Movement is one of the characteristics of a living being. With
the evolution of mankind, you can also say that, for being living, you need to
move! Any movement that is beneficial for your health, is known as "exercise".
Till date, we've invented various types of exercises and with time we are
embracing the importance of it.
As history always has to say about every little thing which comes across to our eyes. And so, exercise has a very wide history. And "Tai Chi" is one of the oldest forms of exercise we're doing today. If you will ever visit China, you could see many people doing martial art type slow exercise during mornings or evenings in parks, and eventually, you will hit with the fact that it is tai chi, with the origin of China according to the Chinese tradition, it was created by the Taoist master and martial art practitioner Zhang Sanfeng, though it was Yang Luchan who in the nineteenth century brought the form to rest world. The roots of this come from Taoism. It is an ancient tradition of belief and philosophy that stems from ancient China. Its main focus is performing an elegant balancing act between the two opposites Ying and Yan. yin is negative, yielding, and dark while yang is positive, firm, and light. Taoists understand the body as a mini-universe that attracts many similarities to the world around us; our hair grows in the way as trees and blood flow in the same way as rivers. Hence, to maintain harmony and peace, our bodies like the universe need opposing forces to maintain balance. Many Taoist practitioners believe that tai chi is a way of practicing Taoism.
Tai chi is also known as "shadowboxing" practiced for both physical, mental benefits and defense training. This can be traced back hundreds of years to Buddhism and Confucianism. It was originally a neijia, or internal martial art, meaning its goal was personal growth. Tai chi, which was also seen as a means of healing the body and mind, the Chinese government promoted as an exercise, and it lost its native connection to martial arts, becoming a national sport of China.
Here are some different styles of tai chi
Yang style: the most widespread of the forms; characterized by slow, fluid movements.
Chen style: alternates between slow movements and explosive ones.
Wu style: utilizes small, slow, deliberate movements.
Hao style: centered on internal movements, with almost microscopic external movements; one of the best-practiced forms of tai chi.
Despite their differences, these styles share the same objective
To move second and arrive first.
To control movement through stillness.
To overcome force through finesse.
To know yourself and your opponent.
Principles of tai chi move around the fact that it is an "internal art", which means that to master it, you must have the ability to develop and use internal energy.
Have a look, at the basic principles of tai chi
Elevate the crown of your head, and focus all your energy there.
Relax your waist and let it guide your body.
Correct the position of the chest and back to lighten your lower body.
Learn to differentiate between heaviness and lightness, to know how your weight is distributed.
To promote the flow of energy, relax the shoulders.
Your mind leads the body.
Unify the upper and lower body so they act in concert.
Breath deeply from your lower belly and unify the internal and external to synchronize mind, body, and breath.
Maintain harmony and fluidity. Do not break the flow of your movement.
Look for stillness in movement, to calm your mind.
Tai chi is meant to engage not only your physical body but also your mind. However, if you're performing tai chi practice at the level of physical exercise only, you may be missing out on taichi's greatest jewels! As this is an ancient art, the problem with this is, the secrets to developing taichi from an internal basis were only passed from mouth to ear in the old days, between masters and students. Those masters left stories, riddles, and quotes for interpreting the inner power of tai chi.
Based on that, researchers concluded the following movements to do tai chi
Master the moves by understanding the philosophy behind them.
Think about more than just doing the move, for every movement, there is a purpose.
Using your hands and toes, do the single whip move.
Hold your weight on one leg and do the white crane spreads wings move.
To be aware of your balance, practice "pouring".
With your elbows out in front of you and your wrists relaxed, do arm circles.
A "snake creeps down" move. Move from a standing position into a deep lunge as gracefully as possible.
For beginners, start from the short form. You can do 13-40 moves which generally lasts for 5-20 minutes. But once you feel the positive changes in your overall lifestyle you'll start craving for it!.
For better practicing, working face to face with an instructor is more beneficial. Tai chi involves movements of the whole body, loose-fitting and comfortable clothing won't restrict your movements. The movements are slow, so it doesn't look very burdensome work, but you may work up with sweat and so it is not recommended to overdress. T-shirts, leotards, sweatpants go nice.
This non-competitive martial art has been known for its gentle way to fight anomalies in the internal as well as the external world. It has several benefits.
It improves cognition in older adults.
Regular practice of these moves can result in weight loss.
As it includes balancing practice, it reduces the risk of falling.
It works as a meditation hence reduces stress, improves mood, and increases the quality of sleep.
Daily practice can reduce the symptoms of fibromyalgia.
Helps to improve strength and in people with Parkinson's disease.
Its slow movements reduce pain from arthritis.
"The purpose of training is to tighten up the slack, toughen the body, and polish the spirit" - Morihei Ueshiba. And tai chi does the exact thing. The true essence of it is a spiritual connection. Your mind is the connection between your inner and outer world. Tai chi weaves this connection. The slow and graceful movements of tai chi forced you to focus on every part of your body which makes you aware of. You'll be started to accepting the truths of your body, and learn to ignore them, you'll learn to stay neutral and more focused on the present moment. Consequently, you'll relate this practice to the outer world and may start living peacefully.
It's not easy for everyone to understand tai chi, but once you understand it, it will become a crucial part of your life. One interesting thing is, it is non-competitive, that's the reason people love doing it. In this era, where everyone is running a competitive life, tai chi brings peace, joy, and happiness. Slow and mysterious motions of tai chi repair people's hearts. It creates a place for you where you'll find peace and harmony, which may be missing in your so-called organized life.
Here are some important things you should know before practicing tai chi
If you're pregnant, having a hernia, or have any condition which hurt your joints or muscle during any kind of movement, then it is better to consult a doctor before doing tai chi.
It's a martial art practicing for centuries so, to get a better result, it is very important to learn it from a known master of tail chi.
And then you're all set to do a Tai chi!.
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