An exercise in vitality: put away your prejudices葉ai chi ain’t just for senior citizens and vegans. With the promise of new energy, better flexibility
THE FIRST TIME you saw someone immersed in tai chi–limbs looping in superslo-mo, gaze lost in space–your eyes must have rolled like a Texas Republican’s at a Green Party rally. Any activity with movements called “Watching Clouds Pass” and “Inner Rivers Flowing” is too hippie-dippie to offer much of value, and sounds more suited for northern California than the rest of America, right?
Wrong, say a burgeoning number of devotees, a growing segment of them as young as you are. Just as its kindred discipline yoga has been embraced by buttoned-down lawyers and accountants, tai chi is no longer limited to hemp-clad New Agers who impose vegan diets on their pets. (”Roll over for a soy treat, Scout!”) More and more Americans are joining 100 million Chinese in discovering tai chi’s myriad benefits on the mind and body.
Tai chi is actually one of a group of practices, along with self-massage and sitting meditation, that make up the broader discipline of qigong. Tai chi is the one most recognizable to Westerners. Oh, yeah, the one with the funny poses.
One man’s funny poses is another’s daily regeneration. “Coffee may give you a short-term lift, but that’s only one level of energy,” says Roger Jahnke, a specialist in Asian medicine and author of The Healing Promise of Qi: Creating Extraordinary Wellness Through Qigong and Tai Chi. Tai chi enhances four higher levels of energy, according to Jahnke.
And what are those four levels?
Level 1: Physiological energy from metabolizing oxygen and sugars, which should help with your weight training.
Level 2: Electrical energy from the ions that flow through your body, which improves contractile force.
Level 3: Emotional energy, a.k.a. enthusiasm and inspiration, which is simply just good for you.
Level 4: Spiritual energy, which taps into “the infinite energy of the eternal self,” according to Chinese sages and a growing body of scientific literature on the subject of longevity.
Jahnke says that all these forms of tai chi-enhanced energy give you more stamina, alertness and creativity, enabling you to perform better on the job, on the playing field, in bed and … well, isn’t that enough?
Jahnke, founding chairman of the National Qigong Association, believes that energy flow becomes partially blocked by the accumulation of mind and body stresses. Tai chi unclogs that blockage, he says, which allows an internal reservoir of energy (called qi or chi) to fill to the brim. The ensuing state of deep relaxation is what makes tai chi the reputed Roto-Rooter of exercise.
Western scientists are just beginning to verify Chinese studies that show tai chi reduces stress and improves flexibility, balance, circulation, sleep, mood, concentration, pain management and immune function. Jahnke says all these effects are produced by “relaxation response” changes in everything from heart rate and blood pressure to tissue regeneration and brain activity.
Appropriately, the practice of tai chi is flexible, much like you’ll be after trying it for a while. You can start with an instructional book (Jahnke’s is the current best-seller) or video in the privacy of your living room. Or you can plunge right in and sample a class (for little cost).
“Beginners shouldn’t worry about which master the instructor has studied with or which style is taught,” says Jahnke. “Finding a teacher who radiates enthusiasm and well-being is the key to motivating you to continue with tai chi.” Most classes–offered by martial arts studios, colleges, city recreation departments, and hospitals–meet weekly, with 10 to 20 minutes of nightly “homework.”
Every tai chi session starts with the “Three Intentful Corrections,” which initiate the process of melting away any mental and physical stress and achieving a kind of relaxed focus.
* Adjust your posture: chin up, spine straight, knees slightly bent, and shoulders, arms and hands loose. Now release all tension. Untighten your shoulder, neck, stomach and jaw muscles.
* Regulate your breathing so that each breath lasts about 15 seconds. Follow a slow and deep inhalation with three seconds of held breath, then a very slow exhalation. A warm, tranquil sensation should envelop you, similar to how you feel after a glass of wine.
* Clear your mind of data: lists, burdens, frustrations–the daily onslaught of distractions. This is easier done with tai chi than with sitting meditation because tai chi’s movements provide a tangible focus for your mind.
If all this is starting to sound a little out there, let’s put it in terms closer to home: What do you do just before hitting a golf ball or shooting a free throw? Relax the body, take a deep breath, focus the mind. Tai chi just refines the formula.
Whether tai chi fits into your fitness routine only occasionally or becomes a daily passion, here are some guidelines on doing it properly:
* Relaxation is the objective, so don’t get caught up in rigid goal-setting. You needn’t practice tai chi a half hour every day to reap its benefits.
* Vary the movements you execute, the number of reps you complete, and even the way you perform each move. Experiment.
* Make the exercises incrementally more challenging by adding time or increasingly difficult movements, or by crouching lower, reaching farther or kicking higher.
* Alternate the location (indoors or out) and time of day to keep your practice fresh.
* Don’t push yourself too hard, especially if you have back or knee problems.
You may never achieve tai chi mastery in all 108 movements, or speed them up enough to transform them into a martial art. You may never attain nirvana or attempt the advanced qigong practice of sex without ejaculation (how much fun can that be?). But at the very least, tai chi should calm and energize you by untethering you from cell phones, traffic, and what Jahnke calls “the internal chatter of the busy mind.”
RELATED ARTICLE: Easy as 1-2-3.
A video or an instructor can demonstrate these six simple tai chi moves, but go ahead and try them now–as long as no one’s around to razz you.
1 QIGONG OPENING Start with feet together, arms at your sides and knees slightly bent (1a). Lift one foot and slowly move the foot and both arms outward. Inhale and plant your feet shoulder-width apart (1b). Now slowly exhale and bring your hands forward until you’re “holding” an invisible basketball at belly height. Elongate your lower back as if it’s pressed against a wall (1c). (This is the starting position for most tai chi moves, including the next five.)
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2 RING THE TEMPLE GONG Twist your body to the right (2a), then to the left (2b). Lead from the waist, allowing your arms, shoulders and head to follow. After a few twists, up the ante by “hugging” yourself at the end of each movement.
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3 BEAT THE HEAVENLY DRUM Make like a plane, with arms straight out at shoulder level and hands balled in fists (3a). Now vigorously exhale while dropping both arms as you pivot your whole body (legs, trunk and head) to the left (3b). Your right fist will pass downward in front of your body (”beating the drum”) as your left fist passes behind it. Repeat on other side (3c).
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4 WARRIOR’S BREATH While inhaling deeply, raise your hands (thumbs up) in front of your chest, with elbows bent and left leg raised (4a). After briefly holding your breath, step ahead, thrust your hands forward and exhale hard, unleashing a “Ha!” or “Ho!” (4b). Drop your hands; repeat several times.
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5 WALKING QIGONG Start walking slowly, then slacken the pace to superslo-mo while practicing deep, purposeful breathing (5a-5c). Walk so gingerly that you barely impact the ground. Walking backward and sweeping your arms side-to-side adds difficulty.
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6 GATHERING QI Open your arms wide (6a) and squat down as if you’re gathering a pile of branches (6b-6c). Return to the Qigong Opening position, then widen your arms again and lift the “branches” high above your head (6d). Conclude by lowering the branches to your navel (6e).
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GLOSSARY
Qi (chi): The life energy that flows within each of us and all things, according to Chinese philosophy,
Qigong (chi-kung): A cluster of mind/body disciplines, including self-massage, setting meditation and tai chi (moving meditation), meant to instill vitality.
Tai chi: Movements, usually performed very slowly, meant to enhance energy, balance, health and harmony by calming the mind and regulating the body and breath.
Yoga: An Indian discipline similar to tai chi, as both use gentle movement, breath regulation and mental focus. Most yoga exercises (”asanas”) are done while lying or sitting on a mat; most tai chi moves are done on your feet.
from: Weider Publications