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| To understand the health benefits of T'ai Chi, you need to understand the rejuvenation process of the T'ai Chi form, on the cellular level. Oxygenated and nutrient-rich blood is circulated through the body's arterial system, moving through smaller and smaller blood vessels until it eventually reaches the capillary beds, located in various concentrations throughout the organs and tissues of our bodies. These networks of very small vessels have semi-permeable walls that let certain materials pass through them. Here the liquid portion of the oxygenated blood, which is called plasma and contains cells of various kinds, passes through the walls and into the surrounding tissue. Plasma flushes through the tissues, carrying nutrients into the cells and taking away the wastes. This plasma is then drawn back into the veins and filtered through the organs to remove the waste products. Not all of the filtered plasma is returned immediately to the blood. Much of it remains in the tissues and is called intercellular fluid, filling the microscopic spaces between the cells. In varying concentrations, this fluid exists everywhere throughout our bodies, from under the skin to the bone marrow, where immune cells are formed. Connective tissue is also important within the structure of organs. The connective tissue wraps through and around the cells and tissues, binding them together and anchoring them to the surrounding structures. Connective tissue has a gelling nature and tends to solidify through lack of movement. As it solidifies, it becomes dehydrated and can hold contractions in place, squeezing the vessels and reducing the flow of fluid. This reduces the functions of organs. This is where the benefits of T'ai Chi come into play. The slow movements of the form, coordinated with the breathing, massage the tissues and organs and flush the intercellular fluid through them, nourishing and cleansing them. T'ai Chi is an intellectual art that challenges the mind as well as the body. T'ai Chi is practiced slowly and evenly, in circular patterns. It induces an external tranquility and an internal intensity that is not found in any other martial art. T'ai Chi is also a healing art because of it's reputation for alleviating many ailments. It improves circulation, lowers blood pressure, increases balance and strength, and reduces stress by relaxing the nervous system. |
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