Psychology

Stress releases different toxins that are not good for the body. It can contribute to short term discomforts and even long term diseases such as heart problems, hypertension, and even cancer. Taichi is a form of moving meditation that develops circulation within the body and thus helps out in flushing harmful toxins away.

When one is stressed out, breathing becomes rapid and the mind runs like a horse.  In taichi, one is compelled to breathe ever so slowly and thus it stills the mind and counters the negative effects of stress.

Stress can create chest pains, lack of appetite, headaches, sleeping problems, dizziness, and sometimes breathlessness. On the emotional level, stress can make you feel irritable, depressed, aggressive and negative about life.

Taichi and meditation can counter these by inducing the proper way of breathing, stilling the mind, promoting body circulation. Basically it relaxes the body and neutralizes the negative effects of stress. This is why in class, after taichi sessions, the responses to stress questionnaires changed because the respondents are more relaxed.  Thus if there is one thing that can point out a possible relation is that taichi simply promotes overall relaxation. Like sleep, Taichi recharges the body like a battery so one can have more zest and energy to approach life. A study in UCLA shows that tai chi practitioners have a 50 increase in immune system resistance to viral infection (Dr. Yang).

My analysis about my classmates feedback on the exercises is that taichi has that novelty and Chinese ancient mystery tag in it so that perhaps it helps out in the psychological preparation for relaxation. The magical reputation of taichi, the magical movements, and the novelty creates a renewed feeling of freshness physically, psychologically and consequently emotionally too.

With continued practice, taichi will definitely improve flexibility, endurance, and strength just like the benefits that regular exercise can do. Thus taichi will promote lung health because of the deep abdominal breathing, muscle flexibility because of the exercise, good circulation and health for the cells because of the relaxation, and thereby reducing high blood pressure as it promotes an overall sense of wellbeing.

Ancient Chinese masters compared meditation to a still mountain and taichi to a flowing river. Meditation is relaxation in stillness while taichi is relaxation in motion. Both promote a sense of wellbeing physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Physically meditation relieves the body of stress. Stress is actually a state where the physical systems are strained to the point of being vulnerable to a host of diseases. It keeps the muscles tired from tension as prolonged stress can produced a lot of body aches and pains. It can produce migraine as blood vessels contract. It can produce shoulder aches from carrying a lot of emotional load. It can produce backaches from prolonged work in only one position. The digestive system can be acidic because of tension.

With meditation and taichi, the muscles become relaxed and bodily functions are recharged for maximum performance. Great athletes know the value of meditation so that their body can perform well. With a peaceful mind, the body can function at its best. Energy is conserved. There is harmony produced in the whole body. Emotionally and mentally one resolved inner conflicts that produce stress. Thus one is better prepared to face everyday challenges in life with a superior state of mind, heart, body, and spirit.

Physical Activity and Health
The body is like a machine. If you dont use it, it slowly breaks down. If one is living a sedentary lifestyle, the joints ache from lack of use, the muscles lag from doing nothing, circulation and body replenishment of the cells go slow, and metabolism is lowered. If this happens, the immune system suffers and all the different systems of the body perform less.

If one uses the body, it renews itself so it becomes better able to do things. With continued good use of the body, it becomes a better instrument to perform ever more difficult feats and manoeuvres.  Thus regular exercise for a greater period of time will produce longer term advantages.

However unlike the machine, the body has a way of perfecting its process. When the body is subjected to exercise it becomes better than its original state. Exercise for muscular strength will further improve the muscles so that it can carry heavier loads to as much as twenty times its original capacity. Endurance exercises such as jogging, swimming, biking, and walking exercises the heart so it can function better. One can start running for twenty minutes a day and end up with 200 minutes a day with continued practice and the effort exerted with not be too different. This means that the heart and the muscles can improve more than ten times from its normal capacity. Stretching and flexibility exercises will also increase ones capacities. You must start simply reaching you toes while standing and with continued practice will manage to perform a split. Mind and body coordination will also improve ones speed and agility in a sport of ones choice. There is what we call muscle memory so that ones reflexes are honed to perfection.

Thus with continued exercise, one can improve his physical prowess in terms of strength, endurance, flexibility, agility and speed.

On the other hand, lack of physical exercise can produce a host of sickness as a result from lack of use such as heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, hypertension, digestion problems and the like. Regular physical activity such as brisk walking for longer periods, taichi, swimming, jogging, stretching, engagement in sports, will not only provide fun, entertainment, enjoyment and friends. They will directly promote good physical health.

The body is a homeostatic system that is able not only to create balance but also to improve performance. One motto of athletes which is taken from St. Francis of Assisi is this First do what is necessary. Then do what is possible. The next thing you know you are already doing the impossible.
This is really true with regards to exercise. Initially it might seem impossible to do ten push ups a day. But with continued practice, one can perform what would seem to be initially impossible 100 push ups a day.

If we would observe what the contestants in Iron Man Triathlon is doing, at first we would think that is impossible for us to do swimming two kilometres, biking 50 kilometres and running 40 kilometers. But if one interviews the participants how many kilometres they were doing when they started, one will be surprised that they started with very few that any normal person can do. As the ancient Chinese saying goes, A journey to a thousand minds begins with a single step.

One can start this single step right now. You can start walking for 30 minutes a day and improve on it slowly. One can start stretching only 5 minutes a day. One can start with very little weights and build from there. One can engage in sports. In exercise what matters is persistence and regularity.

Remember, if one stops in regular practice, the body will then again start to adjust to the sedentary lifestyle and will function less than it used to.