Tai Chi Exercises

Tai chi is a type of martial art that consists of postures or movements that are referred to as a "form." There are hundreds of forms in tai chi. Deeply rooted in the context of traditional Chinese medicine, tai chi is a combination of mental concentration and gradual, controlled movements to challenge your body, focus your mind and improve the flow of energy through your body. Many people practice tai chi to gain greater peace of mind.

Beijing 24 Form

As its name suggests, this form consists of 24 different postures. The Beijing 24 is a simplified version of tai chi that was created by the National Physical Culture and Sports Commission of the People's Republic of China in 1956. The intention behind creating this form was to help standardize tai chi training. This form normally requires between four to eight minutes to perform. It is appropriate for people of a variety of ages and is particularly common for beginner tai chi students to learn and practice.

Long Yang Form

The long Yang form consists of either 103 or 108 postures, depending on the particular style of tai chi you practice. It takes around 25 to 30 minutes to complete. To assist student concentration, the long Yang form is divided into three parts that can be practiced in 5 to 10 minutes each.

Short Yang Form

Because the traditional forms of tai chi can be very complicated and take a long time to learn, a simpler form called the short Yang was created. The short Yang form is similar to the long Yang one, but only has 37 postures due to the fact that the short Yang does not include the repetitive movements that the long one does. The short Yang requires about 10 minutes to practice.

32 Sword Form

This form contains 32 movements that are divided into four seconds. It is based on Yang-style tai chi. It takes about three minutes to complete the 32 sword form. It is particularly appropriate for seniors, as it is not extremely physically intense. There are a few variations of this form with different numbers of postures included in it.

42 Form

This form was created to combine the various forms of tai chi that are practiced around the world. It is based on the Yang, Sun, Chen and Wu tai chi styles. The 42 form consists of 42 postures that can be completed in between 5 to 10 minutes.