Pathways to Change - NLP & Tai Chi

In one form or another Tai Chi has been around for more than 1000 years. Initially it was practiced as a secret art that was only passed down a direct family line or from master to disciple.

Tai Chi (sometimes called Tai Chi Chuan) is a Chinese system of maintaining health and wellbeing through a series of movements that are performed slowly and co-ordinated with the breathing. These movements are called the form. When performed well the form improves balance and strengthens the body. From the Chinese point of view of health, Tai Chi encourages the natural internal energy, called chi, to circulate through the body. When this happens health is better maintained and there is quicker recovery from illness. In addition to the Tai Chi form there are specific Chi Kung (Qi Kong) exercises that develop the flow of the ‘chi’.

Yang Style Tai Chi

In the 1920’s & 30’s one member of the Yang family, Yang Cheng-Fu (1883-1936), decided to go public with a version adapted from the original so many more could enjoy the benefits of increased health and wellbeing that Tai Chi brings. Yang Style Tai Chi is now one of the most popular styles of Tai Chi in the world.

Suitable for Any Age

In China older people frequently practice some form of Tai Chi (Taiji) or Chi Kung to maintain health. Tai Chi and Chi Kung are also a part of the broader Chinese medical tradition and, in Chinese medicine, are often prescribed to assist in the recovery from various ailments. As the movements are gentle and do not involve stretching beyond any personal limit they are suitable for people of all ages. Students are asked only to work their bodies at 70% of what they feel they are actually capable of. Thus each student remains within his or her own personal comfort zone.