Tai Chi for stroke recovery. The practice of Tai Chi dates back over 600-700 years in China and has its origins in martial arts. Its aim is to bring together a person’s mind, body and soul through the practice of a number of slow, exacting flowing movements and postures. Ancient Chinese beliefs says that all of us have Chi (Qi) which is the energy of life flowing through our bodies and that the greater the flow of this Chi , the healthier we will be of both mind and body.
Some of the visualizations used in our Portland Tai Chi for stroke recovery Practice:
As a person participates in the classes they will be able to learn to control their movements using the skills taught in the process of learning the various flowing movements and forms. Balance plays a major part in all activities in Tai Chi and while the stroke may have affected a person’s natural sense of balance, as the stroke patient works through the classes they will learn focus and realign their Chi or life energy.
This is part of the healing health process of Tai Chi and is something that western medicine has only in the last few years begun to recognize and conduct research into. As the patient learns to focus and concentrate, they will find that their natural sense of balance will be restored and at the same time the cardiovascular no impact exercise can significantly improve their overall health. If you are a stroke victim or know someone that is, you can talk to an instructor to see what type of Tai Chi regimen he would recommend before trying to figure it out on your own.