A few years ago, I had the opportunity to become a Tai Chi Easy™ Practice Leader. I took the course, offered through The Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi, because I had just started working in a senior living community. Tai Chi has become popular with seniors, so I thought it would be great to integrate some of its principals into my one-on-one personal training as well as my group classes. I also saw it as something that I would be able to teach as I got older (I am starting to think about what to do when I get to retirement age).
During my training, I learned that this gentle form of exercise has great health benefits. The Harvard Women’s Health Watch published a glowing report on the benefits of Tai Chi, which include stress reduction, improved balance, efficient breathing, improved flexibility, reduced blood pressure, and even improved strength in under conditioned individuals. I found that I could use elements of this ancient practice in my professional and personal life.
Tai Chi (pronounced Tie Chee) is often associated with Qigong (pronounced Chee Gong or Chee Kung). The exact origin of these practices is unknown, but scholars believe Qigong was prevalent in China thousands of years before writing was developed. Tai Chi is Qigong’s younger sibling, but is also a very old practice. Qi (or Chi) is the essential life force believed to flow through the body. Qigong is the cultivation of Qi, while Tai Chi is the unblocking of Qi, allowing it to flow. (Side note: the Chi in BoomerChiX refers to this life force.) Tai Chi is also said to promote the balance of yin and yang, opposing elements of the universe that must be kept in harmony.
Tai Chi began as a martial art, and some of the moves have names that reflect its origins (like “box both ears” or “chop with fist”). Today, practitioners focus less on the martial arts and more on the gentle movements. This is a low-impact, slow-motion practice, during which you flow from movement to movement without pausing. It differs from other types of exercise in several ways. The movements are circular and never forced, the muscles are relaxed instead of tensed, the joints are not fully extended or bent and the connective tissues are not stretched. Tai Chi can be done standing, sitting or even lying down, making it extremely accessible.
The challenge of Tai Chi is that it can take years to learn the 108 moves. It is meant to be a life-long practice and many people get frustrated with the level of dedication and amount of time it requires. There are several styles of Tai Chi, such as Chen or Yang, and while they each have slightly different focuses, they are quite similar. Tai Chi Easy™ is not a style of Tai Chi. It is a practice that was developed by Roger Jahnke, O.M.D, to make the practice less complicated. There is some controversy among Tai Chi purists about this idea, but Dr. Jahnke’s belief is that it should be available to anyone. I like to think of it as a distilled version of the practice that makes it less intimidating. Tai Chi Easy™ combines some easy Qigong movements, called the Vitality Series, with 5-10 Tai Chi movements. I like doing the 5 movement version.
For more information about Tai Chi Easy™, visit their website. You can also learn more by visiting the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi website.
During these days of social distancing, you can watch videos and practice at home. Later, I recommend looking free community practices. Try it in a park, you’ll love it!
