What is tai chi?

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Tai Chi is a form of martial arts that features many slow, graceful poses that seamlessly flow one into the next. These poses and their accompanying breathing techniques improve physical balance and mental discipline and promote ultimate relaxation.  There are a number of so-called forms (sometimes also called “sets”) which consist of a sequence of movements. Many of these movements are originally derived from the martial arts (and perhaps even more ancestrally than that, from the natural movements of animals and birds) although the way they are performed in Tai Chi is slowly, softly and gracefully with smooth and even transitions between them.  The Tai Chi trend is not merely another health fad but has significant backing from medical experts who have shown in studies that Tai Chi can reduce anxiety, improve balance and muscle strength, improve sleep, relieve chronic pain, and increase energy. Practice of Tai Chi can in some measure contribute to being able to better stand, walk, move, run, etc.   Many practitioners notice benefits in terms of correcting poor postural which may contribute to tension or injury.  Tai Chi is suitable to practice by all age groups.

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