Student’s Contribution – 3
January 2, 2024 2024-02-01 12:25Student’s Contribution – 3
UTCQ The health benefits of tai chi
Harvard Women’s Health Watch –
This gentle form of exercise can help maintain strength, flexibility, and balance, and could be the perfect activity for the rest of your life.
Tai chi is often described as “meditation in motion,” but it might well be called “medication in motion.” There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice, which originated in China as a martial art, has value in treating or preventing many health problems. And you can get started even if you aren’t in top shape or the best of health.
In this low-impact, slow-motion exercise, you go without pausing through a series of motions named for animal actions — for example, “white crane spreads its wings” — or martial arts moves, such as “box both ears.” As you move, you breathe deeply and naturally, focusing your attention — as in some kinds of meditation — on your bodily sensations. Tai chi differs from other types of exercise in several respects. The movements are usually circular and never forced, the muscles are relaxed rather than tensed, the joints are not fully extended or bent, and connective tissues are not stretched. Tai chi can be easily adapted for anyone, from the most fit to people confined to wheelchairs or recovering from surgery.
By- Jaikumar Krishnan | March 2016
The Song Sheng Wu fa
Another Sunday and another wonderful experience. The Song Sheng Wu fa, loosening up exercises which, as one of the group commented, were equal to any cardio routine. Exercises that are done slowwwly, rhythmically, and confusingly (confusing till the body develops muscle memory) which depend mainly on thigh strength and loose effortless movement of the arms and shoulders make up the Song Sheng Wu Fa.
And then the Chi Sow, or sticky hands routine. The skill here is to let your limbs go dead, to withdraw all consciousness from your arms and let them hang limp so that the opponent cannot use your energy against you and this is not as easy as it might sound.
Every new routine brings awareness of a ‘new’ set of muscles and bones.
By – Abha Sah | August, 2015
Today Rakesh initiated us into the Song of the Thirteen Postures.
The hand technics are influenced from the tri-grams of the “I-Ching” or Book of Changes and consist of eight basic changes: P’eng (Ward Off), Lu (Roll Back), Chi (Press), An (Push), Ts’ai (Pull), Leih (Split), Tsou (Elbow), K’ao (Shoulder). The Five Foot and Eight Hand technics make up the “Thirteen Postures” of Tai Chi.
The first Eight Gates or Eight Entrances (Ba Gua or Pa Kau) can be divided into the Four Primary Hands (Ward Off, Pull Back, Press and Push) and the Four Corner Hands (Pull Down, Split, Elbow and Shoulder).
In the order of the first Eight Gates (Pa-Men), the eight I Ching trigrams are Heaven, Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Thunder, Lake, and Mountain.
All thirteen postures, or course, involve some movement of the feet and legs, but the final Five Gates involve more extensive movements of the feet and legs. These are collectively referred
All thirteen postures, or course, involve some movement of the feet and legs, but the final Five Gates involve more extensive movements of the feet and legs. These are collectively referred to as the Wu-hsing – Five Elemental Phases of Change. The final five gates are associated with the 5 elementary processes (Wu-xing) involving: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.
By – Kannan | June, 2010
ChiRunning for the Marathoners
ChiRunning combines the inner focus and flow of T’ai Chi with the power and energy of running to create a revolutionary running form and philosophy that takes the pounding, pain, and potential damage out of the sport of running. The ChiRunning program increases mental clarity and focus, enhances the joy of running, and turns running into a safe and effective lifelong program for health, fitness, and well-being.
More than 24 million people in the U.S. alone run, however 65% of runners in the U.S., 15.6 million people, will have to stop running at least once during the year due to injury. Millions more quit or avoid running because of injury or the fear of causing long-term damage. Yet, there have been few new ideas or fresh approaches to running and injury prevention. The symptoms are being treated, but the problem has not been solved – until now.
The ChiRunning program offers a real solution to the high rate of injury that plagues the sport of running.
There are countless books, courses, and classes on how to improve your golf swing, your tennis game, and your cycling technique, but none teaching how to run properly. The ChiRunning program fills this void by teaching people bio-mechanically correct running form that is in line with the laws of physics and with the ancient principles of movement found in T’ai Chi. ChiRunning technique is based on the same principles and orientation as Yoga, Pilates, and T’ai Chi: working with core muscles; integrating mind and body; and focused on overall and long term performance and well-being.
Whether you’re an injured runner, a beginner runner, a marathon runner, a triathlete, or someone who runs to stay fit, ChiRunning has helped thousands improve their technique, reduce injury and achieve personal goals. ChiRunning helps reduce and eliminate: shin splints, IT band syndrome, hamstring injury, plantar faciitus, hip problems and the most famous running injury of all: knee injury.
Conditioning your mind can be just as important as conditioning your body. ChiRunning can be a meditative practice that focuses your mind, lifts your spirits and opens the flow of chi in your life.
In the ChiRunning book you’ll find information about: race training, trail running, interval training, and endurance running as well as diet and nutrition for peak performance.
The ChiRunning program virtually changes the landscape of the sport of running and makes running accessible and appealing to people who have stopped running due to injury, who are intimidated by the difficulty and potential danger of running, who want to have a competitive edge, and for those who seek a spiritual component in their fitness program.
By – Kannan | August, 2010
