You might see them in parks or recreation centers: groups of people executing slow, graceful movements. Tai chi and its even quieter cousin, qigong, have swept the West. Both provide health benefits and feature low-impact movements that appeal to an aging population.
Understanding Qi
"Chi" or "qi" is the Chinese name for the life force, or energy, that animates all living creatures. Practitioners believe that when parts of the body are blocked from the flow of qi, energy backs up in another area. This makes you emotionally unbalanced or physically sick. Believers attribute diseases and other medical conditions to an imbalance of qi.
Qigong
More than 2,000 years ago, Chinese Taoist monks developed a series of meditative exercises that were later dubbed qigong. The word "gong" means a practice or skill, so qigong translates to "energy practice." It's also spelled "chi gung." These exercises combine mental imagery, breathing and simple movements to improve the flow of qi in the body. They try to balance the yang, or active element, with the yin, or passive. In its early days, qigong was popular with physicians and religious leaders. Now, people from all walks of life practice it.
Tai Chi
Tai chi, short for tai chi chuan, is a more external practice. To be proficient in tai chi, you must understand qi just as in qigong. Tai chi is a martial art done in slow motion. Different styles of tai chi teach different sequences, but they all synchronize movement with breath and require focusing on the present moment. Poses are named for animals and other elements of the natural world. Many seniors use tai chi for exercise to keep their bodies flexible while being easy on their joints.
Benefits
Tai chi and qigong offer some of the same benefits as yoga. According to Mayo Clinic, researchers have only recently begun to study these energy practices, but preliminary evidence indicates many benefits. These include less stress, depression and anxiety; more muscle strength, flexibility and balance; fewer falls for seniors; better sleep; more endurance and energy; and less chronic pain.
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