Dr. Peter Wayne of Harvard Medical School talks on Tai Chi Chuan for health. He also brings up many aspects of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) into the discussion. Let’s have a look: He says to start out simple at first like the yin and yang approach- go into the deep and complicated aspects but return to yin yang.

Tai Chi Chuan is known to be beneficial In the prevention of falls. A serious bone breaking fall can greatly reduce an elderly person quality of life and movement.

Dementia is another factor that Tai Chi is showing effective for helping elderly. Tai Chi is great for Chronic pain. Those folks who have had a significant cardiac event like a heart attack or stroke, Tai chi can be beneficial in recovery and prevention. There is significant research showing tai chi beneficial with people who have Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Research is moving toward mental well-being, whole health, “moving and thinking, thinking and moving” and how important it is to have mind-body exercise in lifestyle. It is about putting people back together, to interconnect and harmonize.

One of the greatest suggestions in Tai Chi is awareness of Dan tien, there has been so much research in the field of gut microbiomes and the enteric nervous system. The gut is found to have a major impact on a person’s mental and cardio health and the prevention of Parkinson’s and MS. The breathwork at Dan tien is found to be massaging to the internal organs.

Brisk walking was found to be an important addition to Tai Chi. It was actually found that Tai Chi alone is NOT ENOUGH! While Tai Chi may have some slight cardio improvement and changes in a persons breathing, heart rate and pulse, Brisk walking did more.

One doctor was saying, “We need a pill that helps peoples balance, good for memory, help their heart, reduce their pain, help them be better connected to other people, and help their mood.” The Tai Chi pill is just that, it has a multi-modal effect. Sadly only 2% of the population use Tai Chi.

Newer studies are being done on Tai Chi and depression in the Asian population and on Health care worker burn-out. Young scientists also are under stress due to project funding, deadlines, and this can lead to suicide. Studies have found qigong and Tai Chi to be good tools for health care and scientists working n the health care industry. Kids going to WuShu and kung fu schools are showing good benefits from getting more into their body. Tai Chi is harder to teach kids, but the approach has to be fun and using animal frolics is helpful.

Osteoporosis and osteopenia and areas of ongoing research. Dexa bones scans studies on Tai Chi group: the average person not doing exercise had a 1% bone loss. Tai Chi folks in a study had no bone loss, however the group of serious daily tai chi players had a higher level of serum and increase in bone density. Genes may play a factor in this so further studies need to be done, but bone crystallization was best in consistent players of Tai chi.

People with psychological trauma, Tai chi can be beneficial. The victim of a psychopath or abuse and trauma to emotional body, constant fear. Even people have Kinesio phobia (the fear of movement) felt less of a victim with tai chi and simple touch like basic push hands. This is important in reflecting on the pre-consciousness and the mind and ‘issues in the tissues”.

There was some discussion on accuracy of the form and if that was a health factor. He says it is the constant challenge of either, “Questioning your own authority vs not giving a shit and just going with it”. However, he did mention the meditation of Tai Chi and mindfulness. Mindfulness as, “the serene encounter with the unfolding moment you are aware, not planning to far nor not checking out”. Tai chi is an embodied thing and this will lead to the classics like, “waiting for the opponent to move, but arriving before them”.

This is important in ADD/ADHD as well. One study found that kids who did a morning run around a school ended up having their math scores go up. Mindfulness walking has a different effect than just normal walking.

What is the Tai Chi dose? Why are there adverse effects with tai chi like knees pain for example. This is discussed. The conversation talked about bilateral tai chi and body symmetry. One study of young women with severe endometriosis often the treatment is to induce menopause or partial hysterectomy. However, acupuncture and tai chi reduced inflammatory markers at the cellular level.