Ask about classes at your local Y, senior center, or community education center. Most teachers will let you observe the class first to see if you feel comfortable with the approach and atmosphere. Seeing a teacher in action, getting feedback, and experiencing the camaraderie of a group are all pluses. Taking a class may be the best way to learn tai chi. Given its excellent safety record, chances are that you'll be encouraged to try it.Ĭonsider observing and taking a class. If you have a limiting musculoskeletal problem or medical condition - or if you take medications that can make you dizzy or lightheaded - check with your doctor before starting tai chi. The name is less important than finding an approach that matches your interests and needs.Ĭheck with your doctor. In some forms, you learn long sequences of movements, while others involve shorter series and more focus on breathing and meditation. Certain programs emphasize the martial arts aspect of tai chi rather than its potential for healing and stress reduction. Names like Yang, Wu, and Cheng are given to various branches of tai chi, in honor of people who devised the sets of movements called forms. Here's some advice for doing so:ĭon't be intimidated by the language. Tai chi is very safe, and no fancy equipment is needed, so it's easy to get started. The benefits of tai chi are generally greatest if you begin before you develop a chronic illness or functional limitations. Qigong may be practiced standing, sitting, or lying down. The idea is to help relax the mind and mobilize the body's energy.

Translated as 'breath work' or 'energy work,' this consists of a few minutes of gentle breathing sometimes combined with movement. A short form with smaller, slower movements is usually recommended at the beginning, especially if you're older or not in good condition. Different styles require smaller or larger movements. Short forms - forms are sets of movements - may include a dozen or fewer movements long forms may include hundreds. Instruction and practice of tai chi forms. Easy motions, such as shoulder circles, turning the head from side to side, or rocking back and forth, help you to loosen your muscles and joints and focus on your breath and body.

Tai chi is said to promote this balance.Ī tai chi class might include these parts:

Yin and yang - opposing elements thought to make up the universe that need to be kept in harmony.

Qi - an energy force thought to flow through the body tai chi is said to unblock and encourage the proper flow of qi.

You don't need to subscribe to or learn much about tai chi's roots in Chinese philosophy to enjoy its health benefits, but these concepts can help make sense of its approach: An adjunct therapy is one that's used together with primary medical treatments, either to address a disease itself or its primary symptoms, or, more generally, to improve a patient's functioning and quality of life.

Tai chi can be easily adapted for anyone, from the most fit to people confined to wheelchairs or recovering from surgery.Ī growing body of carefully conducted research is building a compelling case for tai chi as an adjunct to standard medical treatment for the prevention and rehabilitation of many conditions commonly associated with age. The movements are usually circular and never forced, the muscles are relaxed rather than tensed, the joints are not fully extended or bent, and connective tissues are not stretched. Tai chi differs from other types of exercise in several respects. In this low-impact, slow-motion exercise, you go without pausing through a series of motions named for animal actions - for example, 'white crane spreads its wings' - or martial arts moves, such as 'box both ears.' As you move, you breathe deeply and naturally, focusing your attention - as in some kinds of meditation - on your bodily sensations. And you can get started even if you aren't in top shape or the best of health.

Tai chi is often described as 'meditation in motion,' but it might well be called ' medication in motion.' There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice, which originated in China as a martial art, has value in treating or preventing many health problems.

Watch body of evidence