Tai Chi offers a range of health benefits for even the most unhealthy
TAI CHI originates from ancient China and has been described in many different ways. To some people it is a form of martial arts; others say it is for health only. Many call it ‘the art of creating energy’ whereas others refer to it as ‘meditation in motion.’ It can be defined as a continuous flow of ‘Chi Kung’ or breathing exercises. It also has been likened to low impact aerobics. To many it is a way of life and some people claim that it is a way to achieve spiritual enlightenment.
Tai Chi physically strengthens the body while encouraging flexibility and ease of movement. It aims to increase the flow of internal energy (or chi) within the body, which increases vitality. It will relax and focus the mind, encouraging creativity, sensitivity and optimism. It balances you emotionally and can guide you spiritually.
The best thing about Tai Chi is that anyone can do it. Even if you have restricted movement through injury Tai Chi can be adapted to your needs.
Tai Chi has developed through the ages as a sophisticated form of exercise and personal development. It is absorbing but not stressful or exhausting. It is composed of a series of slow, continuous movements tailored to relax and develop the entire body. One of its main attractions is regardless of your age you can practice its full range of movements.
The purpose of the carefully structured sequence of movements is to build up the body’s internal strength, suppleness and stamina. This unique quality is increasingly being used for its health giving properties.
Tai Chi is a proven antidote to stress. When the human body reacts to stress it involves the ‘fight or flight’ syndrome. This is the reaction of your nervous system, which makes you feel under pressure. The functions of your body go on a kind of war footing, blood pressure rises; blood is drained from your stomach, internal organs, skin and extremities. The heart accelerates, respiratory rate increases and the brain prepares itself for conflict.
The pressures of daily life mean that our whole biological system is always on constant alert, even while we sleep. The results of this produce are hypertension, migraines, asthma, many aches and pains, menstrual problems, depression and heart attacks.
Of course there are many people who find release through sports and aerobic exercises. Although these do disperse tension and strengthen the respiratory, muscular and cardiovascular systems the benefits are often lost firstly mentally by the effects of the competition and secondly physically by the punishment they put their bodies through.
Then there are people who try to relax by getting away from it all and partaking in meditation. Meditation certainly slows the pulse and respiration, improves digestion, and improves mental alertness and tranquillity.
Unfortunately many people find it difficult to maintain the tranquillity achieved when they return to their daily life.
The best thing about Tai Chi is that it offers a middle course between the two extremes but it includes the benefit of both. This is achieved without the involvement of either the punishment of violent exercise or the shock of re-entry to the world after the withdrawal from meditation.
Tai Chi also offers health benefits. The effects of stress are stored in our muscles and anyone who suffers with pain in their neck and stiff or frozen shoulder will certainly know this. Vigorous sports activities strengthen certain muscles but unfortunately don’t train the muscles to tolerate pressure without tension.
Tai Chi is different in that it brings muscles into play but in a way that enables both balanced development and relaxation. Slow movements require endurance rather than force therefore they develop a different type of muscle fibre. The result is that our muscular response to stress changes over time and we become progressively relieved of the burden of accumulated physical tension.
Your back muscles learn to relax which enables them to elongate, this change improves your posture. The ligaments become suppler and the movement of the entire spinal column tends to be freer and more comfortable.
Joint stiffness is often related to stress. Muscle tension restricts the smooth movement of our joints which causes degeneration. Tai Chi overcomes this problem by working on the elasticity and strength of all the major joints. The sustained rotations and flowing movements encourage the health of the cartilages on the surfaces at the end of the bones. The exercises help to stop degeneration of the joints and act as an anti stress massage.
If you practice Tai Chi regularly your cardiovascular and respiratory fitness improves, particularly if you were out of condition in the first place. Many of us are out of condition as not everyone wants to spend hours jogging or lifting weights, sweating, being breathless and in pain!
A Tai Chi session lasts one hour to 75 minutes. It starts with a warm up to release strain and negative energy from the body, then there’s a warm up to relieve tension of mind. This is followed by Qigong, which is breathing exercises to activate the energy centre of the body and to let energy flow into the body. The exercise is to maintain good technique of the form and sequence of movement.
When you first start Tai Chi you learn and follow short sequences. It is repeated slowly and calmly till it all flows together. This is called a short form and can take three to six months to learn. Then you go onto a longer form, which can take up to eighteen months to complete.
If you’d like to experience some of the benefits of Tai Chi Natasa Georgiou is a practitioner of Tai Chi in Limassol. Call: 99 383379
Tai Chi JG
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