Tai Chi Healing

Tai Chi is best known as a 'soft' or 'internal' Chinese martial art. Internal martial arts, such as Tai Chi, differ from other martial arts in that they use internal 'chi' energy, and the ability to use an opponents own strength against them, rather than ordinary muscular force like other martial arts. Internal martial arts also have a strong emphasis on health, philosophy and spiritual growth; these things are always present in Chinese martial arts, which is one of the main things that sets kung fu apart from other martial arts like kick boxing or Thai-boxing, but they are especially emphasized in internal martial arts like Tai Chi.

In many Tai Chi schools students will not even begin to learn the self-defense applications of what they are learning for many years, and many of the people who go to Tai Chi lessons are there for the health benefits and spiritual associations of the art, rather than to learn how to fight. It is well known that the gentle exercise of Tai Chi routines increases health and fitness without the physical strains associated with more intense exercise, and that the meditative nature of Tai Chi, and its focus on relaxed movements, is great for combating the effects of stress. Many people are also attracted to Tai Chi for its ability to increase a persons vitally and slow down the aging process. One of the most common scenes that any visitor to China will see is the huge congregations of people, many of them well into old age, who meet up in the public parks and squares every morning to practice their Tai Chi.

what most people do not realize however is that in addition to the general health benefits of Tai Chi specific routines and exercises have been developed over the centuries which can be used to treat common diseases, particularly those related to old age such as arthritis, diabetes and osteoporosis. The theory of Tai Chi is actually based on the same principles as traditional Chinese medicine - the flow of chi through its meridians in the body, and the balance of yin and yang energies; and just as treatments such as acupuncture are used to remove blockages within the meridians that impede the flow of chi and lead to illness, so too can Tai Chi exercises be used to do the same.

The most common example of this is 'joint' breathing' exercises, which combine static postures with breathing exercise and simple meditative practices to lead chi energy into and through the joints. This can be very effective in reducing the symptoms of arthritis. Similar practices are also used to treat back-pain, repetitive strain injury and other similar conditions

Another example is the use of Tai Chi to increase bone density. This is actually a common practice in all Chinese martial arts and is exemplified in Shaolin kung fu by the amazing art of 'iron shirt' in which practitioner use the cultivation and direction of chi to strengthen the body and enable themselves to withstand powerful attacks from blunt weapons such as baseball bats or metal bars without sustaining injury. This art can actually be traced back to the Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, who gave the monks of Shaolin a set of exercises to counteract the weakening of their bodies that had occurred due to long hours of seated meditation, and which are recorded in a text called 'The Tendon-Changing Marrow-Washing (as in bone marrow) classic. In Tai Chi these same principles are used to treat brittle bone disease.

Specific routines have also been devised to treat diabetes and many other illnesses. Although, of course, you should always go to a conventional doctor first, illnesses such as arthritis, back pain, osteoporosis and diabetes cannot be fully healed using conventional methods, and the use of complementary treatments such as acupuncture or Tai Chi can make a huge difference to a persons quality of life. For more information on Tai Chi I have included some links to a website with free information as well as a store selling books and dvds.