In practicing T'ai Chi Ch'uan, the mind as well a the muscles must be relaxed and the limbs an the waist kept flexible. It is relaxing which improves the nervous system and blood circulation. After an initial period of a year or so, one who practices T'ai Chi Ch'uan will feel that during the relaxed continuous movements, a stream of heat is circulating up to every showing the effect on the circulation. Learning T'ai Chi Ch'uan starts with the slow movements. For beginners, the gentle twisting of the waist provides exercise to the internal organs, thus improving their functioning.
Advanced students will find that this beneficial effect is accentuated by the matched slow, deep, and quiet abdominal breathing during the exercise. For the purpose of self defense, the movements become lightning fast. Those who learn it gradually and keep a live interest in pursuing its techniques, with the instruction of a master, will eventually develop a method of self defense.
After performing T'ai Chi Ch'uan, one feels a sense of well being, not fatigue or exhaustion. By increasing the free flow of energy to one's whole being, T'ai Chi Ch'uan works to restore the harmony and balance between one's physical, mental, and spiritual natures. Habitual practice will make the body agile and graceful, the mind alert and serene, and will promote good health and long life. The physically underdeveloped and the chronically ill will find a therapeutic effect in practicing this art unmatched by other forms of body discipline.
