Benefits of tai chi found
Well-known instructor at city seminar
SIMPLY put tai chi is good for us.
Research has shown there are many health benefits to this ancient martial art.
It is a series of exercises devised to keep the body strong, the mind calm and overall create a balance both in our physical and mental selves.
Dr Paul Lam has been practising tai chi for 40 years.
He is a retired family doctor, has had arthritis since he was a child and in his mid-20s took up tai chi to assist with the associated pain.
What he discovered was it had a wealth of benefits.
“Tai chi transformed my life,” he said at the start of his three-day seminar in Toowoomba at the weekend.
“It makes you feel better all over”.
Dr Lam, from the Tai Chi for Health Institute, is a well-known instructor.
He has written many books and produced exercise dvds, but his passion is sharing his knowledge and offering others the opportunity to empower themselves.
People look to tai chi for a variety of reasons including recovering from injury, stress control, arthritis, blood pressure control or often just a form of exercise that creates an overall feeling of wellness but it can be much more.
Whether looking for gentle exercises for fitness, health or wellbeing, exploring a deeper level of the martial arts or studying the philosophy behind tai chi it is about understanding your goals.
Often regarded as an exercise for for older people, tai chi is under-rated as it benefits all ages. Though studies have shown many benefits for people over 60 where there is an increase of risk in falls.
A variety of tai chi practitioners have schools within the city associated with national bodies and while the forms vary, ultimately each can be traced back to the Chinese masters who developed them.