Modern urban man suffers from more maladies, syndromes and conditions than their forefathers. Many of these conditions are due to the pressures of work, traffic congestion and other factors contributing to our stress levels, leaving us short of time to take proper exercise. Often we may become victims of mental strain, nervous tension and other stresses, which will detract from our efficiency in our daily work and their enjoyment of life.
Many of these conditions have such a debilitating effect on our health that even when we have finished working, our retirement gift is poor health, which severely limits our ability to enjoy our retirement.
The modern health industry are not short of answers for the condition in which we find ourselves - in fact they seem to have a new and exciting answer every week, Those of a suspicious nature may conclude that the health industry is more interested in the contents of your wallet than the functioning of your body or mind. You may very well think that, I couldn’t possibly comment.
There are many sports and pastimes, which cater to the desires of those amongst us who wish to acquire a fit and healthy body. However, it is difficult to find a system of exercise suitable for persons of all ages, which requires little or no special equipment, and which can be practiced in a relatively small area either indoors or outdoors.
Tai Chi Chuan is such a system of exercise. Those who practice regularly will develop a healthy body and an alert mind. This improvement in their health will better enable them to concentrate on their routine tasks and to make effective decisions, all of which leads in turn to a greater success in their career or a happier, healthier retirement.
The Tai Chi Chuan Hand Form, with its graceful movements and alert actions, resembles a classical dance. Through the execution of complex manoeuvres in conjunction with deep regulated breathing and the contraction and expansion of the diaphragm, the Hand Form offers a balanced drill to the body's muscles and joints.
Over a period of time, the central nervous system will be stimulated by the tranquil state of mind cultivated by the dedicated concentration on the movements, which result from the performance of the Hand Form. This serves to increase the well being of all the organs of the body as their efficient functioning depends very largely on a sound central nervous system.
We can look upon the practice of Tai Chi Chuan in two ways. First it is a method of physical exercise. Secondly, it acts as a catalyst in that when performed by our body it causes certain beneficial reactions to take place. As our muscles move they exert pressure on our veins, forcing our blood to flow towards the heart, improving our circulation. Meanwhile, the deep breathing necessary for performance of the Hand Form causes the diaphragm to expand outwards and downwards and contract inwards and upwards, and this movement of the diaphragm gently 'massages' the liver and intestines.