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Studies show people are more stressed than
ever and are uncertain about their future, which causes
more stress. How can we refocus after such an upheaval
to our lives? One thing is certain...we must focus, rebuild
and move on. That's what we are good at.
Many people benefit from engaging a discipline
in their lives. Some find a martial art like Tai Chi to
be of great benefit.
The ancient Chinese art of Tai Chi Chuan
means Supreme Ultimate Force. The "chi" means
a form of energy and is roughly translated as "breath".
According to Chinese philosophy, chi usually flows through
the body but can be blocked. Acupuncture or Tai Chi restore
the flow.
As legend has it, Tai Chi was created by
a Taoist monk after he watched a snake trying its best
not to become lunch for a hungry crane. The monk was quite
impressed by the snake's graceful movements and its ability
to avoid the crane's beak, so he created self-defense
techniques which focussed on evading an opponent's blow
- this causes aggressive movements to work against an
opponent.
Tai Chi is associated with yin-yang -the
universal balance in life of female/male, light/dark,
good/evil and so on. The Chinese believe in an all encompassing
universe which is made from opposing energy forms that
constantly interact with each other and eventually evolve
into their opposites. For example, yin will eventually
evolve into yang.
Yin is the feminine, soft side and Yang
the aggressive male side.
The Western version of Tai Chi is like a
mix of yoga and meditation - it has been described as
meditation in motion. It is a martial art, however it
is not used to injure but to exercise the body and achieve
yin-yang. There are different styles of Tai Chi: Yang,
Chen, Wu Shi, Hui Lei, Sun, and Zhao Bao.
Tai Chi is a series of graceful postures
to achieve control of the mind and body, and to abandon
fear and anxiety and promote calmness. There are what's
called essentials, which are ten important principles
you must follow before and during your exercises to help
you loosen up.
The Five Elements are an important part
of Tai Chi which relate to emotions and different areas
of the body. The elements are: water, wood, fire, earth
and metal.
Tai Chi is enormously popular and you can
understand why. It is healthy for the mind and body. And
that's gotta be a good thing!
We'll leave you with a quote from
Tai Chi Online's
Dan Docherty: "Next time you feel below par, forget
the Prozac, get yourself some Tai Chi Chuan training."
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