Tai Chi Chuan, (also written “Taiji” or “Taijiquan”) or simply Tai Chi, is a slow, graceful Chinese exercise that enhances relaxation skills, mental focus and physical alignment while building leg strength, endurance and stability. Ideal for increasing stamina, flexibility and coordination, Tai Chi promotes efficiency of movement and economy of effort. Its principles apply to all activity. Tai Chi practice incorporates principles for health of body, mind and spirit. These principles promote harmony in human interactions as well.

Tai chi is a centuries-old Chinese martial art. According to some records, tai chi dates back as far as 2,500 years! Tai Chi is a form of Qigong, a Chinese term for energy cultivation. Qigong, from which tai chi (qi) originates, is a discipline that involves the mind, breath, and movement to create a calm, natural balance of energy that can be used in work, recreation or self-defense. Like yoga, where many varieties have evolved, there are more than 3,000 varieties of qigong and five major traditions: Taoist, Buddhist, Confucian, martial arts, and medical, and two major types: “soft” and “hard.” Soft qigong is called inner qigong, of which tai chi is an example.

Types of Tai Chi
Yang, wu, and tai chi chih are three of the most popular styles of tai chi.

The yang style, which includes 24 movements in its simple form (108 movements in the traditional form), is demanding because you must keep your stance wide and your knees bent most of the time.
The wu style, which includes 24 to 36 movements in its shorter form (100 movements in the traditional), is gentler because it uses a narrow, higher stance where the knees are not bent as much as the yang style.
The tai chi chih style, which has 20 movements, also uses a higher stance, but with much less transfer of weight from one leg to the other than the other two.
Benefits of Tai Chi
Tai Chi hasn’t been studied scientifically until recently. Preliminary research shows that for older adults, in particular, practicing Tai Chi regularly may help:

Improve balance and coordination, reducing the number of falls.
Improve sleep quality, such as staying asleep longer at night and feeling more alert during the day.
Slow bone loss in women following menopause.
Reduce high blood pressure.
Improve cardiovascular fitness.
Relieve chronic pain.
Improve everyday physical functioning.
Reducing anxiety and depression.
Reduce stress.
Increase flexibility.
Improve muscle strength and definition.
Increase energy, stamina and agility.
Increase feelings of well being.
Ease back pain.
Provides cardiorespiratory conditioning.
Stimulates circulation, improving blood flow.
Speed recovery after a heart attack.
To gain the full benefits of Tai Chi and reduce the small risk of injury, learn the correct way to do the postures and movements. Strict attention to your body position and breathing are critical, so it’s best to study directly under a teacher rather than with a book or videotape. As you attend a series of classes, the instructor can give you personal guidance and correct any errors in your approach before they become habit. As you practice, you learn how to do tai chi without straining your muscles and joints. Once you’re comfortable with the tai chi basics, you can do it by yourself.