Holistic Benefits of Tai Chi Chuan

Tai chi is a holistic approach to health, encompassing the mind, body and spirit as one collective being. Many exercises stress the body without any consolation to the conscience or the spirit; conversely, many activities in daily life strain the mind or the soul without an ounce of tension on the body.

When the body is in complete homeostasis practitioners find peace. Homeostasis is a state of balance generally used as a biological term, but it seems very fitting when speaking of tai chi.

Mayoclinic states, Tai chi is non-competitive, self-paced system of gentle exercise. Performing tai chi requires a series of movements which demand balance and constant flow, never once through the routine will you stop moving.

Recent studies show that the best way to exercise the abdomen is through balance workouts, not through crunches or contracting and bending the spine. Tai chi in many ways will shape and tone your stomach and it will also increase your ability to balance.

The Intense Tai Chi Exercise Training and Fall Occurrences in Older, Transitionally Frail Adults: A Randomized Control Trail showed that older more robust practitioners of the sport yielded results and better ability to maintain balance. Similar studies show that younger practitioners are more than twice as likely to yield effective results than older less adaptable trainees.

Not only does it improve one's ability to balance, which is an essential skill for daily life, but it also has been shown to have positive effects on moods and pain, and not only in young active adults but older candidates as well. According to The Effects of a Short-Term Exercise Program on Movement, Pain and Mood in the Elderely, a study done by M Candice Ross, there are numerous therapeutic effects that come from tai chi.

The increased blood flow strains the toxins from the muscles and activates the lymphatic system in the body, which cleanse the body of all unwanted waste leaving you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Apart from cleansing the body of foul toxins, you are also practicing breathing throughout the entire exercise.

This will also cleanse and oxidate the circulatory system. As people age they start breathing more with their lungs and less with their abdomen, which causes stale air to be caught in the deep confines of the lung.

Tia Chi actually helps to release the stale air and bring fresh invigorating oxygen back into the body. Fresh oxygen in the blood will help to create a clearer mind and a more peaceful and tranquil soul.

Practicing this routine daily will, scientifically proven, benefit your heart, mind and soul. It is low impact, so even the elderly can do it.