Taiji is a workout for the brain and body

NEW YORK – “Parting The Wild Horse’s Mane.” “Wave Hands Like Clouds.” “Embrace Tiger, Return To Mountain.” These are not song titles or poems. Rather, they are the deceptively complex movements of taiji.

With about 250 million practitioners, taiji is often cited as one of the world’s most popular physical activities. It originated in China in the 17th century as a martial art. Unlike karate or taekwondo, taiji focuses on quiet strength rather than combat, which makes it more accessible to older adults or those who have been injured.

Ms Shirley Chock, 48, began practising in her 20s, after she tore her anterior cruciate ligament. She had trained in wushu gongfu, a more acrobatic martial art that caused the tear, but taiji offered a low-impact way to rehabilitate. Ms Chock, a former financial professional who was born in New York and spent her childhood in Taiwan, also found taiji beneficial in managing stress. After about two years, she began teaching it, and eventually took over Aiping Tai Chi, the Connecticut school where she had trained.

Since then, “the most common thing I have heard is older students saying, ‘If only I’d discovered this practice when I was younger’”, she said.

Here is what makes taiji so useful, and how to get started with it when you are ready.

The benefits

Taiji blends mental focus and physical effort to build strength, flexibility and mindfulness, said Peter Wayne, director of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine and author of The Harvard Medical School Guide To Tai Chi.

The poses are upright and less demanding than many in, for example, yoga.

“Because taiji evolved in terms of physical function and interaction, I think it translates better to everyday living activities, like lifting groceries, pushing doors open or catching things that fall,” Wayne said.

Taiji is also different from passive techniques such as meditation, because it pairs deep breathing with movement, which experts say helps calm the nervous system.

Research suggests taiji can also improve balance and mobility, including in people with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. It helps prevent falls in older adults too. By strengthening surrounding muscles, taiji also reduces strain on joints, said Dr Amanda Sammut, chief of rheumatology at Harlem Hospital and an assistant clinical professor of medicine at Columbia University.

Getting started

The name taiji refers to both the practice and the underlying philosophy of yin and yang – that there is no good without bad, no dark without light, said Ms Chock.

There are several styles – including Yang, Chen and Sun – named after prominent teachers or founders.

“Although there are differences, there are many more commonalities,” Wayne said, adding that there is no scientific evidence that any one is superior.

For beginners, Ms Chock recommends the Yang style. It is the most popular, so there are many classes to choose from.

No standardised certification exists for instructors, so Wayne suggests searching online for schools and classes.

Visit at least two classes to make sure you are comfortable with the space, teaching style and your classmates.

“Taiji is experiential; you have to go and try it and feel it,” said Ms Chock.

Despite the martial arts foundation, you most likely will not fight. Advanced students may spar against partners, but most classes teach movements for individuals. Here are four that are appropriate for beginners.

Qi pouring

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees gently, pick up your left foot and take a large step to the left. Centre your body weight. Begin rocking back and forth by lifting your heels, then your toes, then your heels again.

Each time you come forward onto your toes, bring your arms up to chest height with your palms down and your wrists soft. As you rock back on your heels, bring your arms back down to your sides, palms facing back.

Raising the power

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, then pick up your left foot and take a large step to the left. Bend your knees into a slight mini-squat as you raise your arms up in front of you, keeping your wrists and hands relaxed. Then press your hands back down as you gradually straighten your legs.

Wave hands like clouds

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, then gently bend your knees as you pick up your left foot and take a large step to the left. Straighten your knees, and as you do, lift your arms to chest height, palms facing down and hands and wrists loose and relaxed. Calmly bend your knees down into a mini-squat, arms in front of you.

Turn at your waist so your stomach and chest face right; as you do, shift your weight onto your right leg and brush your right hand up and across, in front of your face, palm facing inward. Once your hand crosses your midline, lower your arm.

Repeat in the other direction, turning your torso to the left, shifting your weight onto your left leg, and brushing your left hand up and in front of your face and then back down.

Washing yourself with qi from the heavens 

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, then lift your left foot to take a large step to that side. Slowly lift your arms up to your sides and then overhead. Circle your hands, palms down, in front of your face and towards the floor. Visualise rejuvenating energy flowing through your body, anchoring you to the ground. NYTIMES