To Improve Your Balance, Don't Forget to Breathe!

In a recent class, we were focusing on the many details in a series of t'ai chi moves. A student commented, "The hardest part is remembering to breathe." I've heard this from students before. During lessons, I remind students to breath and they've thanked me for the reminders. 

Involuntary breath holding in adults can occur due to stress, anxiety, or intense concentration. Keeping your attention in the present moment is a hallmark of t'ai chi practice. Just a few things that require your attention, moment to moment: the correct way to perform each move, the order of the moves, how your body feels, your posture, your mind's focus, and the quality of your balance as you transition from move to move, and breathing. That's a lot!

It is fairly common for older adults to feel increasingly less steady on their feet and lack confidence in their balance. That anxiety, or "fear of falling", can be a precursor to falling. Anxiety, added to the intense concentration during t'ai chi, can cause some to unconsciously hold their breath.

Maintaining an even flow of breath makes balance easier during t'ai chi practice and in life. At the first sign that you are losing your balance, pause, breathe, then complete your movement.

T'ai Chi in Virginia Park

 As Mae West might have said,"A good t'ai chi class is hard to find."

Enjoy t'ai chi Wednesday mornings in a beautiful Santa Monica park.  This intermediate/advanced class is held under a big ficus tree and includes warm-up exercises, instruction in traditional Yang-style t’ai chi, and silent practice. Classes are ongoing so you may join at any time but please contact Pat, p.akers@gmail.com, to enroll before attending your first class. 

Wednesdays, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. Intermediate/Advanced level students (not appropriate for those new to t’ai chi)

  

Virginia Avenue Park, 2200 Virginia Ave. (between 21st & Cloverfield), Santa Monica, 90404. We meet on the Virginia Avenue side of the park, east of the playground.  

   

$10 per class, cash or check, payable at the beginning of each class.  

 

Standing Comfortably or Wuji/"Empty Stance"

Most of us are not comfortable standing for any length of time. We shift our weight from side to side; dropping into a leg with the hip jutting out to the side. We fold our arms or clasp our hands in front or in back of us. Eventually, we seek out a chair that probably doesn't provide good back support. Then, we are uncomfortable sitting. Lower back problems are common in Western cultures.

While standing for hours at a time is not recommended, it is important to be comfortable standing. Keep these tips in mind to "stand comfortably":

• Have a slight release in the backs of knees and front of hips.
• Feel your weight "sink" into your lower body.
• Feel a lightness in your upper body; a lengthening in your spine, as if you are being gently lifted from the crown of your head.
• Align head over shoulders and shoulders over hips.
• Relax your shoulders. 
• Quiet your "monkey mind" (a state of restlessness and lack of control of one's thoughts).
• Let your mind rest on your breath.
• Observe your breath without changing it. Stand and breathe.
• Stand for as long as you are comfortable. This is the most powerful qi gong, bringing your body back to its natural state of balance and ease. 

Tai Chi for a Better Brain

This traditional Chinese martial art may do more than keep seniors strong, flexible and mobile. A new study from China found that practicing tai chi three times a week can increase brain volume and improve both memory and cognitive function. 

Researchers at Shanghai's Fudan University and a team from the University of South Florida conducted an eight-month trial comparing a group of Chinese seniors who regularly practiced tai chi with a control group that did not. The trial was the first to demonstrate that tai chi could result in improved memory and increased brain volume. 

Previous studies have shown that aerobic exercise can lead to an increase in brain volume, and some improvements in thinking were seen in seniors who participated in a discussion group that met three times a week. The researchers noted that gradual cognitive deterioration and dementia are associated with brain shrinkage. 

They said that the group that did not participate in tai chi or discussions showed a decrease in brain mass consistent with their age. The study was published June 19, 2012 in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

T'ai Chi is Better at Lowering Blood Pressure Than Aerobic Exercise

A new study found the ancient Chinese martial art of Tai Chi was more effective in reducing high blood pressure than other forms of exercise such as brisk walking or stair climbing.

Chinese scientists compared two groups of participants with high blood pressure over one year—one practicing Tai Chi and the other performing aerobic exercise.

The authors of the study, published in the JAMA Network Open journal, say their results should encourage health advisors to promote the gentle martial art in preventing heart disease in those with hypertension.

Researchers from the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences took 342 participants with prehypertension–blood pressure that’s slightly higher than normal–and split them into two groups.

Half the participants (average age 49) performed Tai Chi, the Chinese martial art practiced for self-defense and health, during four supervised sessions every week for one year.

The traditional mind-body exercise guides individuals to concentrate on very slow and fluid movements that can benefit an individual’s balance, breathing, and heart function. (Watch a beginning lesson below…) Previous studies have also shown its benefits in reducing blood pressure.

The other half of participants performed aerobic exercise including climbing stairs, jogging, brisk walking, and cycling four times a week during the same time frame.

Researchers measured the systolic blood pressure (SBP) of participants at six months and at the end of the study. At both stages, they found significant differences in the blood pressure of the two groups.

Each participant had blood pressure readings of between 120 and 139 at the beginning of the study.

At 12 months, the average blood pressure of the Tai Chi group fell by 7.1 points, whereas the aerobic groups’ fell by just 4.61. Similar results were also observed after six months.

Both the blood pressure readings taken during the day and those taken while sleeping at night were each found to be significantly reduced in the Tai Chi group compared with their aerobic exercising counterparts.

Dr. Yanwei Xing, a lead author of the study, said the results showed definite benefits of practicing Tai Chi for reducing blood pressure.

“Twelve months of Tai Chi are superior to aerobic exercise for reducing blood pressure load in patients with prehypertension—which would be more beneficial in reducing the risk of hypertension.”

Dr. Xing suggested public health bodies should promote Tai Chi as a method of preventing heart disease, especially because it is suitable for people of all ages and physical conditions to practice. Particularly beneficial for seniors, Tai Chi can help improve body flexibility and balance, which reduces the risk of falls in older adults.

“From the perspective of implementation, a Tai Chi program proves to be a safe, moderate-intensity, mind-body exercise that is easy to practice in community settings.”

- Good News Network, Feb. 11, 2024

Outdoor T'ai Chi Class is Back!

I'm happy to announce my intermediate/advanced t'ai chi class has resumed in Virginia Avenue Park, Wednesdays, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.  (If you are brand new to t'ai chi, this class is not appropriate for you.  Watch this space for information on future classes for beginners.)

Class includes warm-up exercises, qi gong, instruction in traditional, Yang-style t’ai chi, and silent practice.  These are ongoing classes so you may join at any time but contact me (p.akers@gmail.com) before attending your first class so I may send you a registration form.    

Location:  Virginia Avenue Park, 2200 Virginia Ave. (between 21st & Cloverfield), Santa Monica, 90404.  We meet on the Virginia Avenue side of the park, east of the playground.   Virginia Park has two parking lots, off Pico Bl. and off Virginia Ave.  There is some street parking on the south side of Virginia Ave.  The north side is permit only.

Fee:  $10 per class, cash or check. 

I hope you'll join us and play t'ai chi outdoors, beneath a large ficus tree.   

  

  

Virginia Park T'ai Chi Classes Suspended

Due to COVID-19 restrictions on group gatherings, I have suspended my outdoor classes in Santa Monica's Virginia Park until further notice.  Watch this blog for the restart of these classes.  

Until then, please consider taking one of my free zoom classes through the SMC program, Emeritus college, Emeritus Program - Santa Monica College (smc.edu)  The spring semester begins Feb. 16, 2021.  Did I mention these classes are free?!