Taiji: Mind-Body Medicine At It’s Best!
Posted on 01. Dec, 2009 by Kerry D Friesen, M.D. in Brain Health, Men's Health, Women's Health
The Essence Of Taiji: Integrating Heaven And Earth
The Chinese conceived of taiji as a way to bring heaven and earth closer together, to resolve the great “opposites” of life—light/dark, yielding/resisting, relaxing/contracting and—to integrate mind and body.
The Yin And Yang Of It All
The Chinese know it as Yin-Yang (pronounced “een” and “awng’) and while the symbol is recognized the world over, the concept is poorly understood. Far from being a “new age” idea, this ancient way of looking at life emphasizes balance in all aspects of life as the critical component of health and healing.
Long ago, the Chinese understood the importance of optimal blood flow . Centuries before the Western world, they correctly determined that blood flow is circular and that health depends on preventing stagnation and optimizing flow. More importantly, they understood that, the myriad of interrelated yet opposing forces that make up the world around us are played out within the trillion or so cells that make up our brains and the ten’s of trillions that make up our bodies—in short, balance was everything.
Self-Directed Neuroplasticity
When practiced properly, the slow, carefully coordinated movements of taiji bring about relaxation, increased blood flow, strengthening of muscle and sinew and profound healing to both body and mind.
But how does taiji help the mind?
By building a better brain!
Until recently, scientists assumed that once damaged, the brain was beyond healing.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
We now know, that neurogenesis (the birth of new neurons) occurs in various areas of the brain over an entire lifetime. This is an especially promising scientific finding for anyone that has suffered a stroke or severe head trauma. In essence, where the brain leads—the body will follow.
In the case of taiji, the consistent practice of carefully coordinated body movements, stimulates neurons to grow and ultimately connect with tens of thousands of other neurons. This process is known as self-directed neuroplasticity—the ancient neuroscientific secret of taiji!
Seated Taiji
Take a careful look at the video featured above.
†Dr. Zibin Gou, a University of Connecticut and Harvard-trained medical anthropologist, illustrates the power of the seated taiji program he created for the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing China. Seated taiji is ideal for stroke patients or patients with spinal chord injuries where standing is not possible.
Elderly patients, or patients with limited mobility due to arthritis would also benefit from the improved muscle coordination that comes with practicing seated taiji.
Follow this link for more information about the power of seated taiji.
Help is just one carefully coordinated movement away….
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