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Why practice Tai Chi?
A better question would be why not?
The health benefits are myriad and well studied.
In the modern world, people are tired and stressed. Many of us are far too sedentary and have poor posture. As a result, physical problems start to manifest.
Human beings need to move, but in the right way. Tai Chi could be considered the perfect form of exercise because it strengthens the body without damaging it. Moving slowly with correct posture whilst maintaining a state of relaxation, improves your balance and gradually strengthens your internal connective tissue (fascia).
Tai Chi is a unique method and no other practice works in quite the same way.
Tai chi is a martial art, a form of meditation and a way of life. The goal is to attain balance. The more you practice, the calmer you become, your body gets stronger and so does your mind.
It is a path. Incredible physical and mental health benefits come from following it.
Sam Langley
Sam Langley is a Professional Tai Chi teacher based in Bristol.
He has a real passion for the internal arts and is equally happy teaching the Health, Meditation or Martial aspects of Tai Chi.
Sam's aim is to help people become calmer, stronger, healthier and happier and believes Tai Chi to be the best method for achieving this.
He is a keen practitioner as well as a teacher and spends a lot of time developing his own skills.
Sam has been practicing Chen style Tai Chi for over 13 years and teaching for 8 years.
As well as running regular classes Sam also teaches 1 to 1. If you want to improve quickly private lessons are best and can be tailored to your specific interests and needs.
As well as teaching Tai Chi Sam is also an Artist and a musician. He lives in Bristol with his wife and 2 daughters
Beyond ordinary
Tai Chi differs from other martial arts and forms of exercise. A Tai Chi form is far more than mere choreography. When you move, you are exercising your mind and your awareness as well as your body. Over time your consciousness gradually expands and you become more and more aware of your movement and your internal workings.
Tai Chi is considered to be a form of Qigong or energy work and regular practice will give you some very pleasant sensations. The more you practice the stronger these feelings will grow.
Tai Chi is an internal form of Gongfu. A traditional Chinese explanation of the practice might be that you are working with Qi. By relaxing deeply and moving in specific ways you improve and strengthen the flow of energy throughout the body. From a modern Western perspective, we might say that we are exercising the fascia or internal connective tissue. It's interesting to note that the ancient diagrams of meridians in the body look very similar to modern diagrams of the myofascial network.
The whole body strength one gains from practicing an internal art is very different from the segmented and imbalanced strength of most other forms of exercise.
"Learning Tai Chi with Sam has improved my posture and helped me to feel more relaxed and grounded. He is a great teacher and a lovely guy, and his dedication and passion for Tai Chi is really inspiring"
STEVE SPRINGER
"I have found Tai Chi to be a great way to relax :) Planning to practice it for the rest of my life. And, Sam is a very patient and kind teacher."
ADRIANNA SONI