Tai Chi
Kuei-Min Chen
Time pressure is emerging as a contemporary malaise. Lack of time is the major barrier to exercising regularly. Failure to exercise may lead to mental strain, nervous breakdown, or inefficiency in daily work (Strazdins & Loughrey, 2008). Good health is essential; how to acquire and maintain a healthy mind and body are vital concerns. It is commonly recognized that exercise and other forms of physical activity have a wide range of health benefits, both physiological and psychological, for all age groups (Warburton, Nicol, & Bredin, 2006). However, it is not easy to find an exercise that suits people of all ages.
Tai Chi is one intervention that is receiving increasing attention among many professionals: nurses, physicians, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and recreational therapists. It is a manipulative and body-based therapy that can heighten individuals’ awareness of their bodies and take advantage of their body structure for expressing feelings and ideas. Gradually, people become more aware of their total being, and harmony is enhanced.
DEFINITION
Tai Chi, which means supreme ultimate, is a traditional Chinese martial art (Koh, 1981) and a mind-body exercise. It involves a series of fluid, continuous, graceful, dancelike postures, and the performance of movements known as forms (Yang, 2010). The graceful body movements engage continuous body and trunk rotation, flexion/extension of the hips and knees, postural alignment, and the coordination of the arms—integrated by
mental concentration, the balanced shifting of body weight, muscle relaxation, and breath control. Movements are performed in a slow, rhythmic, and well-controlled manner (Clark, 2011).
mental concentration, the balanced shifting of body weight, muscle relaxation, and breath control. Movements are performed in a slow, rhythmic, and well-controlled manner (Clark, 2011).
There are several styles of Tai Chi that are currently practiced: Chen (quick and slow large movements), Yang (slow large movements), Wu (midpaced, compact movements), and Sun (quick, compact movements) (Jou, 1983). Each style has a characteristic protocol that differs from the other styles in the postures or forms included, the order in which they appear, the pace at which movements are executed, and the level of difficulty; however, the basic principles are the same (Yang, 1991). For example, one significant difference between the Chen and Yang styles is that Yang movements are relaxed, evenly paced, and graceful. Yang is the most popular Tai Chi practiced by older adults (Jou, 1983). In comparison, the Chen style is characterized by alternating slow, gentle movements with quick and vigorous ones, and restrained and controlled actions, which reflect a more martial origin (Yang, 1991). Most Tai Chi movements were named after animals, such as “white crane spreads its wings” and “grasp the bird’s tail” (Koh, 1981).
There are a few simplified forms of the ancient Tai Chi. For example, the Simplified Tai-Chi Exercise Program (STEP), developed by Chen, Chen, and Huang (2006), encompasses three phases: warm-up, Tai Chi exercises, and cool-down. In the warm-up phase, nine exercises are designed to loosen the body from head to toe; the second phase includes 12 easy-tolearn and easy-to-perform Tai Chi movements; three activities during the cool-down phase help the body to return to a preintervention state of rest. STEP differs from traditional Tai Chi styles in that it incorporates fewer leg movements, fewer knee bends, and less-complicated hand gestures. It was specifically designed for older adults suffering from chronic illness (Chen et al., 2006).
SCIENTIFIC BASIS
Tai Chi practice is closely linked to Chinese medical theory, in which the vital life energy, chi (or qi), is thought to circulate throughout the body in discrete channels called meridians. Using correct postures and adequate relaxation, the principle of Tai Chi is to promote the free flow of chi throughout the body, which improves the health of an individual. The movements of Tai Chi are regulated by the timing of deep breathing and the movement of the diaphragm. It offers a balanced exercise to the muscles and joints of various parts of the body (Clark, 2011). In addition, a peaceful state of mind and spiritual dedication to each movement during the exercise ensure that the central nervous system (CNS) is given sufficient training and is consequently toned
up with time as the exercise continues. A strong CNS is essential for a healthy body and the various organs depend largely on its soundness (Clark, 2011).
up with time as the exercise continues. A strong CNS is essential for a healthy body and the various organs depend largely on its soundness (Clark, 2011).
INTERVENTION
In Eastern countries such as Taiwan, it is common and popular for older adults to practice Tai Chi as a group, in the early morning, in parks or on the athletic grounds of elementary schools. Tai Chi practice groups are usually led by masters who are pleased to share its essence with others. People who are interested in Tai Chi are welcome to join the groups and learn the movements from these masters. In Western countries, there is a growing interest in the practice of Tai Chi. Various Tai Chi clubs are available to the public through community centers, health clinics, or private organizations. General information is widespread through websites, books, and videos. Tai Chi is a convenient exercise that can be practiced in any place, at any time, and without any equipment.
Technique
As mentioned earlier, although various styles of Tai Chi are currently practiced, the underlying practice principles are the same. Five essential principles of movement are (Schaller, 1996):
Hand and leg movements should be synchronous.
The emphasis should be on a soft, relaxed, rather than on a hard, tense position.
Moves should be practiced with a quiet and open mind.
The soles of the feet should be rooted to the ground, with the knees bent in a low stance and the primary focus of awareness within the lower abdomen.
The physical force should be rooted in the feet, passed up through the legs as weight is shifted, and distributed by the pivoting of the waist.
In the physical performance, an individual must relax and think of nothing else before starting. The movements should be slow and rhythmic with natural breathing. Every action becomes easy and smooth, the waist turns freely, and the feelings of comfort and relaxation are gradually developed (Clark, 2011). In the spiritual aspect, Tai Chi is an exercise that produces harmony of body and mind. Each movement should be guided by thought instead of physical strength. For instance, to lift up the hands, an individual must first have the necessary mental concentration, and then the hands can be raised slowly in a proper manner. Hence, the breathing will become deeper and the body will be strengthened (Clark, 2011).
Guidelines
The steps for performing the movement called “around the platter” are presented in Exhibit 17.1.
Various videotapes on Tai Chi are also available through local video rental stores. The following DVDs and/or books are useful for learning Tai Chi:
Element: Tai Chi for Beginners (Barnes & Ambandos, 2009) is a DVD filmed on a tranquil location overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It features two practices that offer personal one-on-one instruction and allow you to experience the many layers of benefits this martial art has to offer.
Tai Chi Chuan Classical Yang Style: The Complete Form Qigong (Yang, 2010) is an in-depth guide for beginners to learn Tai Chi Chuan properly. It offers a general plan for practicing Tai Chi Chuan, and then goes into great depth to present enough content for proper learning. Each movement is presented in a series of large photographs with clear same-page instructions for each Tai Chi posture.
The Complete Illustrated Guide to Tai Chi: A Step-by-Step Approach to the Ancient Chinese Movement (Clark, 2011) contains a complete introduction to the principles and practices of Tai Chi and is accompanied by clear and instructive photography throughout. It includes sections on
the basic principles of movement and the body, how Tai Chi can help to heal, life energies, meridians, the seven major chakras, and step-bystep guides to the complete movement sequence.
Complete Tai-Chi: The Definitive Guide to Physical and Emotional Self-Improvement (Huang, 2011) includes a detailed guide to the 36 postures (with more than 250 illustrative photographs) of the Wu-style Tai Chi, which stresses the development of internal energy for self-healing and has gained enormous popularity as a healing exercise.
Seated Tai Chi and Qigong: Guided Therapeutic Exercises to Manage Stress and Balance Mind, Body, and Spirit (Quarta & Vallie, 2012) emphasizes that Tai Chi and Qigong are the perfect antidote to the stresses of modern life and a great way to stay healthy. This illustrated guidebook provides an explanatory introduction to these forms of exercise and shows how to build up a program from easy to more challenging steps.Stay updated, free articles. Join our Telegram channel
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