Energy flows with tai chi healing exercise program
by Kim Racette | Special to BE Healthy
Tuesday August 04, 2009, 9:00 AM
With gentle flowing postures performed in a calm, quiet atmosphere, a tai chi class doesn't require expensive shoes, pulsating music or lots of heavy breathing. And yet, for the older adult, it may provide even more benefits than high-impact, high-intensity exercise.
This centuries-old discipline has been practiced by millions of people throughout the world. Its movements are easy to do, do not require expensive equipment, and can be practiced whenever and where ever convenient.
Cheryl Schneider, a registered nurse who teaches tai chi in Muskegon and Grand Rapids, has experienced the benefits first-hand. She is a tai chi instructor for the Arthritis Foundation and Tai Chi for Kids.
As health care administrator for Access Health in Muskegon and Kent Health Care in Grand Rapids, she and her staff were searching for a program for their members. They chose tai chi for several reasons. Schneider explains, "We needed a program appropriate for people from ages 19-64, with varying abilities and health needs, from chronic arthritis, to stress-induced difficulties, to weight issues. Tai chi doesn't require a pool or a gym, and once learned (it) can be practiced at home."
Schneider, who had suffered from osteoarthritis in both kneecaps and a herniated disc in her back, was pain-free in a matter of weeks after teaching a tai chi class twice a day.
"It used to be very painful to climb the steps, and to get out of bed in the morning. Now I am pain-free and have continued to practice tai chi because of the response I saw personally," she says.
Aging takes a toll on the body without question, and most of us assume that these changes are irreversible. Douglas Chung, a professor in the School of Social Work at Grand Valley State University, says that is not true.
"Tai chi can take people to another level in life. Through the movements and correct breathing, the energy force in the body can bring back vitality, and deterioration can be reversed," he explains. At GVSU, tai chi therapy and other alternative therapies are explored and taught in his class "Holistic Practice in Social Work."
As founder and executive director of The Asian Center in Grand Rapids, Chung has seen many health benefits achieved by tai chi students and practitioners.
At The Asian Center, "Tai Chi for Arthritis" is offered; in which participants learn the movements as well as the philosophy. Chung also speaks from personal experience, when as a teen-ager he suffered from stomach ulcers and internal bleeding. "My father took me from school, and taught me a variety of martial arts. Under his coaching I completely recovered and went away to University. I continued the breathing, but not the movements, and the problems came back."
The term "tai chi" (shortened from "tai chi chuan") has been translated in various ways, including "internal martial art" and "supreme ultimate fist." A popular legend credits its origins to Chang San-Feng, a Taoist monk in China who developed a set of 13 exercises that imitate the movements of animals. He also emphasized meditation and the concept of internal force (in contrast to the external force emphasized in other martial arts, such as kung fu and tae kwon do).
Benefits of tai chi
Those practicing or teaching tai chi often report:
• Increased flexibility and reduced stiffness from chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis
• Improved balance while standing, helping to decrease the number of falls that cause injury
• Improved leg and lower body strength
• Reduced pain from chronic arthritic conditions
• Aid in recovery from injuries
• Reduced and stabilized blood pressure
• Improved heart action
• Weight loss
• Stress reduction
• Deeper, more restful sleep
Tai chi is sometimes referred to as "moving meditation, because as practitioners move their bodies slowly, there is an emphasis on deep breathing and mental imagery. This focus is instrumental in creating the feeling of calmness and clarity many report after practicing tai chi, and is given credit for reducing stress and related illnesses.
Tai chi incorporates the Chinese concepts of yin and yang (opposing forces within the body) and qi or chi (energy or life force). Chi is very important in all forms of tai chi. Practicing tai chi is said to support a healthy balance of yin and yang, thereby aiding the flow of chi.
There are more than 100 possible movements with names that evoke nature, including Embrace Tiger and Return to Mountain, and the intensity of tai chi varies somewhat depending on the form or style practiced.
As we age, many times balance is compromised, so the likelihood of falling increases. Because tai chi often involves shifting weight from one leg to the other, it can increase both balance and leg strength in older adults. And because tai chi is low-impact, experts say it is a good choice for people carrying extra weight, who often have knee and hip limitations. Better balance, less joint and back pain and a greater flexibility are just a few of the benefits seen and well documented by those practicing tai chi.
According to the National Institutes of Health, Tai Chi instructors do not have to be licensed, and the practice is not regulated by the federal government or individual states.
It is important to tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. By giving them a full picture of what you do to manage your health, you will ensure coordinated and safe care.
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