Tai Chi is Physical Exercises for the Cultivation of Consciousness
China Sports Editorial Board
The American Medical Association describes Tai Chi as ” physical movement and mental concentration; its purpose is to moderately exercise all the muscles and achieve integration between mind and body.”
Benefits of Tai Chi
Tai Chi appears to be helpful for numerous medical conditions
- Arthritis
- Low bone density
- Breast cancer
- Heart disease
- Heart failure
- Hypertension
- Parkinson’s disease
- Sleep problems
- Stroke
The phenomenon of Tai Chi refers to a meditative state, where the mind acts as a center of command, control and coordination of the body. In psychology this is known as a “flow state”, athletes call it “the zone”, musicians call it a “groove” and the Chinese call it “Ming” the goal in Tai Chi. 
To those who perform it well, Tai chi becomes a joyous artistic performance where all separation between Mind and body disappear. By teaching the mind to take better control of the body, we regain a sense of control over our lives. We feel a sense of mastery over our fate and it is deeply enjoyable. 
Steven Blair, Ph.D., (with The Cooper Institute for Aerobic Research in Dallas) refers to the “growing body of evidence regarding the efficacy of Tai Chi interventions in improving and maintaining function in older individuals. ….Tai Chi appears to influence favorably, balance, strength and …. aerobic power.”
Evidence Based Research
A large review study looked at 77 randomized controlled trials about Tai Chi or qigong, which included a total of 6,410 participants and found strong evidence that Tai Chi and qigong offer benefits for cardiorespiratory fitness, balance and fall prevention, physical function, bone health, mental health and quality of life.
A review of 19 studies showed that Tai Chi may be a cost effective exercise program for improving balance and increasing physical activity in almost all of the following measures: fear of falling, single-leg stance, posturography, rate of falling, flexibility, walking velocity, Berg Balance Scale, Timed up and Go, Functional Reach, ankle and knee joint strength and range of motion, and in showing that vigorous individuals benefit more than older frail individuals.
Exploratory studies are underway on the effects of Tai Chi on immune function, bone loss, arthritis, memory and immune disorders.
Living Longer Naturally 