| TAI CHI
Have you ever thought about trying an exercise system that although can be challenging offers a treasure chest of potential health benefits without leaving you feeling like you have just run a marathon?
Tai Chi will do just that! It will open up your horizons to a multitude of new beginnings; it does not just work on your physical body it also works on a mental, emotional and spiritual level too.
Tai Chi is as simple or as complicated as you wish to make it (I prefer simple). The journey of Tai Chi will take you through many levels of self discovery and if you allow it to, it will be a friend for life.
It has been described as a moving meditation with the practitioner seeming to be in an almost hypnotic state, although this is not the case. In fact the practitioner is acutely aware of their surroundings and the way their body is responding to the movements. There is a feeling of ebbing and flowing energetically as one moves through the Tai Chi form. After completing the form there is always a feeling of tranquil oneness. Although the practitioner is always striving to improve, there should never be feelings of urgency to find perfection within the form after all it's the journey that makes it so appealing!
Learning Tai Chi can and does help with many emotional issues, it helps you to understand yourself much better and 'go with the flow' of life without holding on to things that are beyond your control. I tend to think of it also as a stress release valve because when I am feeling a bit stressed I try to find somewhere to do my Tai Chi and soon I am feeling much better and able to cope again. I say 'my Tai Chi' because after learning the fundamental principals it becomes a very individual and personal art which is interpreted differently according to one's physical capabilities. Providing that the principals are followed then the results are the same. In other words, physical limitations should not prove a barrier to learning Tai Chi.
All that is needed is commitment, the results will follow! |
CHI KUNG
Chi Kung is a system of breathing exercises that are designed to help promote and harness internal energy (chi) in the body for health and martial applications. The practice of Chi Kung goes back thousand's of years and there are many different types of exercises related to Chi Kung.
Initially it was devised to build internal energy for martial applications but nowadays it is used primarily for its health benefits. It is still practiced in Chinese hospitals to help patients build up their immune systems prior to having an operation.
Chi Kung and Tai Chi go hand in hand, without using the Chi Kung principles, Tai Chi is an exercise system that is only using about 25% of its full potential.
An analogy of this could be of buying a powerful sports car but not having any fuel to drive it. Therefore Chi Kung is a time tested way of building up the powerful fuel that we need to allow our bodies to work for maximum health and efficiency.
Chi Kung may be practiced on its own or within the Tai Chi form. It is very simple to learn and all that is required is regular practice and guidance from a teacher.
Tai Chi and Chi Kung will help you lead a long, happy, and healthy life all it asks of you is to give it commitment in the early days, is that too much to ask for all the potential benefits that it can afford you?
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