Tai chi is an
ancient, yoga-like Chinese system of ballet-like exercises designed for
health, self-defense, and spiritual development. Practicing tai chi
supposedly facilitates the flow of chi - life energy
through the body by dissolving blockages both within the body and between
the body and the environment. Traditional tai chi prescribes over 100 postures, including repetitions. The difficulty lies in concatenating
the postures into circular movements.
Once learnt Tai Chi offers a good self
healing and maintaining practice which can be used for daily exercise and to relive the
stresses and strains of the modern world.
Many people practice Tai Chi for its benefits
to health and as a means to relieve tension through learning its graceful,
flowing movements. However, as its name implies, (Tai Chi Ch'uan
translates as 'Supreme Ultimate Boxing') Tai Chi is also a very effective
martial art, to achieve this level of understanding takes a great many
years of fully dedicated study and practice.
THE FIVE ELEMENTS