Long before gyms and workout classes existed, practitioners developed powerful techniques to improve their physical fitness and general well-being. Hundreds of years later, these practices are still used throughout the world, and they’re still just as effective.
Tai Chi is a practice that uses specific sets of movements to cultivate a variety of health benefits within your body. While the practice shares many of the same principles of Qi Gong, it also offers some unique qualities that set it apart.
In this blog, you’ll learn about the powerful, ancient practice of Tai Chi. You’ll also learn about five core benefits that the practice provides.
Similar to Qi Gong, Tai Chi works with slow, flowing movements to cultivate your internal life-force energy (Qi). However, unlike Qi Gong, Tai Chi is a bit more specific in how it’s applied.
In Tai Chi, you learn a specific set of exercises that are all part of one cohesive routine. This is different from Qi Gong, in which you blend a variety of different exercises based on your intentions and goals. For a more in-depth discussion about the similarities and differences between Qi Gong and Tai Chi, be sure to check out one of our previous blogs that compares the two practices.
Tai Chi is a martial practice, and was historically used to cultivate physical strength and fitness, especially by warriors who wanted to become powerful for battle. As such, Tai Chi requires a certain level of discipline and consistency in order to memorize routines and truly experience the practice’s benefits.
Although most people aren’t concerned with preparing for battle, many of Tai Chi’s core benefits can be applied to modern-day life. Below, you’ll discover five key benefits you can gain through practicing Tai Chi.
In Tai Chi, you learn a variety of movements that strengthen and condition your body. Part of this happens in a similar way as other modern-day workouts—by engaging your muscles in specific movements. However, Tai Chi also promotes physical fitness by activating and cultivating your body’s innate, internal energy (Qi).
Most Tai Chi routines include a series of different movements that work together to condition your body, similar to a workout class you might do at a gym. However, unlike most workout classes, Tai Chi doesn’t get you winded or make you sweaty.
In modern life, it’s common for individuals’ minds and bodies to become disconnected. If you think about it, most activities focus almost solely on either your mind or your body, but not both. If you work at a computer, you likely spend a lot of time in your head without really being aware of your body. Similarly, exercising your body while you tune out to music or think about your day is primarily body-centric, without too much integration between your mind and body.
Tai Chi teaches you how to focus your attention intently on a specific set of physical movements. In doing so, it helps you bridge the gap between your mind and your body, thereby strengthening your mind-body connection.
When this connection is strong, you become intimately aware of both your physical state as well as your mental and emotional state. And when you’re more aware, you’re able to work more skillfully within yourself to improve your overall health and wellness.
Improving your physical fitness and mind-body connection offers another important benefit: Better balance!
When your mind is attuned to your physical movements, you’re able to react more quickly to the slightest indication that your body is out of balance and you’re about to fall. On top of that, when your muscles and ligaments are stronger, you’re able to easily shift your weight in order to stay in equilibrium within your physical body.
Anyone who’s taken a bad fall knows that good balance is incredibly important if you want to stay healthy and vital. When you have good balance, you’re able to move more freely and enjoy your physical surroundings more fully. As you can probably imagine, balance was pretty essential for ancient warriors who were engaged in combat, making Tai Chi a powerful practice for them.
Often, people get stuck in thought patterns that lead to stress or anxiety. When you’re constantly moving and reacting to your environment, it’s normal for your nervous system to become on edge. This sense of tension isn’t pleasant, and it certainly isn’t healthy for you.
Tai Chi is a practice that helps you slow down, release busy thinking, and find a sense of flow within yourself. By taking time to distance yourself from restless thoughts, your nervous system is able to let go of whatever tightness or tension is being held in your body.
Additionally, Tai Chi can help you create a strong foundation within your body before entering stressful situations. This is the same principle that ancient warriors used to fortify their energy before going into battle, but instead of protecting yourself against enemy soldiers, you can fend off harmful stress.
If you spend a bit of time connecting deeply with yourself through the practice, it can give you a boost of resilience to take with you into your busy day.
Letting go of stress and anxiety naturally coincides with another important benefit: Improved emotional stability and an elevated sense of happiness.
Once stress has left your system, you have space for the elevated feelings of excitement, joy, and inspiration. When you practice Tai Chi, you’re able to tap into these internal experiences and bring them into the present moment, in the same way ancient warriors used the practice to cultivate strength in preparation for battle.
When you sign up for the Tai Chi Online Course, you’ll learn powerful Tai Chi sequences that are designed to enhance both your physical and mental well-being. These are the same practices that ancient warriors used to cultivate resilience in preparation for battle.
The Tai Chi Online Course is taught by master teacher Lee Holden. Like all of his courses, this one includes both spoken lectures as well as applied practices, giving you a comprehensive skill set within Tai Chi.
Click on the banner below to learn more and discover how Tai Chi can help boost your physical and spiritual well-being.
