As a busy working mom who usually squeezes in exercise before my kids wake up, I tend to prioritize 30-minute full-body strength training workouts. I keep telling myself this will be the year I finally start practicing yoga, but if I’m honest, I often struggle with slower paced movement.
That said, I’m always looking for ways to manage stress and have dipped in and out of journaling and breathwork (but never managing to keep it up). I’ve always been intrigued by Tai Chi but assumed it would be too difficult to follow.
That is until I discovered this Tai Chi for beginners flow by Zongqing Lin from Phoenix Mountain Tai Chi. Lin has the most calming voice and a beautiful way of explaining the premise of this ancient martial art. He urges you not to worry about the details of each move but instead to focus on “your energy behind those movements and your intention that guides this energy.”
I gave it a try and here’s what I discovered.
It was a great stress buster
In this seven-minute sequence, Lin succinctly explains the four principles of energy: floating, sinking, gathering and spreading. He smoothly guides you through each movement and within just a few minutes I felt my whole body relax, as though stress had just melted away.
It felt meditative
Tai Chi is all about taking your time and slowing down, so it’s naturally meditative. Surprisingly, I found the gentle pace an instant stress buster. It’s essentially a mindful movement practice and as I flowed from move to move (not quite as gracefully as Lin, I’ll admit), I was encouraged to remain present rather than drifting off with thoughts or worries.
It reset my posture
I spend a lot of time sitting at my desk writing, and I’m liable to slouch when I’m tired. Tai Chi is known for improving posture and balance through slow, continuous weight shifting, which challenges your core strength and body awareness.
Maintaining good balance is crucial as we age and it’s an aspect of fitness I focus on as a personal trainer with my older adult clients because they’re often managing injuries from falls. It’s definitely something I want to work on and improve this year—and it seems like Tai Chi could help.
