Tai Chi and Harvard Medical School

Stephen Allerton blogger and Tai Chi with Havard University

Hello friends, for those who have decided to read this blog expressing their interest in doing Tai Chi, the below link will lead you to the Harvard Medical School , and their Introduction booklet which can be purchased for £20 giving a comprehensive insight into this fascinating Chinese Art.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/exercise-and-fitness/an-introduction-to-tai-chi

Also friends, as my interest for Tai Chi begins to grow, I thought I would study what Harvard Medical School writes about Tai Chi.

Tai Chi, Harvard Approval of Tai Chi, Stephen Allerton blogger,
Harvard Medical School Approves Tai Chi, by blogger Stephen Allerton

Harvard have said that:-

An Introduction to Tai Chi

Mind-body exercises, such as tai chi and yoga, have been gaining popularity over the past few decades. This is not surprising, given the increasing number of studies on the positive effects of these gentler forms of exercise—everything from lowering blood pressure and managing depression to building strength and improving balance. There is even evidence that tai chi may help you live a longer, more vital life.

Living Better, Living Longer.

Also friends, With this Special Health Report, Living Better, Living Longer, which I will add is based in the USA, however should have similarities around the globe, you will learn the protective steps doctors recommend for keeping your mind and body fit for an active and rewarding life. You’ll get tips for diet and exercise, preventive screenings, reducing the risk of coronary disease, strengthening bones, lessening joint aches, and assuring that your sight, hearing, and memory all stay sharp. Plus, you’ll get authoritative guidance to help you stretch your health care dollar, select a health plan that meets your needs, prepare a health care proxy, and more.

So the above authoritative advice from this health report coming straight from the ‘doctor’s mouth’ so to speak, is great news to the person who sometimes gets a little stuck into which is the best advice to follow when doing Tai Chi, and although aimed at the elderly in life, can be read and applied to anybodies life.

So, an introduction to Tai Chi cont’d.

So friends, this intro to Tai Chi report’s main goal is to make Tai Chi more familiar, more accessible, and easy to practice regularly—even right in your living room. Thinking about this friends, when you can do something ‘anywhere’ then that’s great for doing your aim in life ‘regularly’ and regularity is the key to success, and this is what I’ve learned. If you can do something regularly like Tai Chi, then you are more likely to continue with your plans and meet your aims in life.

The large number of studies about Tai Chi benefits has really been hitting home with people around the world regarding the health benefits of Tai Chi’s gentle exercises. Mind-body exercises, such as tai chi and yoga, have been gaining popularity over the past few decades. This is not surprising, given the increasing number of studies on the positive effects of these gentler forms of exercise—everything from lowering blood pressure and managing depression to building strength and improving balance. There is even evidence that tai chi may help you live a longer, more vital life.

Take a glance at the ‘Intro to Tai Chi’ report’s CONTENTS


  • What is tai chi?
    • The history of tai chi 
    • The eight active ingredients of tai chi
  • The health benefits of tai chi
    • Better balance 
    • Less pain
    • A sharper mind
    • A happier disposition
    • Less stress
    • More self-confidence
    • A stronger heart
  • Before you start: Safety first
    • When to see a doctor
  • Creating your tai chi practice
    • Getting set up
    • Tips for a better practice
    • How does tai chi fit into your overall exercise plan?
    • Terminology used in the routines
  • Standing Tai Chi Calisthenics
  • Seated Tai Chi Calisthenics
  • Traditional Tai Chi Elements
  • Resources

Friends, just mulling over those contents can give you some great Tai Chi ideas, however another site to visit is by WikiHow, whose link is below

https://www.wikihow.com/Do-Tai-Chi

Tai Chi promotes smiling faces.
Tai Chi promotes smiling faces.

And don’t forget Tai Chi promotes smiling faces.

Tai Chi promotes smiling faces.
Tai Chi promotes smiling faces.

Also friends, before you go spending your cash on Tai Chi Introduction reports, below is some excerpts taken from it, so please take the time to study the basis of what this publication is about!

Tips for a better practice
One of the best ways to learn how to do tai chi is to observe it and follow along. That’s why we created videos of both the Standing Tai Chi Calisthenics and the Tai Chi Elements. Reviewing the videos before trying the moves on the following pages will make learning tai chi easier. You can find these videos online at www.health.harvard.edu/tai-chi-calisthenics and www.health.harvard.edu/tai-chi-elements.

In addition, the tips below will help you to get more benefits out of your practice and reduce your risk of injury.

Enjoy it. Enjoy the movements and breathing. Don’t worry about whether you are doing everything right. Don’t think too much about doing it perfectly—just do. Enjoyment will deepen your practice and help your qi to flow more freely. Worrying or overthinking it disrupts the flow and pulls you out of the moment.

Get grounded. Feel the ground with your feet. Release your weight into the ground and maintain good body alignment to promote stability and balance.

Take it slow. Moving slowly gives you time to sense your body’s position, uncover hidden tensions, and make postural modifications so that different parts of your body move more harmoniously together.

Obey the 70% rule. A key principle of tai chi is moderation in effort, which may contribute to its low risk of injury. This principle is referred to as the 70% rule. Basically, it means to avoid extremes, in which injuries are more likely to occur. Instead, stay at about 70% of your effort, intensity, or range of motion. Never force a movement beyond about 70%. For example, keep a slight bend in your elbow when you extend your arm instead of fully extending it and locking your elbow. Similarly, when stretching your back, for example, stop well before you sense fear of straining muscles or causing a spasm. If you feel any pain or resistance to a move, back off from it.

Be mindful. As you move from side to side, do so in a mindful way. Can you feel the contact between your feet and the ground? Can you feel how your feet connect to the rest of your body? Can you feel your body slowly relaxing as you breathe? Can you do all that without clenching your neck and jaw? You may not be able to do any of the above well, but just being aware of these things is a critical first step. As soon as you start moving, the movement should serve as the “magnet” for your attention. Let it draw your awareness to the parts that are moving.

Move from your center. Imagine your head, torso, and pelvis as a single column aligned over your legs and feet. All upper and lower body movements are integrated with the movement of this “column,” which includes the body’s center of gravity. Do not twist the spine. The tai chi classics say that good movements begin beneath your feet, are steered by the waist, and applied through the arms.

Be aware of your “inner ocean.” Your body is roughly 60% liquid. With this in mind, think of moving an inner ocean when you perform tai chi, rather than changing the shape or position of a solid object. Keep the movements smooth and flowing, as if you were in a pool—the kind of movements that would create gentle waves instead of splashes.

Do some, not none. As with learning to play an instrument, the more time you put into tai chi, the more you’ll get out of it. Whether you have time for only a few 30-minute sessions a week, or 10 minutes a day, do it! You’ll still get benefits. But if you want to overcome a serious health problem or develop a deeper spiritual practice, a more rigorous regimen, such as longer 30- to 60-minute daily sessions, will help you to achieve those goals.

Pace yourself. Just like a young tree thrives when it receives intermittent rain instead of a single downpour, you’ll see more benefits by doing a little tai chi more frequently than doing a lot in isolated sessions that are few and far between. This is especially important when you are beginning a practice. Start with just 10 or 15 minutes and then gradually increase. Even five  minutes most days of the week is better than doing nothing at all.

Be patient with your progress. No matter what type of exercise you do, even high-intensity workouts, it takes time to see changes. And with lower-intensity forms of exercise like tai chi, it may take even longer  to see physical changes like increased strength or flexibility. The results are worth the wait. However, you need to be on the lookout for them. For example, you may be able to reach into overhead cabinets more easily or bend down to pick up something off the floor without needing to hold on to something. Look for improvements in everyday activities as a way to track
your progress. Celebrate these improvements.

I hope this blog helps you to decide whether to try Tai Chi one day, and please don’t forget to message me if this post has helped in any way, after all you are the People Power of the world!

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My first Tai Chi lesson through my ‘Dove Buddies’ carer’s service.

Tai Chi for beginners

So, as I walked into the room where my ‘carer friends’ and past carer friends were sitting, in eager anticipation for our Tai Chi instructor to arrive, I really didn’t have any clue or idea what to expect. After the taster had finished I was quietly surprised at how much I enjoyed the experience, and along with the others put my details on a piece of paper expressing my interest to do more.

I proceeded to look out for Tai Chi blogs and the first beginners blog I came across was by the name of Ts’ai Chueh-ming whose blog can be found at the below link

https://taichi-daily.com/blog/
Ts’ai Chueh-ming (teacher) , the first Tai Chi blog I read and an excellent start for beginners in the art of Tai Chi!
Tai Chi, body and soul, breathing energy and movement. So soul invigorating, calming and relaxing, and perhaps for some feeling their bodies through their minds for the first time in their lives. by Stephen Allerton (blogger).

So I had a great instructor by the name of Lyn Emerton qualified instructor for Tai Chi who informed us at our Dove service carer group that Tai Chi in fact is a Chinese form of exercise developed over 700 years ago,and 300 million people worldwide practice it. Wow! that’s like one twentieth of the world do it! Tai Chi consists of slow relaxed movements, involving all the bodies joints, muscles and tendons,promoting mind, body, spirit and wellbeing. The movements are based on self defence moves in kung fu, but slowly done, where Yang style is soft form and White Crane being hard forms of this ancient art form of keep fit. The controlled breathing in Tai Chi helps you to relax and control anxiety and panic attacks.

There are many different forms of Tai Chi.

Sun Style – soft, gentle, relaxing. Suitable for everyone. Yang style is similar and the most popular form of Tai Chi. Tai Chi Shaolin which is a hard style. Chen style another hard form. Wu style – hard form, bending and stretching low down.

Health Benefits are numerous doing Tai Chi from flexibility and strengthening muscles, to body, mind and soul integration, relaxation and meditation.

There is something the Chinese call Qi, which is the life energy within us, flowing through specific channels called meridians. It is a combination of the Qi you were born with and the Qi you absorbed through digestive system from food and water and the air we breathe in. Qi circulates through and around the body with a Qi storage area found 3 fingers below the belly button called the Dan-tien. Chinese practitioners believe that good health comes from a healthy Qi.

And finally friends, if you are interested in doing Tai Chi the institution I’m planning on going to is called :-

Tai Chi for Health Institute by Dr Lam at http://taichiforhealthinstitute.org

Happy Tai Chi, ps if you would like to leave me a comment that would be much appreciated, and don’t forget to click on the posts title to bring up the comments box. Hope to here from you soon , Stephen. blogger.

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