T'ai Chi

**Costs: Amount for Hope Employees & Spouses/Hope Students/Creative Dining Employees/Dow Members are in BLUE, amount for Seminary Employees/Other Community Members is in RED.

*Wednesday is level B3 or the third sequence of moves of the beginning level form.

T'ai Chi Chuan is a system of movement, meditation, and self-defense with origins in ancient China . The T'ai Chi form consists of a sequence of postures, strung together in smooth, slow, continuous movement. T’ai Chi has been practiced in China and Taiwan for many years as a form of physical exercise. Its health benefits include stress reduction, better balance, enhanced blood circulation, greater flexibility, and improved posture. On a deeper level, the practice of T'ai Chi improves our health by encouraging the circulation of our internal energy (ch'i) through the body. The proper circulation of ch’i is the basis of traditional Chinese medicine. It is believed that the movement of ch'i nourishes the health of the internal organs. Perhaps the most important benefit of T’ai Chi is the relaxation and lessening of tension one experiences when doing the form. Since the slow, graceful movements are accompanied by long, slow, deep breathing, T’ai Chi has been called “moving meditation.” In practicing the form, we bring our awareness down to the balance-point of the body (tan t'ien) and feel our body and our movements from this center. In relaxing our mind and emotions to the tan t'ien, our internal chatter subsides and we experience a deep calm. Continued practice of T’ai Chi allows us to deal with the stresses of daily life from a more grounded, centered base.

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Hope College Employee Wellness Program | 141 East 12th Street | PO Box 9000 | Holland, Michigan 49422
email: wellness@hope.edu