Tai Chi is starting to be recognized as beneficial for people with medical conditions. Tai Chi isn’t a treatment or a cure but can be a strong support and complementary treatment. Of course, I always say that prevention is the cure.
Tai Chi is great for people who lack mobility.
If you start practicing Tai Chi early and often you can prevent medical conditions that come with a sedentary lifestyle or extreme sports. It can ease joint inflammation and strengthen muscles surrounding the ligaments and joints for more ease of use. Tai Chi enhances circulation and increases blood flow to the heart and extremities. Tai Chi has also been used in cardiovascular rehabilitation and can possibly speed recovery depending on the frequency of practice.
Tai Chi increases your stamina and can even improve your posture as you age.
Elderly people enjoy practicing Tai Chi but why wait until you feel so stiff you can only practice Tai Chi? When you no longer continue to enjoy sports, you have practiced all your life. The slow gentle movements of Tai Chi benefit men and women of all ages. Tai Chi principles teach to breathe from the belly, raise the energy through the feet to be grounded and circulate it within the whole body. (The circulation of course takes time and perseverance and an additional Qigong practice helps open the energy blocks in your body).
You can start to feel the benefits of Tai Chi rather quickly especially if you have never done much exercise before but when you keep up a consistent practice you will feel an improvement in your general well being that you never expected from such a gentle yet strengthening exercise.
Through improved mental clarity Tai Chi elevates mindfulness in your everyday life.
Tai Chi is considered an internal martial art. It is known for its mindful movements that help manage stress and tension. Many consider Tai Chi as a type of meditation in motion but there is so much more to Tai Chi than just that.
What is most important for me is my daily Tai Chi practice helps you find your place in the world.
Through a regular practice of Tai Chi and I don’t mean twice a week, I mean when you practice every day you will learn to coordinate the mind and the body so that your body moves as your mind guides it. Once you have mastered personal coordination then the practice elevates to another level where you begin to coordinate you and yourself with the universe while grounding to the earth. Rooting yourself into the earth while remaining connected to the universe as it goes both ways. In between all that you begin connect better with your community and people around you.
Tai Chi works on 3 levels, the body the mind and the soul (spirit) calibrating them
It balances them separately on their own and with each other. Once you are in balance within yourself you can then find balance in your community and with the world around you. As you balance your immune system becomes stronger and less susceptible to diseases. It can also help people lose weight in a healthier way. This may require getting nutritional advice in addition to your tai chi practice but once you are flow with the world getting into flow with what you eat becomes easier.