Tai Chi : A Low Impact Exercise

The first is qigong which is a health practice that utilizes body movement, breathing techniques and mental focus to assist in healing, relaxation and reconnecting (Winn, 2009). Next is that art of meditation. Meditation is an important element in the Tao religion. Many Taoists practice meditation to achieve mental serenity and heighten mental awareness. There are also various forms of exercise, such as yoga and Tai Chi, and therapies, acupuncture and moxibustion, which Taoists use to restore balance within the body and achieve healing.

It enables you to string together all parts of the body as a whole and, constantly under the command of your mind in a very relaxed manner. The second purpose is a technique for self-defense. Through this mind-body conditioning process, Tai Chi Chuan inevitably becomes a part of you. You learn to react not with your muscles, but with your mind which is always superior. As to self-defense, it is a matter of reaction in your mind, not your muscles. The third purpose is that Tai Chi Chuan can also act as a dancing art. It is solely for the benefit of the doer, not for the audience. The movement itself is as beautiful as it can be, but more important the wonderful feeling you experience within yourself as you do it. It also opens and cultivates excellent sensitivity for your mind and body. Finally, the fourth purpose is seen as a healing art. Is has won much acclaim as a healing exercise for various ailments and clinical conditions. Individual’s mental, physical, and emotional health as an entity can best be achieved and maintained by practicing Tai Chi Chuan.4

Good health means the yin and yang is in balance and in harmony with each other. According to Jarvis (2012), foods are classified in this theory; yin foods are cold, and yang foods are hot; cold foods are eaten with a hot illness and hot foods are eaten with a cold illness. Chinese people have practiced acupuncture for thousands of years for the reduction of pain and for various disorders using fine needles at specific meridian points on the body (Edelman & Mandle, 2010). The Chinese believe that when there is an imbalance in a person’s system is when a person has illness. For health maintenance, they use preventive measures such eating healthy. Chinese people enjoy drinking a variety of tea after meals for the cleansing effect. Health protection means wearing an amulet or jade, eat correctly and with compatible food (Jarvis, 2012). Chinese people use cupping, acupuncture, moxibustion, and herbs such as ginseng roots, and usually will consult with herbalists, for health restoration.

Therefore before discussing in detail the Chinese cupping therapy is imperative to understand the philosophical elements behind the traditional Chinese medicine. These philosophical elements that gave rise to the development of traditional Chinese Medicine are as follow: essential Qi, Yin-Yang and the Five Elements. (China.org.cn)

Qigong, pronounced “chee-gung”, is the skill of body-mind exercise which integrates body, breath, and mind into one. It is translated from Chinese to mean “energy cultivation” or “working with life the energy” (Dupler). Fire and water methods are associated with qigong, but this is not like the classical Five Element. The fire method involves an element force of tensing muscles, holding breathe, visualization used in early stages, while the water method is based on relaxation and release, smooth continuous breathing, developing qi flow, and internal structures. Three regulations that come from qigong is learning body regulation, breathing, and mind. The basic methods and regulations can be seen in traditional Chinese medicine. Although Qigong is a fundamental element of Traditional Chinese medicine, it has idiosyncratic characteristics of its own. Chinese scholars acknowledge Kongzi (Confucius) and Mengzi (Mencius) are considered the founders of the qigong scholar tradition, because within their writings they alluded to the concepts of qi training methodology as being methods of moral training (Ni).

As an early form of martial arts, Tai chi emphasizes a softer and internalized approach to achieving Dao. While practicing Tai chi, one must internalize themselves in relation to their environment. The basis of Tai chi revolves around the idea that the human body functions as a microcosm of the universe. By understanding one’s qi—energy flow—one attains the capacity to function like the universe. The goal of Tai chi is to harness the energy (qi) of nature itself and bring it into the body. As a result, bringing the natural energy of the environment into the body will produce a balance and thus, improve mental and physical health. The art of Tai chi and its emphasis on the connection between the cosmos and the individual’s body heightens the Taoist idea that everything that exists has a source or a reason behind its existence. Furthermore, since the human body exists as a microcosm of the universe, it has the potential to develop and function similarly to the universe. This connection between the internal and external body can be examined through the Taoist representation of the human

Balance is the most important fundamental of Qi Gong. With balance of our bodies, people are able to do these basic movements in daily life, for example, walk, dance, run and jump.

Chinese traditional medicine refers to Qi, an energy force that is linked to the body’s health. Qi moves through the body via meridians, which are energy pathways that can be likened to blood vessels. If the flow of Qi is interrupted by injury, stress, a bad diet or another factor, then both physical and mental health issues can occur. The purpose of acupuncture is to release the pressure from certain points in the body, which allows the normal flow of Qi to be restored.

Tai chi exercise are effective to improve pain and function of the people with OA and those are beneficial for the all range of the severity of the disease (Bennell and Hinman.,2011).

Not all of the studies were in contradiction with this study, one showed no significant group-by-time interaction for quality of life.31 Although the exercise program was a little bit different and there was another questionnaire used for assessing QOL (Short Form (36) Health Survey), the sample size was comparable with the current study which can be an explanation for the lack of significance. Another study showed us that a 14 weeks tai chi exercise intervention did not significantly improved quality of life in residents from aged care facilities.33 Although the exercise program was different from the current study (it was less high intensity), Qol was asses by using the same questionnaire (DQOL) and there was also a small sample size of 33

I am a chemistry major, and because of that I have taken a lot of chemistry and biology courses at this point. I am going to use my knowledge from these courses to shed a little light on the chemical aspect of Tai Chi! I hae read in many places that Tai Chi is a good method for helping to balance chemicals in the body. In many cases it has been shown to help reduce depression. Depression can result from a number of chemical imbalances. Some common chemicals that interact with our brains and give us the “oh-so-good” feeling are dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins. Often these chemicals are in low supply among depressed individuals. However, it is reasonable to say that Tai Chi has the potential to change this.

A western perspective might focus on the purely mechanical effects of Tai Chi practice. The emphasis on correct body posture and spinal alignment while practicing Tai Chi releases tension and pressure caused by slumping - improved posture improves the digestive system and removes stress from the back.

Traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM, is one of the oldest systems of medicine to exist among humans, and it is extremely prominent to this day. According to legend, the system has been in use since the third millennium BCE. The views of such an old system differ greatly from those found in modern western medicine. Perhaps most prominent is the fact that TCM focuses more on the patient than the illness. The system considers the human to be a microcosm of the universe, implying that the body is affected by the traditional Taoist forces of yin and yang, the five elements, and Qi in the same way the cosmos are. Each of these forces act upon the “zang fu,” or organ system, directly influencing a patient’s health. Healers use qigong to assist in the restoration of stability in the body. Achieving balance, both internally and externally, is the most important aspect of healing in TCM.

Yoga's psychological benefits include; improvement of anxiety, depression, stress tolerance, addictive disorders, bi polar disorders, eating disorders, insomnia and overall emotional balance. Physical benefits include; improvement of chronic pain, reduction of heart rate and blood pressure, increased circulation, and function. The benefits continue; improvement in venous return of the

The same can be expected though any physical sport. Yoga can be said to help with building strength, flexibility, balance, and decreasing muscle stiffness. Which are wildly possible with most well known sports. Most common sports require one to be active which helps build strength and endurance, improve balance. Just as yoga would, but most importantly overall fitness. By being active you are more likely to get in better shape therefore you can feel great with a boost of self confidence. As a result have the best health possible to fight off illness better. Research shows that regular physical activity can help reduce and prevent one risk for diseases and health conditions and improve overall quality of life. Another similar research stated that the act of playing a sport and being physically active helps the body deliver nutrients and oxygen to one’s  tissues that help the cardiovascular system work even more efficiently. And when one’s lungs and heart work more efficiently, There is more energy for one to go about their activities and daily