Improved Posture
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Bad posture is the cause of many problems from backache, knee problems and other joint related aches and pains.
Muscular problems can also be caused by bad posture as the muscles compensate for the postural imbalance.
Practising Taijiquan under a qualified and experienced teacher can alleviate and correct these problems.
The Hand Form is the basic training of Taijiquan which is used to correct postural problems as each posture is designed to align the body correctly to reduce strain on the joints and rebalance muscle groups.
Stress Reduction
Round Form Section 1 - 2007 | |
Practise over many years changes the way the form is performed as the form becomes owned by the practitioner and greater understanding of the connection between form and function manifests after years of application practise . |
The hand Form is performed in a slow, smooth continuous manner which necessitated the removal of tension in the muscles , in particular the shoulders where stress build up is concentrated.
The effects of stress manifest themselves in the body the most obvious of which is a tightening of the shoulders.
The mind and body work interactively, thus concentrating on relieving the symptoms of stress, in this case by relaxing the shoulders, has the added effect ogf reducing the mental stress that caused it.
Improved Respiration
The breathing method used in the practise of Taijiquan is deep abdominal breathing. Inhalation and exhalation are through the nose. This has several advantages over breathing through the mouth
- Cold air is warmed up before it reaches the lungs
- The air is filtered by the hair follicles in the nose
- The breathing can be deep and controlled in both inhalation and exhalation
Having suffered from asthma since I was a child I have found that daily practise of Taijiquan has completely removed my need for any medication and that I no longer suffer from any breathing difficulties.
Additional breathing and movement exercises , known as Ch'i Kung, are also used for a more cooncentrated exercise.
Improved Balance & Coordination
The slowness of movement of the hand form and the posture corrections strengthen the lower body and increase self-knowledge of your centre of gravity and where your weight is.
The movements require combinations of bodily movements performed in a smooth continuous and controlled manner.
This practise greatly increases balance and coordination.
Studies have shown that older people who practise Taijiquan have far fewer falls and accidents than those that do not.
The technical term for this is proprioception which is defined as the unconscious perception of movement and spatial orientation arising from stimuli within the body itself.
When standing on one leg the muscles are performing a lot of work to maintain a stable balanced position. This becomes even more apparent if you close yur eyes and balance has to be maintained by body awareness alone.
Improved Circulation
Tai Chi Exercises | |
Exercising the waist and stance in Tiger Embraces Head. Exercising the back and hips in Retrieving the Moon. |
Although the exercise is gentle the body is performing a lot of internal work.
Raising and lowering the arms, bending and sinking , twisting and turning the waist all cause increased blood flow to the extremities.
This is also helped by relaxing the muscles and exercising the joints.
Improved Concentration and Calmness of Mind
As the movements are done slowly it is necessary to focus on what you are doing otherwise you will lose balance or forget what comes next.
The mind must be calmed to enable the actions to be smooth.
Thus the practise of Taijiquan becomes a form of meditation in motion.
In addition static postures may be utilised that require stillness of the mind and concentration on inner harmony.
Improved Flexibility
Snake Creeps Down Exercise | |
All the elements of the form can be broken down and made into individual exercises to work on specific areas of weakness and imbalance. This exercise is particularly good for stretching the groin area amongst other things. |
The postures of the handform and the changing of postures increases the articulation of the joints, gently stretching the tendons & ligaments so that flexibility improves without the risk of injury that can happen with conventional stretching exercises.
The relaxation of the muscles during the form aids the stretching process.
The exercise is also designed to build up core body strength.
Improved Stamina
The hand form can take up to 20 minutes to complete from start to finish thus by the time a person has finished learning it their stamina will have improved vastly.