Tai chi's slow, deliberate movements started out as a type of martial art, but they've become a popular mind-body exercise that improves flexibility, muscle strength, balance and aerobic conditioning, according to Harvard Health Publications. Tai chi, in combination with traditional medical therapies, may also have benefits for health problems ranging from arthritis and heart disease to breast cancer and insomnia, says the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). The exercises, often called forms or poses, have names that are often poetically descriptive.
Roll Back
In the Roll Back movement, your feet remain firmly planted while the rest of your body rotates in one smooth motion from facing east to facing northeast. According to Yang Cheng-fu Tai Chi, this smooth, twisting waist movement exercises the intestines, and first-time practitioners should be prepared for a a bowel movement after they try this pose. The name comes from the smooth, rolling motion of your upper body when you practice this move.
Hands Strum the Lute
When you're moving through the Hands Strum the Lute movement--sometimes called Strum the Guitar or Play Pipa--you get a real test of balance as you slowly raise one leg while pivoting your upper body slightly to the side and raising one arm. The Tai Chi Society says the slow, deliberate movement is good for healing digestive issues.
Needle at the Bottom of the Sea
The Needle at the Bottom of the Sea movement--in which you extend your left foot in front of you, slowly turning your upper body to the right and circling your right arm to the right--is named for the Chinese legend of the Monkey King, who saved his iron weapon from the bottom of the sea when no one else could raise it. The movement promotes the health of the small intestine, according to the Tai Chi Society.
Brush Knee
The Right Brush Knee and Left Brush Knee moves are mirror images of each other, in which your hand moves smoothly from a palm-up position at your chest level to a palm-down position at thigh level. The gesture's name comes from its deliberate movement. The pose is good for your heart health, lower intestine function and for stomach disorders, says the Tai Chi Society.
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