T'ai Chi For Athletes

For students who have been athletes and body centered, T'ai Chi often offers them a window into a stillness and a focus that they have not experienced previously. For the person who has primarily lived in their body, tai chi with its many steps and its attention to all aspects of the body in each move encourages them to really use their brains in a focused way. As they learn the form and begin to feel the flow of energy as they move through the form, there is a spiritual sense of total connectedness and completeness that is quite powerful. Body-centered people frequently tell me that they have never been able to sit still long enough to meditate but that they achieve a meditative state as they practice T'ai Chi.

Pam Kircher, MD