as the force behind its sequence of moves. Chi kung itself refers to the flow of internal energy (chi) around the body through a series of pathways known as meridians. Mastering the flow of chi, through a series of exercises, postures and heightened awareness, can effect positive changes in the individual.

Although tai chi is rarely viewed as a martial art these days, the origins of its sequences of exercises lie in the mimicking and adaptation of fluid movements of various animals which have given rise to the names of the exercises e.g. Return To Mount Tiger; Repulse Monkey; Golden Rooster Standing On One Leg. The practice of tai chi does also include the use of weapons. When these sequence of moves are executed by a tai chi master who is engaged in the flow of energy, it is an art-form of considerable force and elegance.

Symbolically, tai chi is represented by yin and yang. Yin is characterised as feminine, night, soft and cold, and is the dark side of the yin-yang symbol. Yang is masculine, day, hard and hot, and is the white side of the symbol. Neither is superior. They are opposing forces, yet complementary to make up the perfect whole. Each part of the yin-yang symbol carries a spot of the opposite colour which denotes that one does not exist without the other.

The Chinese regard chi as the life-force that exists in everything present within our universe, and is something that is acknowledged by every culture, albeit as different names. Without chi, life cannot exist. As far as the human is concerned, there are seven planes to the individual. The spiritual plane is the highest and the physical plane is the lowest. Whatever happens on the spiritual plane has a knock-on effect through all the lower planes, right down to the physical plane i.e. the human body as we know it.

The manifestation of illnesses within an individual is the result of interference in the flow of chi. Realignment of this energy through the practise of chi kung and tai chi can heal the body. Although a huge range of styles are being taught, not only in fitness centres but also in hospitals, the benefits they offer range from increased confidence and mental focus to an improvement in health and development of spirituality.