The slow movements of Tai Chi are graceful, powerful, relaxed, balanced, and meditative. Developed in China over a thousand years ago, this form of exercise unites the mind and the body, combining aspects of meditation, exercise, visualization, and martial art. Once learned, a Tai Chi form may take ten minutes to perform. Done once or twice daily, it provides extraordinary health benefits, improving balance, flexibility, and strength, while calming the spirit and reducing stress.
The art of Tai Chi (actually called T’ai Chi Ch’uan, “Yin Yang Boxing”) consists of perfecting several skills. The most fundamental of these is the Tai Chi form, a classical series of movements which the student memorizes, much like a music student might memorize a classical piece of music. Once the movements are memorized, the real work of refining the movement can begin. The study focuses on the subtleties of relaxation, breathing, and body alignment. Movement is caused by internal pressure changes rather than muscular tension. The mind must be flexible, so the body will be supple.
With long term study, good Tai Chi takes into account not only the laws of physics, but the mysteries of the heart and mind. Fear and anxiety cause tension, which is felt in the body. If we can undo the tension, we can begin to undo the fear and anxiety.
Rolly Brown's Bucks County Tai Chi 