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The practice of Tai Chi combines flowing movement and breathing techniques with mental and spiritual awareness to bring about a workout that benefits the mind, body, and soul. If you are experiencing a lot of stress in your life, then you may benefit from joining a Tai Chi class in your local area, or even getting a book or video from the library and learning the movements on your own at home. Tai Chi originated in China, where it is said that a Taoist monk by the name of Chang San-Feng witnessed a struggle between a crane and a snake. The crane attacked the snake with hard jabs of its beak, while the snake's soft and flowing maneuvers won the battle. The snake's movements were the inspiration for Tai Chi, which is now practiced not only in China, but all over the world. There are various beginner and advanced courses offered, and a beginner course is just fine for those who wish to attain a normal level of fitness. Later, exercise videos can be bought for as less as $10 and one can continue practicing at home. The advanced courses deal in handling weapons such as a cane, spear and sword. The principle of Yin and Yang is incorporated in the tai chi martial arts style, to balance the strong force by countering it with a mild one. There are a number of styles that have gained popularity, but they have all evolved from one basic form that developed in the 16th century. The popular styles are Yang, Wu, Ch'en, and Sun. Tai Chi is now taught in as many as 25 countries and is officially recognized by the Chinese Sports Committee. Tai Chi's gentle movements, breathing techniques, and visualization techniques combine to massage the accumulated stress loads out of our 50 trillion cells in our body. The result is to cultivate a newness of being each time we "play" Tai Chi. The Chinese don't speak of "work-outs," but rather "play" Tai Chi. If you can play yourself into a whole new life, a healthy, and happy, and hopeful one . . . why wait?
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