Tai chi: what’s it all about?

Tai chi has been around for about 400 years. Originally developed as a martial art, today it’s primarily practised for its health benefits.

Tai chi consists of slow, controlled martial arts movements. These movements can be deceptively complex. Each movement can be an intricate combination of individual head, hand, arm, leg, ankle, upper body and lower body movements.

These complex movements – and the concentration needed to perform them – combined with controlled breathing and meditation, provide the health benefits of tai chi.

Though it may appear serene, tai chi strengthens muscles and provides the same benefits of a brisk walk, but with much less exertion. It’s ideal for those unable to perform more vigorous exercises.

Learning tai chi

Tai chi can be learned using instructional DVDs or by watching videos on YouTube. But tai chi instructor Suzanne Vaughan believes the best way to learn is in a class with a qualified instructor.

“Following the movements on a DVD won’t give you the depth of tai chi,” she said. “And we all have bad habits. We all move in certain ways. We all carry tension in our bodies that we’re not aware off.”

But tai chi isn’t just about perfecting the movements. It should be fun, said Vaughan, and an instructor can help with that.

“I always say to people, ‘don’t try to force the learning – just relax. And enjoy it. Don’t worry about trying to remember it.’

“And as I tell my class, ‘there’s no exam at the end of this. It’s about relaxing and enjoying yourself and getting whatever it is you need out of it’.”