T'ai Chi

When people think about T’ai Chi, they automatically see it as a method for relaxation and meditation rather than martial arts. From my personal experience I first learned about t’ai chi during my Intro to World Religions class lecture. There I learned that the practical exercises of Tai Chi are also situated in a wider philosophical context of Taoism. During this exercise people are trying to aim for the ‘chi’ and its circulation within the body, if achieved it is believed that the health and vitality of the person are enhanced. This could be the reason why it is compared to nature, life force energy; it flows through the veins of the earth giving birth to trees, mountains, etc the same way it enhances the health and vitality of a person. Together T’ai chi means the heavenly heavens, you can’t measure chi or Tao (Dao) but you can feel it and sense it.

At the time that I was just learning about T’ai Chi, I didn’t know exactly what it looked like and how to practice the sets of movements. Further on, I was able to see a video where I saw this particular exercise. I remember seeing a large group of people in a park moving slowly in unison through a series of “dance like” movements, at least that’s what it seemed to me. I remember thinking to myself how it looked “easy” but then they explained that it could take up to 30 years or more to actually perfect the movements and gain the ‘chi’. Regardless, of how long it took I wanted to give it a try. Now that I’m actually learning T’ai chi, it’s not as easy as it looks.

It takes time, practice and dedication to actually remember all the sets’ of movements. The slow and fluid movements of tai chi require concentration, co-ordination and balance. Nevertheless, I must say that it benefits in terms of correcting movement patterns, poor postural and alignment which can contribute to tension or injury. In my case, one specific primary area of physical tension/injury is my right ankle. I sprained my ankle to a third degree meaning I was very close to fracturing my ankle. Due to this, sometimes it’s difficult to maintain balance on my right ankle. It almost feels like something is pinning it down to the floor. In order to alleviate the tension I move slowly side to side to release some weight from the injured ankle. I realize the more I do this, the less it hurts the next time I try the same movement. Also, I try to cultivate a sense of tranquility and calmness, executing any tension in my body. I feel that the more I practice the movements, the less I think about “what comes next? Or how my feet should be aligned?”

Overall, T’ai chi has helped me reduce tension, stress and the ability to deal with difficult situations. Whenever I feel overwhelmed I do a set of movements taking me to a clearer and relaxed mind. It has also helped me improve my breathing not only during class but with outside activities as well. Not to mention at the end of every class I feel a sense of strength in my arms but mainly in my leg muscles. I would recommend any one to try it out, there’s nothing to lose.