Stress Management through Tai Chi

       Stress is a prolonged and unrelieved state of arousal or withdrawal. Your autonomic nervous system is continuously being aroused or inhibited by daily events and situations. When you are caught in heavy traffic, or late for an appointment, or have to deal with conflicts in your personal and professional life, you would probably feel some tension. Your heart rate and breathing increases, your muscles tense and your energy levels increase, or you may become inhibited or withdraw, rather than become aroused. You get ready to "fight or take flight". This creates an imbalance in this system. Often you don’t have a chance to return to a relaxed, mental and physical state. Either state of arousal or inhibition, if sustained long enough with no relief, becomes stress. It places wear and tear on your body, leading to exhaustion.

       When you function without stress, you maintain a state of internal balance, called homeostasis. During this state, functioning of the nervous system is brought into balance. During your practice of Tai Chi and Qigong, you maintain awareness of posture, balance and coordination which creates a feeling of tranquility within motion, or a state of quiet awareness. This is related to the mental component of homeostasis. You calm your mind and relax your body with the slow, continuous movements in Tai Chi and Qigong. Furthermore, these movements require less effort and energy by adjusting your posture in such a way that your own structure supports you more efficiently, thus requiring the least amount of muscular tension for support. Relaxed and effortless movement has been described during high levels of athletic performance and exercise as being in the “peak zone”, flow state or exercise “high”.  When practiced regularly, Tai Chi and Qigong can help you to develop and maintain internal balance (homeostasis) as well as external balance. Outside of your practice you are always seeking balance, like your internal state of homeostasis, adjusting to the changing environment around you.