Tai Chi Series Part 5: Healing

There are three things that Tai Chi will heal in a person: the body, the mind, and the spirit.

Tai Chi was originally a martial art, but it grew into an exercise meant primarily for healing. The Qi-Gong branch of Tai Chi, which is what most will likely participate in while attending a class, is the healing branch of Tai Chi. Qi-Gong Tai Chi is a very effective method of healing your muscles, joints, and spine alignment, as well being effective for calming your mind and energizing your spirit.

While participating the in the exercises described in this blog series, you will find that the common factor is that of balance. Finding balance allows your spine, muscles, organs, and overall alignment to settle into an efficient position. Mentally, balance is discovering a place of peace. The immediate benefits of the practice of Tai Chi are both physical and mental, and the long-term benefits serve to deepen these personal improvements.

I began to pursue Tai Chi for the benefits towards my posture, because most of my years have been spent hunched over a desk, and I also hold my anxiety between my shoulder-blades. I have had terrible posture, tension, and pain as a result, and the effects were starting to creep in on my self-esteem. Since learning Tai Chi my pain has been mostly forgotten, and I have had much pleasure in enjoying my new physical stature. I am very sincere in my pursuit of the benefits of Tai Chi because of these experiences- it is one of the opportunities of life that seems too good to be true, but the practice truly is of incredible benefit.

Tai Chi also offers never-ending spiritial exploration. Our experience is limited within the human body- our sensations provide feeling, and our minds provide imagination, and our experiences are hedged within these limits. Tai Chi is an exercise for finding the edges of these limits. This effect is linked directly to one's will while challenging the self during Tai Chi practice. Time after time I have found myself seeking a more balanced and efficient Tai Chi movement, and to do this I have had to break through the habits of thought which have accompanied my more limited movements. To do this, mental barriers had to be broken down. The result has been a completely new mental outlook. Tai Chi is without a doubt a method for achieving extreme difference is one's experience of life, and this is the root of Qi Gong healing- the mind discovers it can be freed without strain, although many will encounter strain in order to discover this.

Let's compare the purpose of hiring a therapist with practicing Tai Chi. Most conversations with a therapist will be answering questions meant to lead towards pathways of new perspective and understanding. Tai Chi, in the same effect, is an exploration of new habits of movement and thought. We discover new pathways for both our movements and thoughts. The body and mind discovers its limits and the mind feels out its own barriers.

In further installments, we will explore more Tai Chi exercises that promote patience, healing, and other aspects such as balance, power, and efficiency across all human movements. It is a very worthwhile practice, while the rational mind may make sense of it as a slow and inefficient practice in relation to its usual habits. The more you challenge the voice of habit and instead garner patience, the more mental barriers will be broken down.

Use Spirit to know the future
Use Wisdom to store the past
-I Ching

Thank you for reading this installment of the Tai Chi series, I hope the aspect of healing has come across for both the body and mind. It is difficult to express, as the only true form of expression within the Tai Chi art form is the practice of the movements, which is where you will find the experience and understanding of these benefits.

Previous Tai Chi posts:
Part 1: Overview
Part 2: Basic Stance
Part 3: Patience
Part 4: Cloud Hands