Tai chi chuan, also known as taiji, taijiquan, or more commonly as tai chi, is a form of alternative medicine that is very prevalent around the world today. According to the 2007 National Health Initiative Survey, 2.3 million U.S. adults had used tai chi within the past 12 months. The term tai chi chuan can be translated into internal martial arts or supreme ultimate fist.1 Its history of origin is somewhat poorly known, but is believed to be originated from China. A Taoist monk from the Wu Tang Monastery by the name of Chang San-Feng, is believed to be the “creator” of tai chi. Tai chi is a practice in which one moves their body slowly, gently, from one position to the next, with an emphasis on relaxation while maintaining focus and awareness.1,2 When Chang started practicing tai chi, he wanted to practice a form of martial arts that was unlike others that placed an emphasis on external force (wei chia), such as Kung Fu and Tae Kwon Do. He developed tai chi to be the practice of internal force (nei chia) which supports the healthy balance of yin and yang (opposing forces within the body) which aids in the flow of qi (vital energy or life force).1,3 Tai chi is based upon 13 postures that were derived from the 8 trigrams and the 5 elements. The 8 trigrams include the following: peng (ward off), lu (roll back), chi (press), an (push), tsai (pull), lieh (split), chou (elbow strike) and kao (shoulder strike). The 5 elements include the following: chin (advance), tui (retreat), ku (look left), pan (gaze right) and ting (central equilibrium). The incorporation of these 13 postures leads to the practice of the 13 principles. The first principle is sinking of the shoulders and dropping of elbows. The second principle is relaxing the ches...
... middle of paper ...
...m.
2.) Tai Chi: A Gentle Way to Fight Stress. Mayo Clinic. 28 September 2012. 27 November 2013.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tai-chi/SA00087.
3.) Majka, Christopher. The History of Tai Chi. 2013. 27 November 2013.
http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Philosophy/Taichi/index.html.
4.) Bushman, Todd. The 13 Postures and 13 Principles of Tai Chi Chuan. 2013. 27 November
2013. http://www.taichiandqigong.com/tai-chi-13-postures.php.
5.) Galantino, M, Cellens, M, Cardena, G, Piela, N, Mao, J. Tai Chi for Well-being of Breast
Cancer Survivors with Aromatase Inhibitor-associated Arthralgias: A Feasability Study.
Alternative Therapy Health Medicine. 2013 Nov-Dev; 19(6):38-44.
6.) Nocera, J, Amano, S, Vallabhajosula, S, Hass, C. Tai Chi Exercise to Improve Non-Motor
Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease. Journal of Yoga and Physical Therapy. 2013
Aug; 3.
The style of Kung Fu that I study originated in Northern China, in the Shaolin Monastery. It’s been passed down from teacher to student for a long time, and its true origins and history are shrouded in some mystery. I’ve found that the influence of the Shaolin Monastery’s surroundings is of little significance when it comes to both geography and the surrounding plants and animals. I found that customs are passed down from generation to generation, and that multiple philosophies contributed to the development of Northern Shaolin Kung Fu.
One of the most important aspects of martial arts is philosophy; without philosophy, there is no art. In fact, many traditional martial arts and warriors developed a conduct/philosophical code based on Confucianism. The Analects are a collection of stories and teachings from Confucius, an ancient Chinese thinker and sage who developed an ethical system designed to ideally govern all relationships in the family, the community, and the state. His teachings in The Analects focus on meditation, selflessness (humility), and spiritual cultivation. Confucius’s teachings emphasized the practice of moral virtues by moral persons including humanity, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust. The practice of virtue distinguishes civilized humans from animals. The Analects describe the five most important personal and social relationships of human life: father and son, husband and wife, elder and younger sibling, rulers and subject, and friend and friend. Moral virtue should be expressed within these ethical relations. The principle relations of the family can be applied towards society (Maguire). Mental and e...
Its founder, Lao Tzu, was an archivist to the library of the Emperor and though he never taught, many respected him for his vast knowledge of life and the world. When he left his position as imperial archivist, he moved to the Chinese province of Chou. During this journey, stopped at the province border by imperial guards, he wrote down his teachings. These writings, the major scripture of Taoism, became the Tao Te Ching. It was after Tzu’s death, a man named Yang Chu, a naturalist and philosopher, took up these teachings, and became the first influential teacher of the Tao Te Ching.
- - -. “Taoist Tai Chi Society .” ABC-CLIO eBook Collection. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2012. .
+Pain - One study shows that home-based cupping is beneficial in treating neck pain.[2] Wet cupping reduced the intensity and frequency of migraines in a study conducted on 70 individuals.[3] Another study on dry cupping presents that it relieved symptoms of knee
Weerapong, Hume and Kolt (2005) define massage therapy as a physical manipulation of muscles and soft tissues of the body, with the aim of promoting well-being and good health. Some of the mechanical activities involved in massage therapy include exertion of rhythmical pressure, stroking, rolling and rubbing. Massage therapy promotes well-being and positive health by producing psychological, physical and functional outcomes to the afflicted clients. The procedure of massage therapy entails four distinct mechanisms namely; biochemical mechanisms, physiological mechanisms, neurological mechanisms, and psychophysiological mechanisms. All these procedures work together to bring about the effectivity of massage therapy (Fitzcharles, Ste-Marie and Pereira, 2013).
It is a home exercise program that allows the patient to take an active part in their healing. Gently moving the soft tissue prepares it for the treatment it receives from the therapist. Time previously spent during the therapy session to initiate change in the tissues is used instead to advance further release and flexibility. The therapist is able to focus treatment time on stubborn areas of connective tissue restriction that have not changed in response to exercise. The positioning the patient uses to complete the exercises helps the therapist identify the source of the problem which is not usually in the same place as the patient’s primary complaint. This partnership between the therapist and the patient translates into quicker recovery and improved pain relief for the
Sarno, John E. Healing Back Pain. Illus. Giorgetta Bell McRee, Anne Twomey, and Superstock. New York: Warner Books, 1991. Print.
The feeling of stress is inevitable to avoid and remove entirely from our lives. As we go through life and our stress levels rise, for various reasons, resulting in the feeling of worry, anxiety, insomnia, etc. We search for strategies to assist with decreasing the feeling of stress or to better help cope with it. Coping is defined as “managing taxing circumstances, expending effort to solve life’s problems, and seeking to master or reduce stress” (p521). Individuals perform a wide range of different activities to help manage stress and decrease its effects such as working out at a gym regularly, attending routine social gatherings, and reading books. One stress reducer that our society often overlooks is nature and its benefits. There have been studies on forest bathing, which involves walking a forest trail or sitting on a boulder and observing nature with all five senses, that proves to minimize stress.
Acupuncture originated in China and it has been practice for more than 2000 years now. This modality is considered the main treatment within the traditional Chinese medicine. Its main concept is the conviction that the body possesses hidden channels identified as meridians. These channels allows for the flow of energy which is considered a vital life force through all the body. Acupuncture modality believes that when this energy becomes obstructed or imbalanced, sickness and symptoms can build up. It is only when this energy becomes unblocked by stimulating focal points in the meridians that health can be achieved again (Cherry & Jacob, 2010).
Cupping therapy is also an ancient Chinese procedure belonging to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), in which a local suction is created using cup through either heat (fire) or suction. The targeted skin is gently sucked inside the cup by creating a vacuum in the cup and leaving it for about 10 to 15 minutes. It helps treating pain, muscle knots, swelling and mobilizes blood flow in order to promote healing. Similar to acupuncture, Tui na is another TCM method of attempting to stimulate the flow of qi by various bare-handed techniques that do not involve
“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like” (Lau Tzu). Born into a life of noodles and relaxation Po, a chubby panda, always wanted to be a Kung Fu master. Out of nowhere an opportunity arises to have his dream become reality. Po, like any normal panda snatches up this once in a lifetime opportunity and runs with it. But when the going gets tough, he doesn’t know if this is the life he was meant to live. While the film was meant for enjoyment, DreamWorks has incorporated clear examples of the three major Chinese Schools of Thought: Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.
Through my advanced training in the martial art of tae kwon do, I have come to realize the numerous benefits that this sport has to offer. I have gained many things including knowledge of self-defense, excellent physical conditioning, and a refreshing outlook on life. The rewards are abundant, however they require an immense amount of effort to achieve. Each martial art is unique and has distinct contributions of its own. This is why it is difficult to hear people generalize they are all the same. What people do not realize is the enormous difference between the individual martial arts. Today, the two most popular martial arts in the world are karate and tae kwon do. On the outside, they both seem very similar, in actuality they are on opposite sides of the spectrum.
Do you know what Taekwondo is? Do you know how Taekwondo benefits the practitioner? Do you know Taekwondo is also considered a sport and is an event in many major competitions? When these questions are asked, the majority of the people who answer do not know the correct answers or the complete answer. Although many people do not know much about Taekwondo, there are hundreds of thousands of people worldwide getting involved. Taekwondo is the world's fastest growing martial art, with currently over fifty million practitioners and growing everyday. The majority of the practitioners who get involved do so to learn self-defense. Not only do the practitioners learn self-defense, but they also learn many helpful things and receive the benefits that Taekwondo has to offer. Also, Taekwondo has become a sporting event in many major sporting competitions. But mainly, Taekwondo provides people with sporting and self-defending ability and gives that person an edge in daily life, with its merits as a martial art sport of self-discipline.
During this course I learned many stress management techniques. One of the first stress management techniques I learned was creating a list of things to do in order of importance. Before using this technique I left things to do all at once. This technique helped me by equaling out my work load. Another technique for stress I learned was yoga. Yoga helps me by relaxing my entire body. This technique helps me forget about the things that cause my stress. I use this technique when I have something on my mind that is