Tai Chi for Arthritis

Tai Chi exercises are performed slowly and gently, and each movement must be performed in the correct manner. You may have difficulty at the beginning stage of Tai Chi, the degree of difficulty experienced will depend on how far your arthritis has progressed. However, with persistence you will be reminded of muscles you had long forgotten about, and you will soon come to realize that these long forgotten muscle groups when strengthened through the practice of Tai Chi, will support your joints and prevent further degeneration.

Tai chi is a discipline which requires commitment , that is daily practice in order to gain the considerable benefits it offers for your health and wellbeing. As a beginner the focus of your lessons will be on strengthening your body, then follows exercises in self defence, and lastly and most importantly follows the development of the mind.

Tai chi is both a physical and a mental discipline and will therefore, cultivate both physical strength and tranquility of mind. All the movements of tai chi are gentle, slow and flowing, inducing a meditative state during the exercise, producing harmony of both mind and body.

The exercises can be modified to suit your arthritis, if you have knee involvement then your practice will need to focus more on the top half of your body, paying particular attention to your breathing . Tai chi involves slow deep abdominal breathing which regulates the heart, improves circulation, and lowers blood pressure. The combination of deep breathing, meditative state, and slow flowing movements, stimulates the nervous system, and increases the free flow of energy throughout the body.

The movements in Tai Chi are joined together in one flowing motion, there is no beginning you can begin anywhere, and continue to flow inducing a deep sense of relaxation, harmony and conectedness.The movements are circular and this type of movement is excellent for relieving muscular pain and exercising the joints.

The Tai Chi symbol below demonstrates this circular movement, the dark section of the symbol represents stability and balance, while the light part represents the flow of movement. The regular practice of Tai Chi will strengthen your muscles, reduce rigidity in your body, improve your health, and relieve your arthritis.