Twelve years ago my family doctor didn't have great news for me. I was 20 pounds overweight, had high blood pressure, high cholesterol and had the beginnings of adult onset diabetes (Type II). The doctor immediately prescribed medication, dietary/health classes, a change in my diet/eating habits and exercise. As part of my exercise regime, my doctor strongly suggested that I take a Tai Chi Chuan Class. She believed the hospital-sponsored Tai Chi Class was more suited for seniors so she recommended I look into my city's community recreation department. I first tried the junior college and signed up for a summer course in Tai Chi Chuan. The instructor who taught us was a young student. I was not impressed. The instructor couldn't maintain his own balance as he showed us the Tai Chi movements. I dropped out after 3 class sessions. I then looked into my local city's community service catalog. It was just by sheer luck that I found a good Tai Chi instructor. I checked his background and found out that he is a long-time student of Master Kai Ying Tung, a world renown Tai Chi Chuan Master famous for the Tung Family Yang Style of Tai Chi Chuan. I signed up the beginning of summer with eager expectation. I was not disappointed.

All my experience in this Tai Chi Class since then has shown me that you can start from any level of fitness. A few of the people I met in class who took this Tai Chi Class were recovering from a terrible accident with limited mobility due to spinal injury, were in the early stages of multiple sclerosis, had high blood pressure, adult onset diabetes, arthritis, overweight or recovering from cancer treatment.

I've seen them all benefit to some degree from the Tai Chi exercises: the woman that had the spinal injury no longer needs to use a cane to walk; the Native American gentleman that had the beginning symptoms of multiple sclerosis had greater flexibility than before; the woman that had mild arthritis stated that she had better mobility of her joints; the two gentlemen who were recovering cancer patients stated they felt an increased sense of well-being, greater energy and improved physical and mental functioning. I lost 20 pounds, my blood pressure is back to normal range, cholesterol levels are stable and my diabetes can now be controlled by diet, exercise and 500 mg of Metformin once a day. I believe that almost anyone can learn Tai Chi Chuan, with regular practice and a good instructor. I emphasize regular practice because just coming to class without practicing the previous movements at home has no benefit to your health or body. Trust me . . . I know. I believe you have a much better chance of sticking to the exercises by setting aside a quiet period of time away from family distractions and interruptions.

Have I noticed any other benefits doing Tai Chi Chuan? The answer is whole-heartedly YES! I noticed that I couldn't keep my balance on one foot (when the movement required it) when I first started the Tai Chi Chuan lessons. My legs were initially sore and shaking from doing the Tai Chi movements slowly like the instructor emphasized and I couldn't bend as far down while still keeping my back straight like everybody else who have been in the class longer than I have. The changes were gradual but the longer I practiced the Tai Chi Chuan exercises, things began to change for the better. My stress level at work decreased significantly. The Tai Chi exercises require absolute concentration, even breathing and slow, synchronized postures; as one movement ends, another movement begins, it may look like a group performing a slow dance. This seems to produce a calmness within me and maintains my mind clear of outside distractions. It could be a bad day out there with clients complaining and meeting project deadlines but it doesn't bother me anymore. Time and space is irrelevant. Every day is a good day! I used to be afraid of climbing on top of the roof of our house or the greenhouse . . . my legs would be shaking. I noticed that I can now walk with perfect balance along the edge of the roof top or greenhouse gutter with confidence. I enjoy playing the shoot-em Star War video games but I could never reach the "high" scores. I noticed after doing the Tai Chi exercises for several months, my ability to concentrate on the targets became more acute and I'm now trying to surpass my high scores. I noticed that I now have toned muscles, better posture and a relaxed mental outlook. Tai Chi Chuan has changed my whole outlook on life. Tai Chi exercise is not intimidating. The slow, synchronized movements are easy to learn and to perform. It can be practiced anywhere without special equipment or clothing.

What Tai Chi Chuan benefits can you derive wholly depends upon what you put into it. Enjoy.