Tai Chi – Better Than Chai Tea
Tai chi chuan, better known as tai chi, resembles a slow, choreographed dance. It is an elegant and fluid exercise that allows the practitioner a chance to quiet the mind by focusing on movements instead of the day’s worries. Tai chi is a form of exercise that offers many health benefits. However, at its core, tai chi is an ancient martial art.
Originating in China, the oldest type of tai chi, Chen style, dates back to the 1500s. Historical accounts vary, but one story holds that a Taoist monk developed a series of 13 exercises that imitated the movements of animals. He also emphasized meditation and the concept of internal force, as opposed to the external force exerted with other martial arts.
There are five major types of tai chi, all named after the families that developed them, and all vary in intensity and style. The common thread is that they all consist of slow movements, known as forms, which represent some martial aspect.
“I demonstrate the martial application so that my students have a better understanding of what the movement really is,” says Bill Simpson, a tai chi instructor at the Seva Retreat at the Elkins Estate in Elkins Park. “Tai chi is an internal martial art, meaning that we cultivate our energy—or chi in Chinese—from the inside out,” Simpson explains. But tai chi is usually practiced more for health than for self-defense. According to Simpson, “Although tai chi may be used as a martial art, it is primarily used as a method of meditation and self-integration through slow, relaxed, conscious movements. My teaching approach is more from a health perspective than a martial arts perspective.”
Today, the most popular type of tai chi practiced in the western world is yang style.
“We teach the yang style particularly because it is easier to learn, the movements are clean, gentle and gracious looking,” explains Master John Chan, an instructor at Cornerstone Health & Fitness in Doylestown and New Hope. Master Chan, who began his study of tai chi a half century ago in China at five years old, is well acquainted with the many health benefits of the practice, stating that “beyond stress reduction and balance, tai chi may also help to reduce anxiety, improve strength and flexibility, improve sleep quality, relieve chronic pain and lower blood pressure.”
In 2007, a study conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that tai chi may increase immunity against the varicellazoster virus, which causes chickenpox and shingles. Other studies—all of which are listed on the National Institutes of Health’s PubMed website—found that tai chi can reduce pain resulting from knee osteoarthritis, improve physical function, lessen depression, and improve some symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, a study of 52 women who were frequent computer users in the workplace showed improvements in resting heart rate, waist circumference, and hand-grip strength after 12 weeks of tai chi practice.
Tai chi is often considered a moving meditation, which is beneficial to those who have trouble staying focused during still meditation. The result of regular practice can be improvement in concentration, mood and focus that carry over to everyday life. I started practicing tai chi in college because of overwhelming stress. Not only did I develop mental clarity and calmness, but I also lost weight and had better circulation and clearer skin. I have stayed with the practice for several years now and recently took Simpson’s class at the Seva Retreat, which is held in the smaller mansion on the Elkins Estate.
Like Simpson, I was drawn to the estate’s calm beauty and comforting energy. “The Dominican nuns owned and managed the property for over 70 years and created a warm, nurturing and sacred energy that I still feel today,” says Simpson. Currently, the property is being renewed as a wellness resort. Classes and other services at Seva are ongoing, and soon rooms will be available for those who want a getaway. It’s a beautiful environment in which to do a beautiful practice.
Tai chi is a mind-body exercise that incorporates the theory of yin and yang, which are the opposing internal forces of give and take, strong and soft, active and passive. Part of the philosophy of tai chi is to resist hardness and violent force, which can cause injury. Practitioners are taught to redirect force by flowing with its motion.
According to Master Chan, the tai chi student will be able to avoid strains and accidents by learning how to use each part of the body more effectively. He explains, “tai chi movements are natural, relaxed and connected to the ground. These non-strenuous exercises can also help reduce pain, increasing vitality and enthusiasm for life.”
Seva Retreat, Elkins Park, 215-782-8520, www.sevaretreat.com
Cornerstone Health & Fitness, Doylestown 215-794-3700, New Hope 215-862-2200 www.cornerstoneclubs.com
Story by April Reynolds
