April 30, 2017
For LOTS of medical conditions it often comes down to two choices: medication or meditation (and it doesn't always matter what style either…a recent Stanford study proved that ALL meditation lights up areas of the brain that typically aren't even used like a Christmas tree!)
Until about 8 years ago, I always liked the IDEA of meditating but was simply unable to sit still long enough to get it done. But when a hip injury ended my ability to practice karate just a few months shy of testing for Second Degree Black Belt, I decided to try T’ai Chi Ch’uan – a martial art – and walked into a T’ai Chi Chih class by mistake one day. There are no mistakes however, and it wasn’t long before I fell in love with this gentle yet powerful MOVING meditation who’s name literally means “Knowledge of the Supreme Ultimate”…becoming Accredited to teach is not only a distinction that sets me apart from my peers in the Health & Fitness world but has cranked my physical and mental health up to all-time highs.
T’ai Chi Chih is not only part of a family of time-honored classical Chinese Medical practices, IT’S EASY because it consists of only 20 movements and requires no particular level of fitness or coordination. It tends to attract an extremely diverse audience because even those with physical limitations can participate, performing the movements while seated with just a few modifications…advanced students have even reported benefits from simply visualizing the movements!
Regardless of whether you believe stress can actually cause disease (and I do BTW) I think we all agree that stress can easily mimic disease. And you don’t have to be an accredited meditation instructor to agree that worrying about something never made things any easier! But you might be surprised to learn that a number of significant medical studies have linked T’ai Chi Chih specifically to positive changes in all of the following:
·Arthritis
·Depression
·Anxiety
·Immune function
·Weightloss
·Balance
·Pain relief
·Energy
·Peace
·Joy
But the main (and best) reason to practice T’ai Chi Chih is because in doing so, you’re activating, circulating, and balancing your Chi. Of course here in the West most people still think the concept of Chi is pretty “woo woo” but in all ancient cultures it’s simply accepted that a balanced Chi is the great secret to living a long, healthy, happy life.
No special clothing or equipment is required and the slow, soft movements often have an almost immediate effect on practitioners’ blood pressure…everyone’s experience is different, but most students feel more far-reaching effects of the practice so quickly that PROFOUND changes in both physical and mental health can occur even in just the first few weeks of a Beginner’s course. Still have questions? Click here to watch a couple of short videos and all will become clear.
This summer I’ll be teaching early morning classes on Thursdays in a completely unique setting: the stunning Main House Gardens of the Mt Cuba Center! I’m not advertising these classes on my website so click here for complete info on two 8-week sessions:
https://education.mtcubacenter.org/wconnect/CourseStatus.awp?&course=172WEL202A
https://education.mtcubacenter.org/wconnect/CourseStatus.awp?&course=173WEL202B
I anticipate these classes will be even more powerful than usual because spending time outdoors is also great for stress reduction (ever heard of Nature as Medicine?) so sign up today…why take more pills when you can do something that’s easy, fun, and has no side effects except feeling better than you ever imagined?
