Our health, vitality, happiness and peace of mind are greatly influenced by cultivating greater awareness and balance in our life.

We would do well to reconsider some of our basic assumptions about health and exercise.  Among them is the notion that exercising to produce a buff, taught, sculpted body - chest out, belly in, muscles firm and so on - contributes to good health.

The ancient Chinese observed that a young child - soft, pliable, upright but relaxed with their belly moving in and out as they breathe - has amazing vitality and a long life ahead.  Looking at the other end of life and seeing that the ultimate in firmness is rigormortus, they reasoned that the purpose of exercise ought to be returning to the pliability and softness of a child.  T'ai Chi is an extraordinarily refined way of doing so. 

Wouldn't you prefer the softness and vitality of a child?  

For more information visit the School of T'ai Chi Chuan in Seattle or The Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture.

In addition to regular exercise, a healthy diet, sufficient rest there is another fundamental aspect to maintaining optimal health that we are beginning to understand and employ in our western culture. Asian cultures have long understood that the foundation of health is the abundant, free flow of life giving vital energy, known as "chi", throughout our whole system. It is all around us, permeating the creation actually, but what we have inside to sustain us comes from the air we breathe, the food we eat, and what we have inherited from our parents.

Our body is not a machine, with parts that wear out and need replacing. It is alive, possessing the almost magical capability of repairing and maintaining itself.

T'ai Chi, rather than pushing our body to its limits to become faster, stronger, more competitive, or made to look a certain way, has an entirely different purpose, namely, to gather an abundance of chi and circulate it evenly as nature intended throughout our body.

No other exercise does this so elegantly and so well, helping us feel both alert and relaxed. The health benefits, even with minimal regular practice, are enormous. Best of all, being truly healthy feels good.

For more information visit the School of T'ai Chi Chuan in Seattle and The Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture.