Tai Chi for Health by Sifu Dan Jones
Tai Chi is an amazing Chinese exercise for improving and maintaining physical, internal, mental and emotional health. It is an ancient form of moving meditation and relaxation with a foundation based on Traditional Chinese Medicine, (TCM), Chinese philosophy and culture. Tai Chi's history dates back thousands of years where it was first mentioned in ancient Chinese literature. The movements of Tai Chi are done in a slow, soft, and fluid manner. They are combined with deep, relaxed breathing to calm the mind, relax the body, relieve stress and provide a healing and rejuvenating environment inside the mind and body.
The first system of Tai Chi was created around 1644 by a retired Chinese military officer named Chen Wangting. He took movements from the most popular martial art systems of the day and combined them with breathing exercises and internal energy cultivation exercises to create Chen Style Tai Chi. Chen Style Tai Chi along with other systems of Tai Chi were created as martial art systems for the villagers to defend themselves. They discovered that not only was Tai Chi a very powerful and effective martial system, it also brought great health and longevity to the practitioner.
There are many systems of Tai Chi in China. The five major systems ofTai Chi are Chen, Yang, Wu, Hao and Sun. Each Tai Chi system is named after the family that created it. Today Tai Chi is primarily used as a healing and rejuvenating exercise. Here in the United States Tai Chi's popularity as a healing art has risen to such a high level that it has become accepted by the western medical community as a legitimate, complementary form of healing and health maintenance. A simple stroke of the computer key, after entering "Tai Chi Health Studies" in the subject heading, will bring up numerous studies on the healing benefits of Tai Chi.
One of the main reasons for Tai Chi's growing success is the introduction of modified Tai Chi forms and programs. Tai Chi Masters have always known of the amazing health benefits of Tai Chi. Some of them began to realize that traditional Tai Chi forms were too long and difficult for people with physical limitations, chronic ailments, frailty, injuries, etc. This encouraged some Tai Chi Masters to create modified forms based on traditional Tai Chi forms. Modified Tai Chi forms and programs were developed from a healing perspective in order to reach populations of people that were unable to do traditional Tai Chi movements and forms. The modifications have become even more refined by developing Tai Chi forms and programs that target specific medical and chronic conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.
Tai Chi has a foundation in Traditional Chinese Medicine, (TCM). According to TCM almost all illness is due to a lack or blockage of qi. Qi is the life energy that flows throughout the body. We are all born with qi. You acquire qi from the food you eat, the water you drink, the air you breath and internal exercises. Tai Chi is an internal exercise which incorporates mind intent, slow movement, relaxation, breathing and qi cultivation. External exercises depend primarily on physical strength and speed. According to TCM having a body that is full of free flowing qi makes it very difficult for disease to enter the body. Establishing the flow of qi in the body helps to cure disease, restore health and rejuvenate the mind and body. Continued practice of Tai Chi unblocks qi blockages and restores the flow of qi, allowing it to build and store in the body. Having access to abundant qi allows the body to utilize qi whenever needed for healing, preventing disease and internal and external rejuvenation.