About Tai Chi Yoga:

MARCH 2012 BLOG: THE SPRING OF OUR LIVES "Most of us look forward to spring as a time for renewal - renewal of nature, warmth, and growth. A time for flowers to blossom, grass to green, trees to bud, gardens to be planted, walks with our lovers hand-in-hand, and new adventures to undertake. In 1977 I had been in southern France for two months waiting for spring to arrive. When it did, I began an 8 month journey hitchhiking thru out Europe. There was no plan for each day, just a sense of letting this moment of spring in my life guide which direction I should go on any given day - letting the spirit direct what new growth I would benefit most from. Each day always began and ended with tai chi yoga. It awakened my senses to more fully appreciate all that I was experiencing. It heightened my awareness to the joy of life around. And it renewed my love for all of His creations. As you prepare to more fully enjoy this spring, I invite you to see if tai chi yoga makes this time of renewal more special to you."  

ABOUT TAI CHI YOGA: I am blessed to have peace of mind, flexibility, memory, energy, and balance. At 6' 3" I am still thin. My hair is still naturally brown - except for a few strands of silver that have started to appear at the temples. Even though I am 63, most of my friends say I look like I am in my forties. And I feel younger than that. And why? Tai Chi Yoga.

When I do Tai Chi Yoga, I feel like I do while taking a shower. I feel myself unwinding and floating at the same time. I feel clearer in thought and wiser in mind. I sense more from the inside instead of the outside. I feel closer to others, nature, and God. It is the best part of my day.

What Tai Chi Yoga Is:

Tai Chi Yoga is a healing and meditative art form that I innovated in 1977 by blending tai chi and hatha yoga. Tai Chi Yoga is about doing; not achieving. No matter our age, size, or shape, we derive healing benefits by performing to our own level of flexibility and enjoyment; not by trying to push beyond what is comfortable for our body. 

Tai chi is an ancient form of martial arts - considered the most passive of the martial arts. Its prevailing philosophy is "yield and overcome". Tai chi has its origins in China. Today it is the most widely practiced exercise form in the world. Tai chi is a series of circular, bent-knee, one-legged balancing movements done in rhythm with one's stomach breathing. It resembles ballet in slow-motion. Tai chi is also considered the physical practice of Taoism, an ancient Chinese spiritual philosophy.

Hatha yoga is an ancient form of gentle stretching combined with deep breathing and reflective relaxation. Its slow movements consist of forward stretches, backward stretches, spinal twists, balances, and inverted positions. One's stomach breathing initiates movement into and out of a stretch. Yoga has its origins in India. 

Proper stomach breathing is essential to Tai Chi Yoga as well as everyday life. For example when we watch a baby breath, its stomach naturally inflates outward when inhaling and deflates inward when exhaling - like a balloon being filled and emptied of air. The absence of proper stomach breathing while performing Tai Chi Yoga greatly diminishes its benefits. The absence of proper stomach breathing in everyday life contributes to shallow upper chest breathing which deprives the body of sufficient life-giving oxygen it needs to fight aging.

How Tai Chi and Yoga are Blended:

My Tai Chi Yoga routines are structured accordingly: (1) a seated breathing exercise; (2) standing yoga movements; (3) tai chi movements; (4) reclining relaxation; (5) seated and reclining yoga movements; and (6) reclining relaxation and/or kneeling meditation. I have found  that the blending of tai chi and yoga into a single art form creates more profound benefits to the body, mind, and spirit than the practice of either discipline alone. It is like 1 + 1 = 3.

You can see examples of my Tai Chi Yoga by clicking on the "John's YouTube Videos" link on the home page.

How Tai Chi Yoga Benefits Us:

The benefits of Tai Chi Yoga are infinite. It affects the body, mind, and spirit like water nurturing a flower bud. It produces a glow that comes from the inside; a smile that starts from the heart. Its daily practice improves concentration and memory. It prolongs youthful suppleness and condition. It restores grace of movement and balance. It generates energy within us. It enhances our inner awareness. It helps us feel our own spirit. And by sensing our own spirit, we can then sense Heaven's Spirit within us. 

Henry David Thoreau once said, "Heaven is beneath our feet as well as above our head". As we progress with Tai Chi Yoga, we come to feel the Spirit flowing within our body. And when we have received the gift of the Holy Ghost, the daily practice of Tai Chi Yoga enables us to more profoundly feel that presence in our heart and soul.

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