TaiChi for Health, Balance and Self Awareness
Chi is the Chinese word for the omnipresent life energy of the universe. The human being is seen as a microcosm of the natural world. When your chi is balanced and flows freely, you experience vitality, relaxation, well-being, and health. When your chi is blocked, you are likely to feel stressed, tense, sick, confused, or overwhelmed. Tai Chi, which translates as “the Supreme Ultimate” {exercise}, is the science and practice of learning to manage this energy.

Health
Regular practice of Tai Chi (and its older form known as Chi Kung, sometimes spelled Qigong) enables you to reach new levels of health, strengthen your immune system, increase your energy, assist in weight loss, and reduce dependence on artificial stimulants like sugar, caffeine, or nicotine. Scientific studies also document its effectiveness in treating most chronic illnesses, including allergies, arthritis, asthma, cancer, digestive disorders, drug addictions, hormonal imbalances, hypertension, immune disorders, and strokes, to name a few.

Intrinsically a holistic discipline, the practice of Tai Chi also promotes mental and emotional health, as well as physical. Through increasing your awareness and learning to direct your intention with your mind, you can effectively transform fear, anxiety,depression, or anger into increased vitality and energy and even stay calm and centered, in the midst of seeming chaos. For more information and research, go to qigonginstitute.com.

Balance
According to the Chinese worldview, as matter took form the original unity broke out into two poles, yin and yang. Yin and yang may be observed in the polarities of our everyday life: male and female, night and day, hot and cold, wet and dry, and so on. The well known yin-yang symbol reflects a changing rather than static view of reality in which each pole interpenetrates and depends on the other, and is involved in cycles in which one becomes the other.

The practice of Tai Chi helps you to become aware of the constant flow and change of yin and yang energies within your own body, and to learn to bring them into balance. If you have an overabundance of yang energy, you may be overly aggressive, with a tendency toward burnout. If yin energy predominates, you may be overly shy and withdrawn, and lack self confidence. At first, you learn to balance your yin and yang energies individually. Then you are ready to try exercises with a partner in which you learn to stay centered while being challenged by another.

Self Awareness
This cycling movement of change between yin and yang can be further divided out into five phases which correspond to the five elements, each of which is associated with a season of the year. Within each person one particular phase, or archetype, tends to be primary or dominant. Knowing your type can assist you in understanding yourself and identifying ways to balance your energy.

What’s your type?
Archetype ----- Element ------- Season ------- Qualities
Pioneer           Wood             Spring          Bold, creative, action-oriented
Philosopher     Water             Winter          Truth-seeker, reflective, deep thinker
Peacemaker    Earth              Autumn        Stable, solid, harmonious
Wizard            Fire                Summer       Magnetic, exciting, inspiring
Alchemist        Metal             Fall              Perfectionist, orderly, discriminating

Examples of Introductory Exercises

Five Animal Frolic: Since a major goal of tai chi practice is to unravel and peel off layers of built up tension and congestion in the body, one of the earliest forms is based on imitating the movements of particular animals. Each animal is linked to a particular organ system from Chinese Medicine. The form is done in a clockwise circle and is designed to open up the energy channels of the 5 major vital organs.

Six Healing Sounds: Specific sound frequencies are used to open, balance, and cleanse the Lungs, Kidneys, Liver, Heart, Spleen, and Triple Warmer energy channels. The sounds are simple and easy to reproduce and are combined with movements that may be performing in a lying down, sitting, or standing posture.

Inner Smile: This ancient meditative practice builds upon and amplifies the known health benefits of simple social smiling. This smile is directed inside yourself, without focus on a particular object, directing warmth, acceptance, and attention within. The result is a natural and effortless opening, relaxing, and balancing of the whole body.

Sandy Seeber, MA, MA Ed, LPC, has seen clients at Trinity Center since 1983. She does individual and marital therapy, vocational counseling, and executive coaching and uses a variety of techniques, including the Enneagram, Energy Psychology, and Healing Touch. She offers classes and individual instruction in Tai Chi and Chi Kung.