Essay Example on Tai Chi: Moving Meditation for Health Benefits

Chinese exercise therapy, also known as Tai Chi, has increasingly become well known in western society. It is a way of moving meditation with tremendous health benefits that are practiced by millions of people globally (Blake & Hawley, 2012). Tai Chi originated from the martial arts known as Taiji Quan or the Supreme Ultimate Fist (Le, 2017). Taiji Quan was created by the Chen family and then passed down within the lineage except for the Yang and Wu families. Chen Fake later decided to test the martial arts system against other prominent systems (Blake & Hawley, 2012). He managed to change the perception of Taiji Quan as a slow style when he showed off the strong moves usually found in the Chen style. A few years later, a health program was created by the government based on the Taiji system after taking most of the martial arts (Lan et al., 2013). It happened after the occurrence of a cultural revolution in China. The Yang style was recommended for the program, and other techniques like kata, talou, and sequence were created and initiated to the public (Blake & Hawley, 2012). The program spread internationally during the late 1970s to early 1980s when china’s reclusive ability on the world stage was declining.

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Taijiquan is a combination of Chinese martial art with a breath training program known as Tu Na, energy flow guidance or Dao Yin, and meditation. Taijiquan is a kind of Chinese traditional mind-body harmony technique for health improvement known as Yangshengshu, and also a crucial part of the Chinese Traditional Medicine (Le, 2017). Taijiquan, as an internal martial art, constitutes one of the eight branches of Chinese traditional medicine. The gentle moves practiced in taijiquan help in connecting the body and mind through slow movements and focused breath (Le, 2017). Physical health, pain management, and improvement of mental health are achieved through the integration (Blake & Hawley, 2012). Taijiquan is known for its physical and mental health benefits. They concentrate on forms of movement and breathing regulation, resulting in a state of mental calmness and clarity. The physical movements rotate the body joints about 95% of their normal capability, thus making one get flexible (Blake & Hawley, 2012). Taiji has been found as a practice that improves flexibility, balance, and cardiovascular wellness (Lan et al., 2013). It also relieves one from pain, depression, insomnia, fatigue, and disease symptoms like diabetes and others, making it a suitable treatment in traditional Chinese medicine programs.

Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners use various mind and body practices like Taijiquan to address health problems. There are two sections of healing injury, illness, and diseases from the traditional Chinese medicine perspective. The first is the hands-on energetic healing work, which can get complex with many meridian lines on the human body. The second is where specific Taijiquan exercises are taught, learned, and are sufficient to heal many health issues (Le, 2017). Taiji is used as both preventive medicines and as a way of addressing specific health issues. Many Taiji forms and exercises have been developed for centuries and endured because of their effectiveness (Blake & Hawley, 2012). A professional can design movement exercise in the same way a herbalist prescribes formulas, where the prescriptions change in the course of the injury, illness, or disease treatment (McFarlane & Huston, 2016). Practicing Taijiquan improves older people's stability, reduces pain from knee osteoarthritis, and helps people cope with back pain and fibromyalgia. It also promotes quality of life and improves mood in people suffering from heart failure.

Tai chi is very useful in physical therapy, including healing bad knees, shoulders, joints, and backs. Those who practice Taiji do it for the same reasons people go to physical therapies at the hospitals. Only trained professionals in Chinese medicine can offer a diagnosis accordingly. They well understand the chi flows in the body and are aware of the areas a patient should put effort when practicing tai chi as a form of medicine (Le, 2017). Taiji movements are a greater form of Chinese treatment since they have a greater effect on more people than the number a specialist could ever treat in a clinical setting (Lan et al., 2013). It's probably because people are taught the relevance of each move and can spread the news to others. Taiji is a low-cost intervention that requires no specialized equipment other than comfortable clothing and shoes. It can be performed anywhere once a person learns it. The practice also enhances social interaction when a group exercise is done, and this can help meet the needs of people with varied functional ability.

Taijiquan is used in health promotion where aerobic capacity, muscular strength, and balance control are enhanced. Increased Taiji activities significantly improve aerobic activity and muscular strength, enabling a good posture, especially to the elderly, as a result of improved balancing (Blake & Hawley, 2012). Balance function declines from middle age to older age and increases the rate of falls reduced by Suitable Taiji training. It also results in increased physical activity and improved quality of life (Lan et al., 2013). These exercise programs usually slow down the decline in health-related quality of life, especially among the elderly. The psychological wellbeing of Taiji practitioners is improved since their noradrenaline excretion in urine increases while salivary cortisol concentration reduces. It is as a result of the nervous system activation during the Taiji exercise.

Diseases like stroke, Parkinson’s disease, brain injuries, and multiple sclerosis are treated using Taiji. These exercises have potential benefits in stroke rehabilitation through enhancement of balance and physical functionality. Impaired mobility is common with patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease (Le, 2017). Taiji helps improve balance, kinesthetic sense, and strength among such patients (McFarlane & Huston, 2016). Exercise therapy for patients with brain injury improves motor function and independence (Blake & Hawley, 2012). After Taiji programs, multiple sclerosis patients increase their walking speed and hamstring flexibility.

Rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia are treated using Taiji programs. Taiji helps improve physical condition, balance, confidence in moving, and less pain experienced (Blake & Hawley, 2012). Patients with fibromyalgia benefit from Taiji exercises by reducing pain severity, improved sleep, and reduced fatigue, which comes with no adverse effects.

Osteoarthritis patients show improved self-efficacy to arthritis symptoms, level of tension, and satisfaction with general health status after going through Taiji exercises. Lower back pains are also reduced after going through Taiji programs (Blake & Hawley, 2012). Musculoskeletal health is promoted without the use of any special equipment when patients engage In the Taiji programs.

Cardiac rehabilitation for heart disease patients is achieved through exercise training (Lan et al., 2013). Taiji is well used in cardiac rehabilitation since its exercises are low to moderate and can be incorporated into communities at ease (Blake & Hawley, 2012). Taijiquan is generally considered to be a safe exercise with few side effects. However, severe forms of Taiji and improper practice of the exercises are associated with increased risks of injury to joints (Le, 2017). There are various Taijiquan styles of movements that are beneficial to many clinical cases.

In forward movement, the left foot makes contact with the ground. First, the right foot then steps forward, and the left foot leaves the ground at the end. It concentrations is on proper posture and precise movements. The forward movement helps promote weight loss, which is important, especially to patients with cardiovascular ailments (Lan et al., 2013). It also enhances good sleep, which reduces anxiety levels in patients, especially those with fibromyalgia. It is also a way of treating depression since it helps improve a person’s mood (Le, 2017). The slow, mindful breaths and movements have a positive effect on the nervous system and mood-regulating hormones (Cheng, 2015). Its inclusion of meditation and focused breathing makes it a superior exercise for reducing stress and anxiety in various patients, including those with the orthopaedic disease.

In the up-down movement, the right foot leaves the ground, moves upward, kicks in the air, and then moves back down to the ground. It is characterized by simplicity, clarity, and compactness with serious movements (Blake & Hawley, 2012). Movements are small, with the hand never going farther than the foot. It has an upright stance and strict footwork. Patients with cardiovascular diseases are encouraged to adopt this movement since with the serious moves, and cardiac rehabilitation is enhanced. The moves are also prescribed to patients with osteoarthritis, brain damages, and rheumatologic diseases. They help improve muscular strength, balance, flexibility, and pain reduction among the patients (McFarlane & Huston, 2016).

In the sideways movement, the left foot makes contact with the ground, the right foot then steps sideways, and the left foot then leaves the ground. The style has compact and gentle moves that have a reach of medium-range (Le, 2017). The gentle moves help in aerobic conditioning, improving balance, and increased physical activity (Blake & Hawley, 2012). It helps improve cognition in older adults where their memory and functioning skills are improved. The fear of falling among adults is reduced since balance is achieved (Blake & Hawley, 2012). Decreased rate of falling reduces independence, improves the quality of life, and lowers the chances of serious injuries and complications (Blake & Hawley, 2012). These moves are also used in clinical prescriptions for managing certain chronic diseases. Symptoms of fibromyalgia are reduced when patients engage in sideways movement (Le, 2017). It also improves balance and strength in people who have Parkinson’s disease. Pain from arthritis is reduced as patients experience less pain, improve their mobility, and balance.

References

Blake, H., & Hawley, H. (2012). Effects of Tai Chi exercise on the physical and psychological health of older people. Current Aging Science, 5(1), 19-27. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51495417_Effects_of_Tai_Chi_Exercise_on_Physical_and_Psychological_Health_of_Older_People

Cheng, F. K. (2015). Does movement-based Taiji contribute to mental health? A comprehensive review. Journal of Nature and Science, 1(5), e94. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fung_Kei_Cheng/publication/274721137_Does_MovementBased_Taiji_Contribute_to_Mental_Health_A_Comprehensive_Review/links/5528878a0cf29b22c9bcb13c.pdf

Huston, P., & McFarlane, B. (2016). Health benefits of tai chi: What is the evidence?. Canadian Family Physician, 62(11), 881-890. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjslsCQnrPqAhVX9IUKHSOnDNEQFjABegQIARAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cfp.ca%2Fcontent%2Fcfp%2F62%2F11%2F881.full.pdf&usg=AOvVaw2Ofg613JvuQX_2NiHuo7uw

Lan, C., Chen, S. Y., Lai, J. S., & Wong, A. M. K. (2013). Tai Chi Chuan in medicine and health promotion. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2013/502131/abs/