Tai Chi for the Body, Breathing, Mind, Chi and Spirit

(this is the fifth guest blog post in a series on Tai Chi)

Unlike many popular forms of exercise Tai Chi is about much more than just training the body.  In fact, we could say that Tai Chi is a holistic practice which is why so many older adults are so drawn to it.  Below I explain the 5 levels of learning in Tai Chi.

Regulating the body, breathing, mind, chi and spirit 

There are 5 levels of learning in Tai Chi and they progress in a ladder fashion. One cannot regulate the breathing before learning to regulate the body. The ultimate goal of regulation is no regulation. In other words, once you master regulating the breathing, you don’t actually work on your breathing as you do the form. It comes naturally and allows you to begin regulating the mind, which then allows you to begin to lead the chi. I learned these steps from an outstanding book called “Tai Chi Chuan Classical Yang Style” by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming.  If you are interested in learning more about Tai Chi, I highly recommend his books and other media.

#1 Regulating the body. You must first learn to coordinate the movements of your body for each posture. This is the basic level and involves learning to be rooted, balanced, centered and relaxed.  Some people never really get past this level and that is okay!  It is especially difficult to make your body learn new movements if you have never done a martial art before.  Don’t get frustrated!  You will reap many of the benefits of Tai Chi just by working on this level.

#2 Regulating breathing. Once the movements become second-nature and you no longer have to work hard at being balanced, rooted and centered, you can begin to learn how to control your breath. This breath-control starts the process of coordinating your mind with the movements in a clear and relaxed state. This level is where you will really start to realize the benefits of stress/anxiety relief, blood pressure reduction, mood enhancement and an increased overall sense of well-being.

#3 Regulating the mind. The goal of regulating the mind is actually coming to a place of no thought. You are completely “in the moment” and are experiencing calmness, peacefulness and relaxation throughout the form.

#4 Regulating the chi. When you can get to a place of regulating the mind, you can begin to “lead” the chi throughout the body. This is actually very tricky, because if you think about the chi in a certain part of your body, the chi will stagnate there and stop circulating. You want your chi to move naturally and smoothly.

#5 Regulating the spirit. This is simply explained as the Daoist idea of releasing the mind and body from any bondage of concern in this world and allowing the spirit to reach heights of enlightenment.

My goal is not to make you into a Tai Chi “guru” or a follower of the Daoist philosophy. It is important to understand these ideas and concepts, however, to make your practice of Tai Chi what you want it to be. And that idea, in the end, is what is ultimately important . . . the idea that Tai Chi will help you in your attempt to be the best person that you can be.

Want to Learn More?  Click HERE for your FREE Tai Chi mini-course!

Dianne Bailey is an experienced martial artist and Tai Chi instructor.  She created the Open The Door to Tai Chi certification program so that more fitness professionals can quickly and easily learn how to integrate Tai Chi into their exercise programs to improve balance, strength and cognition with their older clients.

Tai Chi: “It’s better than a glass of wine!”
(this is the third blog post in a series on Tai Chi)

The above quote is an actual proclamation from one of my students at the end of class one night. I told you this is for the everyday person! Let’s take some time to look through all the things that you can expect from learning this relaxing, slow martial art.

The benefits of including Tai Chi into your exercise regimen are numerous. Because of the slow, meditative approach to movement, some people question it as an exercise modality since the aerobic component is not high. You should not dismiss it, however, simply because you might not break a sweat doing it! The intensity of this form of exercise can be increased or decreased depending on the depth of the postures and the duration of practice. It is certainly a low-impact form of exercise which is beneficial to people with existing joint issues and to people who want to avoid joint issues.

Let’s take a look at both the scientifically proven benefits and the anecdotal benefits that occur with the regular practice of Tai Chi.

Physical benefits

As you would expect, there are many physical benefits when one practices any form of exercise over a period of time. The benefits that research has proven with the regular practice of Tai Chi are surprisingly far-reaching, especially in our current climate of anti-aging remedies. The Mayo Clinic lists some of the benefits of Tai Chi as:

Improved aerobic capacity
Increased energy and stamina
Improved flexibility, balance and agility
Improved muscle strength and definition
Enhanced quality of sleep
Enhanced functioning of the immune system
Reduction in blood pressure
Reduction in joint pain
Improved symptoms of congestive heart failure
Reduction in the risk of falls in older adults

That list is impressive just by itself! There are other studies that have proven improvement for those who live with chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s disease, osteoarthritis, COPD and others. It has also been proven to improve bone mineral density in elderly women. One study (Tai Chi Chuan: an ancient wisdom on exercise and health promotion) even stated that, “The long-term practice of Tai Chi Chuan can attenuate the age decline in physical function . . . .” It’s no secret that we are living longer now due in part to medical advances. It can be argued that we are not necessarily living better, however. The practice of Tai Chi can possibly be one of the ways we are able to increase the enjoyment of our later years because of the improvements it provides in physical function.

One of the biggest concerns of aging is falling. Obviously, the physical detriment of broken bones or concussions or even just severe bruising are difficult for the aging population to deal with. The mental effect of being scared it will happen again is even worse, however. There are many studies that show a rapid decline in independence after just one fall. Clearly, working on balance is an important concept to help prevent falls. In a meta-study, authors Wong and Lan wrote in “Tai Chi and Balance Control” that, “recent studies substantiate that Tai Chi is effective in balance function enhancement and falls prevention.” They also concluded that, “Tai Chi improves static and dynamic balance, especially in more challenging sensory perturbed condition.” A different study on the effect of 4-and 8-week intensive Tai Chi training on balance control in the elderly concluded that, “even 4 weeks of intensive Tai Chi training are sufficient to improve balance control.” Anecdotally, I have witnessed this in the classes I teach. Many of my students comment on the marked improvement in their balance. One student in particular related the story of how she and her husband were hiking and she was getting frustrated because she felt unstable going over the rocks. Then she remembered her Tai Chi training and started to incorporate some of the principles of columns and weight shift, and she immediately felt more balanced and in control on their hike!
One of the other anecdotal effects that I have seen in my classes is weight loss with Tai Chi. It is not something that people express as a goal when they start Tai Chi, however, I have had several students who have admitted that beneficial weight loss has been a side effect of their training.

Mental benefits

The benefits of Tai Chi are not only substantiated as physical benefits. There are important mental and emotional benefits as well. Let’s return to the list of benefits from the Mayo Clinic. They also list the following as resulting from practicing Tai Chi:

Decreased stress, anxiety and depression
Improved mood
Improved overall well-being

And I would add the following to that list:

Increased mental focus
Improvement in working memory/executive function
Social enjoyment and interaction

The studies concerned with the effect of Tai Chi on psychological well-being are not as conclusive as the studies on the physical benefits due in part to the obvious reliance on subjective measures. In general, however, the studies do demonstrate beneficial effects in regard to practicing Tai Chi for depression, anxiety, stress management and mood disturbance. One study on the therapeutic benefits of Tai Chi exercise (Kuramoto AM) states that, “Tai Chi can influence older individuals’ functioning and well being . . . and the positive effects of Tai Chi may be due solely to its relaxing, meditative aspects.” Just the other day, I had a student comment to me after class that, “It always seems that whatever I’m dealing with on a particular day just eases back into the proper perspective when I’m done with Tai Chi. It obviously doesn’t make the problem go away, but it feels like I can approach it with a better mindset and a healthier attitude.” That’s really the beauty of Tai Chi. It’s not some mystical, magical force or religion. In one study that measured heart rate, adrenaline, cortisol and mood during Tai Chi (Jin P), “Relative to baseline levels, subjects reported less tension, depression, anger, fatigue confusion and state-anxiety. They felt more vigorous and in general, they had less total mood disturbance.” In another meta-analysis regarding Tai Chi exercise and the improvement of health and well-being in older adults (Yau MK), “There is considerable evidence that Tai Chi has positive health benefits; physical, psychosocial and therapeutic. Furthermore, Tai Chi does not only consist of a physical component, but also sociocultural, meditative components that are believed to contribute to overall well-being.” This same study concluded that, “It is recommended as a strategy to promote successful aging.” That’s quite an endorsement! You might say that Tai Chi comes close to being a fountain of youth for those that practice it!

In my own experience, I have seen the improvement in mental focus and working memory. If you are not “in the moment” and really thinking about your movements and how to apply the principles of Tai Chi . . . you will get lost! You can’t think about what’s for dinner that night, or the fight that you had with your spouse the night before. You must focus your mind on the task at hand and that actually causes a relaxation and meditative effect. Because many of the movements force you to cross the midline, you are also forcing your brain to function in a different pattern by making the left side talk with right side. Jean Blaydes Madigan, a neurokinesiologist states that, “Crossing the midline integrates brain hemispheres to enable the brain to organize itself. When students perform cross-lateral activities, blood flow is increased in all parts of the brain, making it more alert and energized for stronger, more cohesive learning. Movements that cross the midline unify the cognitive and motor regions of the brain.” Wow! You are actually making your brain function better on all levels with the simple practice of Tai Chi!

In two different meta-studies concerned with the cognitive performance in healthy adults (Zheng, G, et. al and Wayne PM, et.al), they both concluded that “Tai Chi shows potential protective effects on healthy adults’ cognitive ability. Tai Chi shows potential to enhance cognitive function in older adults, particularly in the realm of executive functioning.” Executive function is defined on WebMD as “ a set of mental stills that help you get things done.” Who doesn’t need to get more things done in their life?? And unfortunately, if we don’t work at it, executive function declines as we age.

The last point I want to mention about the benefits of practicing Tai Chi is the most subtle, but certainly a very important point, especially as we age. I see a community develop in my classes that is so strong, it supports each member and provides a social interaction that is rare in our society. Many studies have shown that for successful aging, people need to be involved and to interact with each other. My students come to class to enjoy the benefits of Tai Chi . . . but they also come to class to enjoy the social interaction and support from their classmates. This kind of support and interaction can happen in any number of different venues, of course. I think the combination of the relaxing atmosphere, a non-intimidating, simple to move kind of exercise and the joint experience of learning something new that has a calming influence on your mood is un-paralleled in the exercise world. Tai Chi brings together your physical well-being with your mental and social well-being in a unique experience that can be practiced for years. Better than a glass of wine, indeed!
Click HERE to get $100 off the Open the Door to Tai Chi certification program (for a limited time only)!

Dianne Bailey is an experienced martial artist and Tai Chi instructor. She created the Open The Door to Tai Chi certification program so that more fitness professionals can quickly and easily learn how to integrate Tai Chi into their exercise programs to improve balance, strength and cognition with their older clients.

Tai Chi Is NOT What You Think It Is!

(this is the second in a series of guest blog posts on Tai Chi)

There are MANY misconceptions that people have regarding Tai Chi.  And these misconceptions keep them from exploring how incredible it is for so many different types of people.  Thanks, in large part, to martial arts movies many people might immediately think of a very old man of Asian descent with a long white beard in flowing robes gliding around a temple.  While this image certainly has an element of truth to it due to Tai Chi’s very long history in China this is not really the Tai Chi of today nor the Tai Chi that fitness professionals need to learn.  So what really is Tai Chi?  I want to take the chance to provide you with a clear understanding of what it is and what it isn’t.

Does Tai Chi have a religious element?

The origins of Tai Chi are based in Daoist thought and began in the Shaolin Temples as a martial art for the monks. You do not, however, have to accept or practice any religious thoughts or ideas in order to truly benefit from Tai Chi. In the Open the Door to Tai Chi system, we focus on Tai Chi as an exercise and do not explore any of the religious aspects.  

Do I have to meditate?

There is a definite meditative effect to practicing Tai Chi and there is ample reason for calling it “movement meditation.” If you are not “in the moment” as you do the form, you will get lost and you won’t be able to incorporate all of the important concepts and principles into the form. You do not, however, have to meditate in the traditional sense.  

Is it like yoga?

No. Yoga and Tai Chi vary from one another in several ways. First of all, you are always standing in Tai Chi. In yoga, you may have varying postures including standing, sitting, lying down and even inversions. Yoga has different variations such as Hatha, Vinyasa, Bikram, etc. Tai Chi also has different variations such as Yang, Sun, Chen and Wu. The Open the Door to Tai Chi system teaches the Yang style 24 or Short form. In some variations of yoga, you may have a flow of moves, or you may do separate postures for varying amounts of time in no particular order. Tai Chi is a martial art and it is meant to do as a flow of moves in a determined order. Both Tai Chi and yoga are considered mind/body exercises because of the internal focus developed when practiced.  

Do I actually have to spar anyone?

No. While Tai Chi is certainly a martial art and it improves your practice if you develop a sense of your opponent, you do not actually have to fight anyone! Some Tai Chi schools teach “push hands” and forms using weapons which more closely mimic sparring because you have a partner. In The Open the Door to Tai Chi system, however, we simply focus on the form which is performed as an individual.  

How many different styles of Tai Chi are there?

The different styles of Tai Chi are Yang, Chen, Wu, Sun, Hao and some combinations as well. In The Open the Door to Tai Chi system, we focus on the Yang style, 24 or short form.  

Do instructors have to be certified?

Traditionally, instructors for Tai Chi had to follow a lineage from the original masters in the style. This limited the number of instructors because one would have to find a master, be accepted and probably have to travel extensively to get the years of instruction needed. Some have tried to buck this system by simply learning Tai Chi from videos and then teaching what they learned. This doesn’t, however, give them any kind of feedback as to how they are actually doing with the form and how to improve. There are some organizations in the U.S. that “certify” instructors, but they typically follow the “lineage” form of certification. This shortage of qualified instructors is why I created the Open the Door to Tai Chi system. I want everyone to have access to a competent instructor so more of us can experience the benefits of Tai Chi!

Do I have to wear a uniform?

No. All you really need is comfortable, loose-fitting clothes.  Although . . . some of my students after they have practiced Tai Chi for awhile start to request the “silk pajamas” that they see on people in YouTube videos!

Do I have to wear shoes?

No. You can do Tai Chi barefoot. Or you can purchase Tai Chi shoes which are really just minimal slipper-like foot covers. Be careful doing the moves in sport shoes, however, because they tend to be a little too “grippy” and/or clunky and you might twist a knee awkwardly.  

I have had a hip replacement (shoulder/knee replacement).

 Can I still participate in Tai Chi?

Yes!! Especially if you get involved with the Open the Door to Tai Chi system because we teach it as an exercise and encourage any modifications to movements for all individuals in class. This is not about perfection of movement. It is about movement and helping your body and mind relax.

In the next blog post we will discuss many of the amazing benefits of Tai Chi support by the scientific literature and why it is one of the best (evidence-based) forms of exercise for older adults today.

Want to Learn More?  Click HERE for your FREE Tai Chi mini-course!

Dianne Bailey is an experienced martial artist and Tai Chi instructor.  She created the Open The Door to Tai Chi certification program so that more fitness professionals can quickly and easily learn how to integrate Tai Chi into their exercise programs to improve balance, strength and cognition with their older clients.

Why You Should Use Tai Chi With Your Mature Clients: It Is Easier Than You Think!
(this is the first in a series of guest blog posts on Tai Chi)

You might be wondering “What can Tai Chi really do for my clients? Isn’t it just a slow moving way to relax?” Well, yes, it is slow moving and relaxing and there are certainly benefits that occur from these aspects, but Tai Chi is so much more than just a slow, relaxing form of movement.

Let’s take a look at the most gentle, flowing movement of the form. It’s called Wave Hands like Clouds and it really is everyone’s favorite move in the form because it is relaxing and easy to do. Here is a description of the movement and some pictures to help you understand it:

Start with the right arm and draw a clockwise circle, palm toward the face. It’s as if you are wiping your eyebrows gently. Then draw a counter-clockwise circle with the left arm keeping the palm toward the face again. Then try putting it together by starting with the right arm and as the right arm reaches the bottom half of the circle, start the left arm. Keep the hands loose and light. After you have mastered the arm movement, you can add the footwork. You will always step left with Wave Hands like Clouds. Begin by bringing the left hand down towards your body into its counter-clockwise motion. As you begin to move the left hand, adjust the left foot so the toes point forward and you are ready to step to your left. Continue your arm movements as you step in with right foot and then out

again with your left.

How are you helping your clients in their everyday life with this movement? There are several things happening with Wave Hands like Clouds.

The first thing we talk about is proper posture. In Tai Chi, we talk about three columns in the body. There is one column that runs down the center of the body and one column through each shoulder to each hip. Obviously, the center column is just anterior to our spinal column. The goal in Tai Chi is to not break the columns, but rather to keep the columns intact. This proper alignment allows the body to remain in a relaxed posture that most of our population struggles with.

As you step left with Wave Hands like Clouds, you must learn to shift your weight completely over to the right column in order to move your left foot and maintain your columns. Then you must shift your weight completely over to the left column to move your right foot over to your left. You must maintain an upright and relaxed position throughout the core. In other words, you can’t focus on the movement of the arms and lean to the left with your shoulders as you step left. This focus on maintaining the integrity through the core region is new and challenging to many of our clients.

You are also supposed to rotate your upper body with Wave Hands like Clouds. Many people have lost the ability to rotate through their thoracic region. Years of poor posture, sedentary lifestyles and sitting too much have caused this range of motion loss. With Wave Hands like Clouds, we are re-teaching people to utilize trunk rotation. Going back to the columns, we teach our clients to rotate around their central column or axis. It’s amazing how challenging this can be for your clients! They struggle with the dissociation of trunk and hips, but with Wave Hands like Clouds, their focus is on getting the movement correct. Sometimes as trainers, we get too technical with our clients and that frustrates them. They don’t care about thoracic mobility and dissociation. It’s confusing and not something they are interested in. Of course, we are interested in it because it’s our life’s work to study the functioning of the body. But our clients are often turned off by too much technical lingo. So as you teach Tai Chi, your clients are getting the benefits, but they are focusing on learning a movement and are interested in it because it helps them do the form better.

Wave Hands like Clouds will also challenge your clients to improve their breathing. People often struggle with incorporating deep, relaxing breathing because they have gotten into the habit of shallow, quick breathing. Again, poor posture has a lot to do with this. Because breath control is a very important part of Tai Chi, people must work on expanding their capacity beyond the short, shallow pattern they have developed in their everyday lives. There are two breathing patterns with the Wave Hands like Clouds movement. One can breathe in as the left hand creates its circle and then breathe out as the right hand creates its circle. In Tai Chi, we talk about breathing as being long, slow, continuous and deep. This challenges many students! The other breathing pattern is a step harder than the first one. One breathes in during both the left and right circle and then breathes out during the next cycle of left and right circles. This pattern is very difficult and requires immense control. But again, your clients have the opportunity to work on increasing their lung capacity without actually thinking about the technical side of how they are helping their bodies.

All of these concepts of columns, rotation and breathing are actually part of learning to focus on relaxation in Tai Chi, as well. Yes, Tai Chi is slow and relaxing movements. My definition of Tai Chi is this: Tai Chi is a martial art that utilizes gentle, flowing movements to enhance health in the body and the mind. Our society is chronically stressed these days and learning to relax is actually an important part of healing the body. Chronic stress causes inflammation throughout the body and inflammation is instrumental in causing many lifestyle diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis. It is critical that we give our clients a form of exercise that actually teaches their bodies to relax and doesn’t add additional stress. Tai Chi is that perfect form of exercise that provides a balance to our clients’ stressful lives.

Want to Learn More? Click HERE for your FREE Tai Chi mini-course!

Dianne Bailey is an experienced martial artist and Tai Chi instructor. She created the Open The Door to Tai Chi certification program so that more fitness professionals can quickly and easily learn how to integrate Tai Chi into their exercise programs to improve balance, strength and cognition with their older clients.