The Benefits Of Tai Chi and Qigong
Would you like to decrease stress, increase your energy level, and improve balance, flexibility, and strength? Tai Chi and Qigong, two mind-body practices that originated in Ancient China, can help.
Tai Chi and Qigong Balance Qi
Both Tai Chi and Qigong help keep qi flowing freely through your body. Thousands of years, medical practitioners identified qi as a life force needed for good general and mental health. Qi travels through your body through a series of invisible meridians. If a blockage occurs at any point in a meridian, you may experience illness or aches or pains and may notice that you feel sluggish or have trouble sleeping.
Acupuncture treatments relieve qi blockages and restore harmony to your body. Practicing Tai Chi and Qigong also helps keep qi balanced and provides an excellent way to maintain your acupuncture treatment results.
Tai Chi and Qigong Offer Many Benefits
Tai Chi is performed using slow, gentle, continuous movements while standing. When you observe the participants in a tai chi class, it looks as if they're moving in slow motion.
Unlike Tai Chi, Qigong is performed while you're stationary. The practice combines certain poses with meditation to strengthen qi and improve its flow through each meridian. While you maintain each position, you'll complete a breathing sequence that will accentuate the effects of the poses and relax your mind.
Performing Tai Chi or Qigong is a good choice if:
- You're Looking For a Low-Impact Activity. Tai Chi and Qigong won't stress your muscles, joints and connective tissues like running and other high-impact activities. They're a good choice for anyone, but particularly beneficial if you have arthritis or joint or muscle conditions.
- You Have a Chronic Condition. The practices can help you manage the symptoms of fibromyalgia, Parkinson's disease, and other conditions. Practicing Tai chi and Qigong can improve your quality of life if you have cancer, heart disease or other chronic conditions.
- You Want to Improve The Control of Your Muscles. Tai Chi looks simple, but it takes considerable discipline to perform the slow, controlled movements. Improving your muscle control can help you excel at other activities and sports and may also improve your balance.
- You Want to Increase Your Flexibility and Strength. As you transition from one pose to another, you'll use every part of your body in Tai Chi. The poses can help you stay flexible, improve muscle strength, reduce muscle stiffness, and increase your range of motion. Although Qigong exercises target specific parts of the body, such as the heart, lungs or back, it also keeps your muscles and tissues loose and flexible.
- You Feel Stressed. When you perform Tai Chi or Qigong poses, you'll breathe in and out deeply and pay attention to the way your body feels as you move from pose to pose. This inward focus triggers a sense of calm and relaxation and offers natural stress-relief benefits.
Are you interested in improving your health with acupuncture treatments? Contact us to schedule your appointment.
Sources:
Harvard Health Publishing: The Health Benefits of Tai Chi, 8/20/19