Tai chi does not involve impact or equipment. It requires only your motivation and perseverance.

Breathe in, breathe out. Let your chest rise, now let it fall. Shift your body weight to your left leg and stretch your arms out to the left, now slowly sway your arms and your body weight over to the right. Complementary movements, mental and physical balance, yin and yang. These are the essence of tai chi.

According to Chinese medicine, the universe is run by a single principle, the Tao, which is made up of the yin and the yang. They are opposing, yet complementary principles. For example, the yin includes femaleness, the moon, cold, and matter, while maleness, the sun, heat, and energy are relatively yang.

"Chi" refers to our energy, vitality, or life force. And " tai chi" is translated as "all encompassing" or "supreme ultimate," because of its embodiment of both the yin and the yang. "Chuan," often used in the name, translates to "fist" or "boxing," and signifies exercise.

Peter Wayne, PhD, director of the Tree of Life Tai Chi Center in Somerville, MA, describes tai chi as "mobile meditation." Through the slow, careful movements of tai chi, explains Dr. Wayne. “People learn to focus on every movement and become aware of the processes in their bodies and minds. We strive for the simple and peaceful quality of physical movement and mental thought. During special times, the practice can even generate spiritual understanding.”

In Chinese medicine, pain or illness is believed to occur when the flow of chi is blocked and the yin and yang energies are out of balance. When the chi is circulating freely, the physical symptoms disappear. The joints are seen as gates that control the flow of chi; the slow, moderate, balanced movements, deep breathing, and mental focus of tai chi are designed to relieve tension, open these joints and allow chi to move effortlessly throughout the body.

Tai chi is claimed to be good for all health concerns. A number of renowned tai chi masters are said to have experienced sickness in the past from which they could find no relief until they began to practice tai chi. Such reports, however, are merely anecdotes and may not represent actual benefit.

Scientific research done so far has involved small groups of people. But Dr. Wayne notes that these studies are promising and suggest specific benefits. At Emory University, researchers found that older people who practiced tai chi regularly, was less likely to fall and hurt herself of a fall than a similar group of people given balance training but not tai chi instruction.

Other studies have suggested improvements in flexibility, strength, and cardiovascular fitness, which can bring relief for people recovering from heart surgery or dealing with conditions such as arthritis, back pain, fibromyalgia, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome and hypertension. However, none of these studies reaches a sufficient level of rigor that can actually prove that tai chi is specifically effective.

Tai chi involves virtually no impact and no equipment and requires only your motivation and perseverance. With the supervision of a qualified instructor, people with any physical ailment can begin practicing with little concern of injury. Dr. Wayne suggests starting with a group class. To find a teacher he will be compatible with, he asks members of different classes about their teachers.

There is a wide variety of tai chi styles and an even greater variety of teaching styles. In some traditional classes, there is little verbal communication and students learn by seeing. In other classes, the teacher can speak everything and often uses images to describe the movements of the body (“let your spine hang moderately like a string of pearls”) and to guide the meditation (“let the energy flow through your body”). you like the water of a stream”).

There is no national certification program for tai chi instructors, instead there is an informal hierarchy. Typically, those who call themselves "teachers" have extensive experience, however, someone can adopt this title. Ask potential instructors about their experience and specific style, and compare sample classes if possible.

Whether you have a specific health condition or wish to maintain your current state of health, balancing your yin and yang energies through the practice of tai chi can bring peace and vitality to your mind, body, and life.

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