Exercise Benefits Of Tai Chi

Tai Chi, is a Chinese system of physical exercises designed especially for self-defense and meditation.

I first heard about this wonderful exercise from my 74 year old aunt. She was so proud of her classes that I decided to check it out. I was impressed by the fact that it does not require a lot of physical ability yet it gives you a good workout.

Physical, Mental Fitness

In these classes one is taught awareness of one's own balance and what affects it, awareness of the same in others, and appreciation of the practical value in one's ability to moderate extremes of behavior and attitude at both mental and physical levels.

Marital Arts

Besides general health benefits and stress management attributed to beginning and intermediate level Tai Chi training, many therapeutic interventions along the lines of TCM are taught to advanced students in traditional schools.

Tai Chi Chuan as physical training is characterized by its requirement for the use of leverage through the joints based on coordination in relaxation rather than muscular tension.

The slow repetitive work involved in that process is said to gently increase and open the internal circulation (breath, body heat, blood, peristalsis, etc.).

Over time proponents say, this enhancement becomes a lasting effect, a direct reversal of the physical effects of stress on the human body.

This reversal allows much more of the students native energy to be available to them, which they may then apply more effectively to the rest of their lives;

• families,
• careers,
• spiritual or creative pursuits,
• hobbies, etc.

Health, Meditation, Martial Art

Health-an unhealthy or otherwise uncomfortable person will find it difficult to meditate to a state of calmness or to use it as a martial art.

It's health training therefore concentrates on relieving the physical effects of stress on the body and mind.

Meditation-the focus meditation and subsequent calmness cultivated by the meditative aspect of this exercise is seen as necessary to maintain optimum health(in the sense of effectively maintaining stress relief or homeostasis) and in order to use it as a soft style martial art.

Marital art-the ability to competently use it as a martial art is said to be proof that the health and meditation aspects are working according to the dictates of the theory of Tai Chi Ch'uan.

For more information, check out these links:

Fitness

Women's Health

Healthy Diets

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