Tai chi originated as an ancient martial art in China. The first written guide on Tai Chi appeared in the Book of Changes over 3000 years ago. Tai Chi means the ultimate of ultimate. Because of Tai Chi’s old age and tousands of teachers, there is now also thousands of different Tai chi forms. The practice is based on Qigong, and other martial art movements fro many years ago.
Qigong involves using exercises to optimise energy within the body, mind, and spirit, with the goal of improving and maintaining health and well-being. Tai chi and Qigong are both ancient Chinese traditions that relieve stress and increase energy. Tai chi forms involve a series of many moves. Qigong is often one single move repeated over and over. So Tai chi is a martial art form and Qigong is a system of wellness.
Since the 19th century, the Chinese have understood the immense health benefits of Tai Chi, and its popularity has grown steadily. Now, Tai Chi is practised in almost every corner of the world. It is one of the most popular exercises today with more than 300 million participants.
Tai chi is the excellent complementary practice to an athletes daily routines. Training the “peace of mind” helps the athletes remain focused, stable and grounded under external pressure. A regular practice will improve body awareness.
Why & how to Tai Chi
Tai chi is a balance between slow physical movements, meditativ state of mind and controlling your breath. Tai chi is often described as “meditation in motion”. The exercise can help maintain strength, flexibility, and balance, and could be the perfect activity for the rest of your life.
During tai chi, you plant your feet into the ground and shift your weight from the right to left leg as you perform various movements. When you begin the practice of tai chi, you’ll see that it is not about each move, but more about a series of fluid motions. In fact, there are 108 moves that are all in motion, which is why tai chi is called “moving meditation.
Although tai chi is slow and gentle and doesn’t leave you breathless, it addresses the key components of fitness — muscle strength, flexibility, balance, and, to a lesser degree, aerobic conditioning. Tai chi can improve both lower-body strength and upper-body strength. When practiced regularly, tai chi can be comparable to resistance training and brisk walking.
Tai chi may be beneficial in improving balance. Even tho everyone would benefit from doing these movements, western society has especially been using it as a workout for older people. Tai chi can help improve strength and balance for people with parkinsons disease.
https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/tai-chi-what-you-need-to-know
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-health-benefits-of-tai-chi
https://www.gaiam.com/blogs/discover/differences-between-tai-chi-and-qigong
https://taichiforhealthinstitute.org/history-of-tai-chi-2/