Autism and Tai Chi chuan
The different psychopathological pictures that affect children and adolescents have a very high individual variability, but it is necessary to try to keep them separate precisely because the choice of therapeutic-rehabilitation interventions always takes on specific characteristics…. —- Autistic children (Kanner) appear to be ‘very intelligent’ (mothers often call them ‘little geniuses’), but, on the practical side, they show that they cannot utilise their potential and, therefore, their cognitive-intellective expression remains very poor. ……. other rehabilitation activities: Art-psychodynamic-therapy: This is perhaps the practice with which the most important improvements were made. With this work it was possible to verify that the autistic person does not lack symbolic development (even if there is no speech), but does lack imagination (which can be greatly improved precisely through the practice of art-therapy). Rehabilitative hippotherapy: they reach the level of being able to lead the horse both in stride and trot; without, however, reaching the practice of galloping. We do not yet have Kanner autistics who have reached a pre-sporting or sporting level. Expressive emotive therapy and Tai-Chi-Chuan: allow a lot to be gained in psycho-motor understanding and reciprocity.Music therapy: in rehabilitation, one always has to work with music, which sometimes frees one from positions of extreme closure on oneself …. (continued)
Anti-ageing Tai Chi: ‘the weapon of tradition against ageing’.
According to a new study, it can act on stem cells to improve circulatio Practising Tai Chi may help extend life. A new study published in Cell Transplantation has revealed that this traditional martial art from China may counteract ageing by increasing the number of a particular type of cells, those expressing the CD34+ protein on their surface, which are considered to indicate the presence of blood stem cells involved in cell renewal, differentiation and proliferation. Led by Shinn-Zong Lin, an expert from the Centre for Neuropsychiatry at the China Medical University Hospital in Taichung (Taiwan), the authors of the study assessed whether Tai Chi could promote longevity by comparing the rejuvenating and anti-ageing effects of this martial art with those of the habit of brisk walking. The experiments involved three groups of volunteers under 25 years of age for one year: one practised Tai Chi, another practised brisk walking and the third did not exercise at all. ‘We used young volunteers,’ Lin explains, ‘because they have a better cell renewal capacity than the older population and we also wanted to avoid having chronic diseases and medications as interfering factors. Analyses revealed that compared to those who do no physical activity or those who engage in brisk walking, those who practice Tai Chi have a significantly higher number of CD34+ cells. Based on these results, Lin explains, it is possible to hypothesise that ‘Tai Chi predisposes to vasodilation and increases blood flow’. According to Paul R. Sanberg, an expert from the Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair at the University of South Florida in Tampa, USA, “this study represents the first step towards scientific proof of the possible health benefits of Tai Chi”. However, the expert emphasised that “further studies on how Tai Chi may exert benefits in different populations and on different parameters of ageing are needed to understand its total impact”. Source: Tai Chi for Longevity
Parkinson’s: Tai Chi helps improve balance
The discovery was made in the United States: this famous martial art could help patients to regain some balance and improve the uncertain pace typical of these people. With results that according to the researchers are long-lasting, but not permanent. 09 FEB – It is not the action of a drug or a clinical therapy, but a sport, the last activity that has been shown to help Parkinson’s patients. Or rather, a martial art: Tai Chi. The slow and controlled movements of this discipline seem to improve the stability and balance of patients suffering from the disease. To say it is a research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. According to the study, conducted by the Oregon Research Institute of Eugene in the United States, the improvements would last for up to three months, after the activity. “Tai Chi seems to benefit these people a lot,” said Fuzhong Li, first author of the research. “In comparison to those who only do stretching exercises, those who practice this martial art are less falling, as well as having a safer gait and longer steps”. Poor balance, both in standing and walking, is in fact one of the hallmarks of patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease. “They clearly don’t eliminate the symptoms of the disease,” Li said. “It’s not a drug, it doesn’t cure the disease. But it can probably help slow the progress of the disease.” To prove the research, the US scientists considered 195 elderly people with Parkinson’s, all from the state of Oregon. Of these, a third was enrolled in a martial arts course, a third practiced stretching exercises and the last third muscle resistance exercises. The ability to lean forward or move before losing balance was measured on a scale of 0 to one hundred, and all participants at the start of the trial had a value greater than 64. The entire group sent to Tai Chi school demonstrated, after taking an hour of this discipline twice a week for 24 weeks, that they could stand without help, although some still needed a walker to be able to move. On average, the points earned on the balance scale were 10, compared to 4 in the group that practiced resistance exercises. Patients who underwent stretching sessions at the end of the experiment had two-point decreased balance values. Clearly these results were reduced after the end of the trial, however after a few months from the lessons the patients still reported some benefits: the number of falls, for example, which during the training period was even halved compared to the two control groups, continued to remain better in percentages that varied between 60 and 70 percent compared to these in the following three months. “It’s the first time a balance treatment has been shown to have lasting results,” Li said. “And what’s even better is that Tai Chi is also an economic activity, which does not require special tools and which can be practiced anywhere and at any time.” Taken from: Quotidiano Sanità.it
Tai Chi and the proprioceptive system 2
The “proprioceptors” are nerve endings sensitive to stimuli coming from the joints, muscles, tendons and skin, thanks to which it is possible to obtain an “internal” sensation of the positions of the various parts of our body.They are flanked by “exteroreceptors” that provide the brain with information from the external environment coming from our senses (sight, touch, smell, hearing, sense of balance) and “interoreceptors” sensitive to signals coming within the body that provide information on the tensions of the internal organs and on the pain that can derive from them. All this information reaches the central nervous system, where a response is processed, which is immediately “sent” to the muscles, where it results in the execution of inexpensive and coordinated movements; When you suffer trauma (for example, a sprained ankle) you can damage the anatomical structures that contain proprioceptors. This reduces the quality of the information that that district sends to the central nervous system.Some perceive the world mainly through sight, others through hearing, and still others through touch. Reality is usually perceived by the predominant channel, which, in Western culture, sight, followed by hearing. Visual channel = seeAuditory canal = hearingProprioceptive canal = touching/feeling the bodyKinesthetic canal = moving Usually you do not feel the difference between one position and another; For example, little is known about the diversity of sensations experienced in turning the head left or right, just as one does not possess awareness of one’s own body and part of it in space. We should learn, closing our eyes, to perceive the stimuli that come to us from the external environment, becoming aware of them. We should learn to “feel” the part of the body that moves and feel its weight, heat, its position in space. Self-perception helps to become aware of all the changes, even the smallest, that occur in the body.How does it feel when you move your arm in one direction? And in the opposite one? Start listening and try to perceive the sensations of rigidity, contraction, relaxation, heat and cold. Make an effort to feel the body and understand what it wants to communicate. Even in breathing, micro-movements are created that the individual vertebrae continuously produce when breathing. One must begin to be aware of the body in space; re-educate the bodily attitude, modify the vices of position that are accentuated with the passage of time, avoid wrong repetitive movements.We make so many movements without thinking: how is this possible? Our movement patterns are acquired over the years both consciously and unconsciously; If we analyze these movements with awareness we could have surprises as we had never experienced them, if we then try to change them with new conscious models the path can be long and require many training exercises. When learning a new gesture, the brain breaks down the sequence of movements to follow and focuses on the details , initially we proceed by trial and error, watching someone perform the gestures we are learning accelerates our learning. Merit of the “mirror neurons”, (mirror neurons identified by G. Rizzolati): these cells are activated by seeing a certain scene and prepare the brain to perform the same movements we are observing. The activity of mirror neurons will repeat with the same pattern even when the brain orders muscles to move. When the task succeeds the brain records the success and in the following 6 hours works to memorize the exact sequence of the movements performed. And it is further consolidated if the gesture is repeated in the following days. The movement becomes more fluid and you can work to make it more precise. To strengthen the memory of gestures contribute the information that comes to the brain from the joints, tendons and muscles, here in fact there are proprioceptors that keep the brain informed about the position of the body. Taken from: www.my-personaltrainer.it
The proprioceptive system in Tai Chi Chuan
Tai Chi Chuan or Tai Chi, internal style of Chinese martial arts – born as a fighting technique and today known in the West above all as gymnastics and as a preventive medicine technique – has been practiced for centuries in China by young and old; Its beneficial effects on health, in particular the maintenance of balance control in the elderly, have increasingly attracted the attention of Western scientific researchers. Among all the benefits obtainable with the practice of Tai Chi Chuan, one of the most evident is certainly the improvement of alertness; This is followed by the control of the positions of the various parts of the body and the improvement of agility and sense of balance. These benefits are obviously interesting for everyone, but they acquire a particular significance for the elderly who are most exposed to the danger of falls. “How does a man maintain a posture straight or tilted against the wind blowing against him? It is evident that he possesses a sense through which he knows the inclination of his body and that he possesses the ability to readjust and correct all the deviations in relation to the vertical” (Charles Bell, 1837). If we close our eyes and try to establish the position of our legs, arms and head, we will find that it is an easy task, based precisely on proprioception. If we now put our feet on the floor, close our eyes for a minute and, trying not to move, pay attention to them, we will notice that with the passage of time we lose the “sense” of their position, because the latter becomes less accurate in the absence of movements. However, as soon as we open our eyes again, we will find exactly the sense of position of the feet: the eyes help us. The mental control of body movements, typical of Tai Chi Chuan, intensely and dynamically stimulates the ability to listen to the signals that reach the brain from our sensors. The graceful and fluid movements of the limbs are of varying amplitude and direction and are effectively complemented by weight shifts and torso rotations. The positions and movements of the parts of the body are controlled with a meticulousness and concentration that are not reflected in other disciplines. The awareness of our body and in general the integration between body and mind are particularly enhanced. Neuroscience is now showing that sensory information comes from all sense organs and collaborates in giving an image of the world. Those who practice Tai Chi not only have a better cardiorespiratory function, but also perform better in tests related to balance control, flexibility and muscle strength. In addition, the risk of falls is reduced by almost 50%. Postural balance requires proprioceptive acuity and precise neuromuscular control. The decline of proprioception with the passing of years is a contributing factor to falls in the elderly and that can be influenced by regular physical activity. Older people who regularly practice Tai Chi not only showed better proprioception of the ankle and knee joints than the sedentary older control group, but also better ankle kinesthesia than older people who practice swimming or other sports. The remarkable benefits of practicing Tai Chi on proprioception result in maintaining balance control in the elderly. Proprioceptive exercise seems to have better effects on balance control in older adults than bioenergetic physical activities (swimming, cycling and running). Tai Chi requires continuous and slow movement with small to wider expressions of motion, the shift of body weight from unilateral to bilateral, and circular movements of the trunk and extremities involving isometric and isotonic contractions. The reason for these benefits seems to consist in the functional enhancement of the “proprioceptors” that derives from the practice of Tai Chi Chuan. Taken from: ww.my-personaltrainer.it
New findings for Tai Chi
Among the many studies on Tai Chi the latter is particularly interesting: Tai Chi breaks down the parameters of inflammation. Said so it might seem little. Yet it is extremely important because even conventional medicine has been committed, for years, to reducing the so-called ‘low-grade’ inflammation, which often accompanies aging. This inflammation is correlated with the genesis of chronic and advancing diseases. Therefore, if you want to do a real prevention it seems appropriate to act on these inflammatory markers. How do we do it? This study shows that Tai Chi, in older people (who had never practiced Tai Chi before), breaks down an important marker of inflammation (NF-kB), more than is observed with an ‘educational intervention’. The authors say: this is seen, without taking medication, with Tai Chi, that is a particular type of moderate physical activity (within the reach of older people), which includes deep breathing and a form of meditation. Tai Chi is translated in this way. The study we are talking about is signed by researchers from important Californian universities including the famous UCLA. Of course, a person can practice Tai Chi simply because he feels better, or to follow a path of spiritual evolution, or even to cultivate a martial art, but in this post we talk about an intervention of medical interest. The various things are not mutually exclusive. New evidence of the close body-mind connection In this study, Tai Chi was offered to elderly people who were ‘abandoned’ to themselves (questioned, they say they suffer from loneliness). People without support but who can still afford to have a high level of assistance, to manage their lives in some way. This is not the case for everyone, unfortunately. Of all the others we will never know anything. The fact is that they are not men and women who live a serene third age, feel under stress, sometimes even have a bad temper, feel vulnerable, bear the scars of a lifetime and no one wants to deal with them (even care-givers often have enough). What emerges from this study is that the feeling of abandonment, loneliness (without the possibility of choosing: dead end), impacts on a physical marker, measurable with a blood test. In these cases, if there is no limit to stress, an increase in systemic inflammation follows. Taken from: laltramedicina.it
Tai Chi Chuan: the art of movement
Abstract:Today’s man no longer seems to know how to move, he is no longer aware of his movement. The quality of listening and that of hearing is also weakening. In this context, Tai Chi Chuan can offer the opportunity to get back in touch with the “real” Body. Its purpose is to promote harmony, knowledge of the limits and potential of one’s body to achieve a state of well-being and health. We generally work in groups, in contact with ourselves and with others. There are no age limits or contraindications. Keywords:tai-chi, wellness, movement “He who can unite the outside with the inside can also realize the integral unity of his being” (Yang Cheng Fu). This statement contains the secret of an ancient discipline of the body, born in China and with martial origins, which has been able to transform its practice and identity into a search for health and awareness. In Tai Chi Chuan, some fundamental elements of Chinese thought and culture are harmoniously manifested: the value of the body as a unit, the importance of movement and the relationship with nature. It should also be remembered the close link of Tai Chi with Taoist philosophy, especially in reference to the most characteristic and significant aspect of this philosophy: “the integration of opposites”, symbolized by the relationship of the two polarities or energies: Yin and Yang. It was Yang Cheng Fu (1883-1936), descendant of Yang Lu Chan (founder of a dynasty of Grand Masters and founder of the most famous and accredited style in the world: the “Yang Style”) to intuit the importance and benefits of the discipline in a context other than martial. Around 1930, Cheng Fu developed and codified a sequence of moving positions, “Da Jia” (in English “Great Concatenation”), commonly called “Form” or “Long Form – 108 Movements”. The aim was to make Tai Chi Chuan accessible to people of all ages. The Tai Chi Form has become, therefore, a psycho-physical exercise characterized by a sequence of slow, harmonious, circular movements. The positions a movement are clear and simple to perform. The structure has been worked out in such a way as to keep the body rooted in gravity, centered, well aligned along the vertical axis, balanced. There is nothing abrupt, exaggerated or rigid.We do not oppose something or someone, even if the movements reproduce the actions of the martial art (parry, repel, hit with a fist, hit with a kick) but we seek the overcoming of tension. Its practice allows you to balance internal energies, to improve alignment and posture, to promote mind-body integration. Its purpose is to promote harmony, knowledge of the limits and potential of one’s body to achieve a state of well-being and health, refine and enrich the quality of one’s movement. It can improve blood circulation, heart rhythm and the functioning of the whole body (including metabolism). The slow, continuous and coordinated movement helps to loosen the joints and restore muscle tone. When performing the movements of the “Form” in a sequence of perfect unity similar to a dance, the body is like a small universe in continuous movement on itself and in space, with its own rhythm and coordination. In this way a conscious unity of one’s totality is achieved in continuous relationship with the inside and the outside. This “Warrior Dance” or “Moving Meditation” is commonly performed in silence. It is the Body that speaks. Concentration is constant. We generally work in groups, in contact with ourselves and with others. There are no age limits or contraindications whatsoever. It is aimed at Young and Elderly alike. Can the use and learning of the Form – Tai Chi, born in a culture and in a social context very different from the Western one and in an era very distant from ours, be current and constitute a stimulus for today’s man? In what area can it affect? How so? Progress has improved the quality of life but at the same time has made the management of space and time increasingly hectic. In this frenzy, today’s swirling rhythms involve and, at times, upset in such a way as to alter and change the space/time relationship. Those who risk paying the consequences are the body that becomes more and more virtual and less and less real. Today’s man no longer seems to know how to move or rather no longer has awareness of his movement. He does not measure the actions he performs starting from his real possibilities and his limits (understood as freedom and not as coercion), but tends to trespass into an “activity” motivated by pushes and stimuli, often, much greater than him, which are the fruit more of his mind than of his body. It acts, often and willingly, mechanically, devoid of naturalness, spontaneity and with stereotyped behaviors. It seems to be immersed in a daily and constant contact with a space and a time different from the present one. A virtual reality, this, that is moving him away from himself and that can generate the loss of the sense of the here and now, of the sense of existence (being in time and in the current reality). Modern man no longer seems to be master of his own action. He is no longer able to stop. The quality of listening and that of hearing is also weakening. More than expressing a free and spontaneous movement, he seems to be a prisoner of his body in his body. In this context, Tai Chi Chuan can offer the opportunity and constitute a valid opportunity to reconnect and get back in touch with the “real” Body. However, the approach to this learning must also include a broader and more general work on the movement and the laws that govern it. A deep and introspective study. A research that addresses all those elements and aspects of the Body and the Body that moves. A work that opens the doors to the functionality of actions and is a field of knowledge and awareness. It
Tai Chi wellness even for wheelchair users
Tai Chi to help those who are confined to a wheelchair and have to deal with immobility. In addition to the personal problem for which a person is confined to a wheelchair, there is also that of loss of autonomy, self-esteem and physical immobility that alone can give different physiological disorders. To promote the psycho-physical well-being of wheelchair users, an expert in traditional martial arts from the University of Tennessee (USA) has developed a special program that includes 13 positions used in Tai Chi, designed specifically for those suffering from this problem.The journal Technology and Innovation – Proceedings of the National Academy of Inventors reports that Dr. Zibin Guo has adapted 13 of the 24 typical positions of Tai Chi for all those who do not perform any physical activity – such as 73 percent of wheelchair-bound Americans. In this way, according to Guo, the wheelchair can be transformed from an assistive device to an instrument of artistic expression and emancipation. “Too often, social and cultural barriers discourage people with physical disabilities from participating in fitness activities – explains Dr. Guo – Wheelchair Tai Chi can be practiced while seated for those who need simplicity, low impact, exercise for the upper body through the integration of wheelchair movement with sweets, dynamic and flowing movements of Tai Chi. It lifts the spirit and gives practitioners a sense of command of space.” If we take into account that there are millions of people in the world who live in a wheelchair, we can calculate the impact that would have the possibility of offering all those who want it a means to feel better physically and psychologically. Also obtaining benefits on general health and, perhaps, preventing many of the diseases due to forced position and immobility.“Studies conducted in China and elsewhere suggest that these individuals, especially those in wheelchairs, have significantly lower self-esteem and are more vulnerable to depression – adds Guo – The rationale behind the development of Wheelchair Tai Chi as an alternative fitness and recreational for people with walking disabilities was first and foremost based on the documented health benefits of Tai Chi. accessibility, low cost and acceptance in popular culture. Second, it is based on the health and fitness benefits that this modified Tai Chi could have for people with impaired walking function.” The movements designed for the disabled by Dr. Guo allow wheelchair users to practice a whole range of movements in the lower back, hip, as well as upper body with shoulders, arms, hands, neck, head and so on. In addition, the expert points out, these movements contribute to improving internal blood and lymphatic circulation – which is no small thing. SOURCE:Zenon.it
Tai Chi extends life
Tai chi prolongs life: this is revealed by a maxi study that involved over 61 thousand Chinese males and was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Led by Xianglan Zhang of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee, the study shows that men who regularly practiced Tai Chi had a 20 percent reduced risk of dying. The expert studied the sample for several years, dividing it into groups according to the type of physical exercise he practiced or sedentary lifestyle. Tai chi is an ancient Chinese art based on slow movements, balance and concentration: during the practice we help ourselves with concentration to maintain certain positions of the body for a long time. In past studies, Tai Chi has been found to be beneficial against the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. The new study found that Chinese people who practiced Tai Chi regularly, although on average older and often with chronic diseases than the rest of the observed sample, had a 20% reduced risk of dying compared to those who did not exercise.
What is Qigong
The term Qigong refers to a discipline composed of exercises aimed at improving the quantity and quality of energy (Qi in Chinese) circulating within the body.The birth of this ancient art of breathing is lost in the mists of time and it is impossible to date it precisely.Although there are not enough historical references in this regard, it is assumed that the history of Qigong begins before acupuncture, which refers to the Yellow Emperor Huangdi with the book “Neijing Suwen the classic of internal medicine” attributed to him.Translating the term Qigong is very difficult as there is no Italian term to define precisely the word “Qi”, however wanting to give a meaning to the word Qigong we could summarily interpret it as:“Respiratory Exercise” or as “Qi Work”, or the force coming from working with Qi.In ancient times the practice of Qigong was known by terms different from the current one such as;” Tu gu na xin” (lit. Expel the old and absorb the new), “Xing qi” (circulate Qi), “Yangsheng gong” (Nourish the life force) or “Dao yin” (Lead and lead) The Qi ideogram is divided into two parts, the upper one representing steam that rises from the earth to the sky, and the lower one representing a grain of rice. That is, the rice that produces steam during cooking.The second ideogram Gong, is also composed of two elements: on the left we have gong that indicates “work”, while on the right we have Li that indicates “force”. (to indicate difficulty and perseverance in the exercise)Through a perfect synchrony between the movements of the body, the respiratory phases and the participation of the mental “vision”, it is possible to increase the amount of energy entering the body and direct it to specific sites where it is able to carry out very precise reactions.In China there are many forms of Qigong, associated with as many numerous schools, each of which has its own characteristics and techniques that apparently may appear different from each other, although in the end, all share the same work.Once the styles of Qigong were part of the hereditary assets of the family, they were transmitted from father to son and remained the heritage of the members of that clan and a few other lucky students, only after 1900 these ancient methods were re-evaluated, finally coming out of the shadows and revealing in part their characteristics.It is in fact from this period onwards, that the Chinese have dedicated themselves to the recovery of these ancient forms, managing to save several, which have then come up to the present day.The constant practice of Qigong is mainly aimed at improving one’s state of health, (both physical and psychic) which is why this practice is an integral part of Traditional Chinese Medicine.With Qigong we act mainly on the Qi of the individual, unlocking any energy traffic jams, increasing and promoting the circulation of blood and energy, nourishing and strengthening the total energy quota and directing the latter to specific areas of the body, in order to help it in diseases or for the most disparate uses.Qigong regulates bodily functions by acting on both the physical and psychic components.For practice, in fact, it is necessary to act both on the control and coordination of movements, and on the control of breathing and mind, which must be slowly brought towards a situation of quiet and calm.From this practice an increase in the capacity for resistance to diseases and an increase in the control of emotional states is achieved.In addition, inner stillness promotes the functions of the nervous system, making them much more controlled and efficient.It improves the quality of sleep and promotes greater control of anxious states, ensuring quality rest.The dilation of the capillaries during the practice, guarantee better blood circulation and a reduced cardiac load.The respiratory function also benefits, increasing diaphragmatic expansion and cellular oxygenation which consequently favors an increase in the energy of the whole organism.Even the organs and viscera receive a positive effect from the practice of Qigong, in fact it follows an “internal massage” that acts directly on each one, improving their specific functions, such as intestinal peristalsis, the production of bile and digestive juices, food transit and toxin. Without a shadow of a doubt, the art of Qigong is too precious a commodity not to be shared with all the people of the world, it is the basis of health and health will always remain the greatest of all goods.
