Chinese Medicine

For Marsha Carr and Annette Hanson, East meets West in the study and practice of the ancient Eastern tradition of tai chi. As students and teachers of tai chi, these Exeter women discovered more than they were looking for when they entered into the study of the Chinese discipline.

Tai chi, as it is practiced in the West today, is difficult to describe succinctly. Perhaps the multifaceted nature of the practice is part of its mystery and appeal. It is described in turn, as an exercise system, a martial art, a belief and meditation practice and a medical treatment. And it would seem that it is, arguably, all of the above.

Carr, who teaches at Rejuvenations in Stratham, began her discovery of the value of tai chi seven years ago.

"I had been doing yoga for five years when our health club offered a beginners’ tai chi class. The teacher was very, very good, and I found benefits in tai chi that I didn’t find in yoga." said Carr.

Hanson, who teaches at the Blue Moon Market in Exeter, also studied yoga, but also discovered tai chi 20 years ago, and determined it had more to offer her.

"Tai chi is similar in some respects to yoga, but also very different. I love the movement, yet it takes me to a place of stillness in a very busy life. That is what kept me with it. The more I do it, the more I realize that it has a very profound effect internally," said Hanson.

Tai chi’s historical beginnings are shrouded in centuries of Chinese history and traced to the wider philosophical context of Taoism, a reflective, mystical Chinese tradition first associated with the scholar and mystic Lao Tsu, an older contemporary of Confucius. As a philosophy, Taoism has many elements but fundamentally, it advocates a contemplative life in accord with nature.

Like many traditional Chinese philosophies and medical theories, Tai chi is complex and highly developed. As with other parts of traditional Chinese medicine such as acupuncture, traditional Chinese herbal medicine and dietary interventions, Tai chi requires westerners to learn some new concepts.

Tai chi is the shortened title for tai chi chuan, literally, the "supreme ultimate force." The notion of "supreme ultimate" is often associated with the Chinese concept of ying-yang, the notion that one can see a dynamic duality (male/female, active/passive, dark/light, forceful/yielding, etc.) in all things. "Force" (or, more literally, "fist") can be thought of here as the means or way of achieving this ying-yang, or "supreme-ultimate" discipline.

The "chi" in tai chi is translated as "vital energy" or "life force." Tai chi is a specific series of movements, often called a form. Tai chi is intended to balance the flow of chi in mind and body, to promote wellness, tranquility and stress relief.

For Hanson, a busy mother of teens, practicing psychotherapist and graduate student, the meditative aspects of tai chi are priceless.

"I try to do a form daily. It allows me to tap into energy that helps me be relaxed. I find it to be central to my life, to deal with the busyness," said Hanson.

For Carr, a certified instructor in a style of tai chi adapted for arthritis sufferers, the healing benefits of tai chi are fundamental.

"There is no question that tai chi has improved my immunity and boosted my energy. I can heal myself better. I’m also more patient and find that I am much more open-minded with people." said Carr.

Hanson is a member of the Taoist Tai Chi Society, founded by a Taoist monk, and a instructor in a style altered specifically for the medical benefits.

"The Taoist Tai Chi Society is a nonprofit organization, and those of us who instruct are all volunteers. We have three goals. The first is make tai chi available to all, regardless of their means. The second is improving the health of those who participate and third, we teach a long form of tai chi, which takes a little more time to master," said Hanson.

A growing body of clinical and anecdotal evidence would support the assertion that tai chi has multiple health benefits. A quick visit to the Portsmouth Hospital Web site reveals numerous articles on the healthful aspects of tai chi. It is important to remember, however, that tai chi is not the latest exercise fad.

Both Hanson and Carr agree that tai chi is much more than a light to moderate exercise program.

"Tai chi is a form of moving meditation. It emphasizes balance and circulation and opening energy center in the body to move chi," said Hanson.

Both instructors agree that western culture has much to learn from the study of tai chi.

"We have much to learn that western medicine has ignored until recently. There is a correlation between bio energy and chi and the mind/body connection that we are just learning about," said Carr.

Hanson said that a beginning tai chi student often doesn’t know exactly what he or she is getting into.

"A student often comes in looking for the relaxation benefits of tai chi, but with a western frame of mind. They think they are sort of buying a product or service for a few weeks. Then they find how rich and complex the study of tai chi really is." said Hanson.

So it is with the intriguing subject of tai chi. A mysterious Eastern tradition, multifaceted, complex and not easy to articulate in western terms; it is a healing process, a martial art, a meditation, and an exercise. Marsha Carr and Annette Hanson have looked to the East and found the direction fascinating.