Tai Chi, the universe and you – it seems like a lot to connect, doesn't it? However, it may all become natural and easy when you discover that the continuously flowing motions of Tai Chi mimic the movements of the sun, earth, moon, stars and air of the universe, which are then duplicated by your body's constantly flowing blood, breathing and energy. As you make circular motions in Tai Chi, in essence you are moving like the universe, all under the eternal umbrella of Tao, or nature. By following the ways of the Tao, you achieve a beautiful and innate connection to nature as you perform Tai Chi.

Harmony and Balance Result in Calmness
    Tai Chi should be thought of as a long, fulfilling journey to physical health and mental calmness. It is much more than a physical exercise. During Tai Chi, you place yourself at the center of your own universe and create circles. Your body and mind have an opportunity to expand outward, upward, backward and downward just as the universe expands in all directions. Imagine the blood and breath in your body traveling throughout to complete you. The ultimate goal of Tai Chi is to harmonize your energy with that of the natural universe.

    Under the Tao, the natural energy of our universe is divided into two extremes, Yin and Yang. This same polarity is also found in the body's electromagnet field. The positive and negative charges are necessary for the body to function properly and maintain good flow just as the universe needs its soft and hard opposites to keep itself aligned properly. Through the practice of Tai Chi your meridian and governing energy channels will maintain a healthy balance and flow of Yin and Yang helping to properly “align” you.

Health Benefits are a Proven Fact
    Tai Chi is more than esoteric imagery and a way to connect with the golden universe. Dr. Larry Altshuler, an internist at Saint Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City and author of the book Balanced Healing, has long touted the health benefits of Tai Chi for his patients. Dr. Altshuler commented that his patients who practice Tai Chi experience reduced stress in their lives, boosted immune systems and quicker recovery times from surgery than patients who do not practice Tai Chi. Patients who practice Tai Chi return to the natural flow of their bodies, breaths and universes sooner than non-Tai Chi practicing patients.

    Just as we view the sun as the center of the solar system, one can also view the heart as a central part of the body. The significance of the heart in Tai Chi can best be explained through a research study done at the University of California, San Francisco. In September 2004, the American Journal of Physical Medical Rehabilitation reported that Tai Chi practitioners had better cardiovascular function than patients who did not practice Tai Chi.

    Health Promotion International (March 2004) published results of a study conducted on women ages 33 to 55 at the University of Liverpool. It was found that those who performed Tai Chi three times a week for 12 weeks improved their balance and lowered their blood pressure. So again, the balance of the universe is related to the balance one gains from practicing Tai Chi.

Yielding Means Going Forward
    Waysun Liao's translation of The Tai Chi Classics, the bible on Tai Chi, states that in Tai Chi meditative movement practice, relaxation is interpreted as giving up or letting go completely, both mentally and physically. It means to yield totally to the entire universe and to the infinite. When you are able to yield yourself totally to the infinite, you can relax and merge into the unity, which the Taoist philosophy describes as the “integration of the sky and human.”

    Additionally, Traditional Chinese Medicine states that only when the Yin and Yang of the body balance each other harmoniously can one then realize the feeling of real health. Numerous studies conducted at the Chinese University of Hong Kong found that postmenopausal women who practiced Tai Chi five days a week for a year had stronger bones than those who did not. A South Korean study found that osteoarthritis patients had less pain after 12 weeks of Tai Chi. Tai Chi was once known as the “granny martial arts” for senior citizens, but recent studies show it's anything but age specific.

Feel The Earth's Energy
    Tai Chi is portable. It can be practiced anywhere because it requires no equipment, no fancy gym,, just a little space to circle around in. Tai Chi is as infinite as Tao. Refer to the directory of Balanced Living, pick up the Yellow Pages, go online – just find a good teacher and begin practicing Tai Chi today. Tai Chi is like dancing with the universe, a dance partner that will never let you down or step on your toes. Become part of that beautiful, harmonious connection that exists with the practice of Tai Chi, the wonderful universe and your body's untapped resources and energy. The connection is there – Tai Chi, the universe and you.

Copyright@SCMA@2005
Sifu Frank Versagi is the owner and head instructor of the Shao-lin Center for Martial Arts in North Olmsted, Ohio. Sifu Versagi has been a student of the martial arts for over 20 years, specializing in Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan and Shao-lin Kung-fu. He has traveled to the remote mountains of China twice to train with the Shao-lin monks and is planning a third trip later this year. Sifu Versagi can be reached at sifufrank@shao-lin.net or (440) 716-KICK (5425). His school's website is www.shao-lin.net.