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Time Magazine wrote, ". . . Tai Chi is the
perfect exercise . . ." While serving as the Tai Chi Expert at
DrWeil.com, I learned that best selling author and acclaimed
naturopathic physician, Andrew Weil, suggested that poor
breathing habits are at the root of many of our health problems.
This was exciting news to me, confirming what I'd spent a
lifetime learning in my Qigong (Chi Kung) and Tai Chi education.
Yet, Dr. Weil's insights helped me describe to people just why
Tai Chi is the perfect exercise.
Qigong, pronounced chee-kung, literally means "breathing
exercise." The more popular exercise of Tai Chi is a form of
Qigong. Modern medical research is now revealing that Tai Chi &
Qigong are powerful health sciences, as well as effective
aerobic exercises.
Studies have shown that Tai Chi can lower high blood pressure,
and profoundly boost aspects of the immune system, while
improving balance and coordination far better than any other
known exercise. Tai Chi can reduce or eliminate chronic pain or
limited mobility, while lessening the incidence of anxiety,
depression, or overall mood disturbance. Tai Chi is the lowest
impact exercise there is, and has even been used by those with
arthritis, yet as gentle as it is it burns about 280 calories
per hour, and provides roughly the same cardiovascular benefits
of moderate impact aerobics.
Sounds too good to be true doesn't it? But, it is true, and this
is only scratching the surface of what Tai Chi offers our busy
lives. Not only can Tai Chi do all these amazing things, but it
is so multi-dimensional that it provides these healing results
to all the systems of our mind, body, and spirit in a regimen
that only takes less than 30 minutes a day, and can be done in
office attire at work in an empty boardroom or stock room.
Anywhere where you can have some time alone with a little space
to be uninterrupted, making Tai Chi the exercise of the future.
A major fitness manufacturing association recently released a
study that found Tai Chi was at the top of the growth charts for
health & fitness exercises. For those who've learned to enjoy
Tai Chi and Qigong's gentle workouts, this is no surprise, as
they've seen their outlook improve, and an increased sense of
well-being in their lives. Many notice improved sleep, reduced
allergy symptoms and lessened asthma symptoms over the years as
they practice Tai Chi & Qigong as well.
How does Tai Chi do all of this? Tai Chi is part of Traditional
Chinese Medicine, or TCM. TCM has evolved over thousands of
years of medical research in China, and evolved a system to
understand how the Qi, or life energy, moves through the mind
and body to support all the health systems, mental, emotional,
physical, and spiritual. When energy is blocked, mainly by
unmanaged stress, our health diminishes. What's fascinating is
that modern Western medicine is now beginning to validate the
insights of TCM. Kaiser Permanente's twenty-year study finding
that 70 to 85% of their patient's illnesses sending them to
their doctors were caused by stress, absolutely validate TCM's
understanding of our health.
Tai Chi's gentle movements, breathing techniques, and
visualization techniques combine to massage the accumulated
stress loads out of our 50 trillion cells in our body. The
result is to cultivate a newness of being each time we "play"
Tai Chi. The Chinese don't speak of "work-outs," but rather
"play" Tai Chi. If you can play yourself into a whole new life,
a healthy, and happy, and hopeful one . . . why wait?
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Copyright 2005 Bill Douglas
Bill Douglas is the Tai Chi Expert at DrWeil.com, Founder of
World T'ai Chi & Qigong Day (held in 50 nations each year), and
has authored and co-authored several books including a #1 best
selling Tai Chi book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to T'ai Chi &
Qigong." Bill's been a Tai Chi source for The Wall Street
Journal, New York Times, etc. You can learn more about Tai Chi &
Qigong, and also contact Bill Douglas at http://www.worldtaichiday.org
Please Note: The author of this article has authorized its
distribution with the requirement that it be published in its
entirety, without changes, including the author's copyright and
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