T'ai Chi London
T'ai Chi
T'ai Chi
2008 Author: Kamal Thapen
Kamal Thapen explains the benefits of T'ai Chi
The benefits for back pain sufferers come about from an increase in mobility, an improvement in balance and co-ordinated movement
Isn’t it strange that what we feel to be bad experiences at the time can lead to exciting and worthwhile changes in your life? In the late eighties I suffered greatly from back pain. At the time I felt miserable and prematurely aged. Conventional medical tests and treatment only concluded that there was nothing particularly wrong and I was diagnosed as having non specific low back pain. I then tried many of the alternative treatments available such as osteopathy, massage and acupuncture with only temporary relief. Previously I had been a keen squash player and had to give that up as it seemed to make the pain worse. Looking around for some low impact and gentler exercise to keep myself fit I came upon T’ai Chi. The very first class proved to be a real eye opener for me. Expecting something boring and slow it was surprising how challenging it proved to be. It also left me feeling invigorated. At the start it was somewhat like an exercise routine but further practice made me aware of a more rounded mind and body connection. It can be quite challenging at first to execute any movement slowly and also to follow and learn the twisting spiral shapes of the movements.
Soon after I started T’ai Chi I also began having Alexander Technique lessons and these two things together gradually led me to change my whole lifestyle. Today I enjoy teaching both disciplines and feel fitter and have more energy than at the time of my back pain.
Mostly people regard exercise as something you do to get hot, sweaty and out of breath
Mostly people regard exercise as something you do to get hot, sweaty and out of breath, or as something at which you need to strain to achieve any benefit. T’ai Chi is different. It enables even those who are not young, strong or athletically gifted to participate and enjoy. As long as you have some mobility you can benefit from it, although it may be a good idea not to do it if your back is in spasm at the time. I have students in my classes with ages ranging from 18 to 80 plus. T’ai Chi emphasises and encourages mobility in the spine and joints and is not strenuous or high impact. It takes time to learn and you need to take time to practise. You are encouraged not to force any movement or overdo repetitions. The slow flowing movements of the form encourage you to be more balanced in movement and make you aware of your body patterns.
The history of T’ai Chi is a blend of myth and family sagas. The first links are often drawn to the physical discipline taught by Bodhidharma who brought Buddhism from India to China in the 6th century and founded the Shao Lin Monastery. It was then supposedly developed by Chang San Fang around a millennium ago from observations of natural phenomena and...