Tai Chi A Healthy Lifestyle

Today's lifestyles, people are trying harder and harder to find methods of relaxation that will not include sore muscles. One of the methods used is the ancient art of Tai Chi. Scientists have found this ancient art helps people cope with anxiety and depression even better than exercise. Tai Chi, the Americanized version of the Chinese Tai Chi Chuan is said to be the most concentrated form of meditation and yoga today. Tai Chi combines meditation, controlled breathing and stretching into a workout that can be done daily, weekly, or even a few times a week and still have a great effect on body and mind.

Traditional Tai Chi consists of the long form and short form. The long form has nearly one hundred ten positions, while the short form consists of less than forty. Stretches are believed to be able to help relieve pain and stress by forcing negative energy our and replacing it with positive energies. Classes and groups meet anywhere for daily to three times a week with their main focus on teaching the student to do Tai Chi properly so that the quality and length of life becomes greater than average. It is believed that with Tai Chi and a healthy lifestyle years can be added to your life.

Not just for those suffering from pains and aches, Tai Chi is also a method which can be used to relax and regenerate. A large part of the Tai Chi philosophy is meditation. Most Tai Chi masters will advise doing Tai Chi in a quiet area, inside or outside your home, where there is not a lot of noise. Meditation is an integral part of some of the forms. Clearing the mind and body of negative energies will also help attain the relaxation needed for a peaceful night's sleep.

While Tai Chi is mostly a peaceful type of martial art, there is also a form of combative Tai Chi. This focuses on defense rather than offense. This form of martial art is adaptable to the young and old. Families often practice Tai Chi together. Along with classes and groups who teach Tai Chi, there are also DVDs and downloadable versions for those who wish to stay in the comfort of their own home.