The practice of Tai Chi is widely recognized as beneficial to physical and mental health, here are some of the main benefits of practicing Tai Chi:
Improved balance: The slow and fluid movements of Tai Chi require good balance. Long-term practice can improve the stability and coordination of the body.
Strengthens Muscles: Many movements in Taijiquan require the use of muscle strength, especially the legs and core muscles, which helps to strengthen the muscles.
Improves Flexibility: The movements of Tai Chi involve stretching and turning of the entire body, which helps to improve flexibility and range of motion of the joints.
Reduces stress and relaxation: Tai Chi exercises emphasize relaxation and breath control, which helps reduce stress and anxiety and promotes physical and mental relaxation.
Enhancement of cardiovascular health: Although the movements of tai chi are relatively gentle, regular practice can improve cardiorespiratory function, which is beneficial to the cardiovascular system.
Improves sleep: Tai Chi practice can help regulate the body’s biological clock and improve sleep quality.
Enhances the immune system: Some studies have shown that tai chi practice can improve the function of the immune system and reduce the risk of disease.
Slow down aging: Taijiquan practice can improve body functions and slow down the aging process.
Helps in chronic disease management: Taijiquan is helpful in the adjuvant treatment of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.
Promotes Mental Health: The practice of Tai Chi helps to improve self-awareness, enhance inner peace and fulfillment, and has a positive impact on mental health.
Improves Concentration and Awareness: Tai Chi requires practitioners to focus on movements and breathing, which helps to improve concentration and awareness of the surrounding environment.
Social interaction: Taijiquan is usually practiced in groups, which can increase socialization and reduce loneliness.

Practicing Tai Chi quan requires attention to the following aspects:
Choose a suitable place: choose a quiet, fresh air and comfortable environment for practicing, preferably in an outdoor natural environment, such as a park or courtyard.
Dress appropriately: you should wear loose and comfortable clothes when practicing, and your shoes should be lightweight, preferably flat shoes or specialized Tai Chi shoes, in order to make it easier to do various movements.
Warm-up: Before officially practicing Taijiquan, one should perform sufficient warm-up activities, including joint movement, stretching and light whole body exercise to prevent injuries.
Movement Essentials: When learning Taijiquan, one should pay attention to the correctness of the movements. It is best for beginners to learn under the guidance of a professional teacher to ensure accurate movements and avoid the formation of wrong habits.
Breathing: Taijiquan emphasizes the coordination of breathing and movement, so you should breathe naturally when practicing and not hold your breath or exert yourself too hard.
Relaxation: It is very important to keep your body relaxed throughout the practice. A tense body will affect the smoothness of the movements and the effectiveness of Taijiquan.
Concentration of intention: Taijiquan emphasizes that the intention guides the movements, and when practicing, you should concentrate your attention and the intention and movements should follow each other.
Perseverance: It takes time and patience to learn and practice Taijiquan, and only by practicing consistently can one gradually realize the essence of Taijiquan.
Practice in moderation: Adjust the intensity and time of practice according to your physical condition and physical ability to avoid over-training.
Diet and Rest: Maintaining a good diet and sufficient rest will help your body to recover and improve the effect of practicing.
Safety First: If you feel discomfort or pain during practice, you should stop practicing immediately and seek professional advice.
Cultural Exchange: Taijiquan is part of traditional Chinese culture. Understanding the philosophical background and cultural connotations of Taijiquan can deepen your understanding of and interest in Taijiquan.

Tai chi is a gentle, low-impact form of exercise that is suitable for all ages, including children, adults, and seniors. Here are some considerations for different age groups:
Children: Tai chi can help children improve their concentration, coordination and balance. It also develops patience and self-discipline in children. However, tai chi classes for children are usually designed to be more lively and fun to suit their characteristics.
Adults: For adults, tai chi is a great stress reliever, improving cardiovascular health, muscle strength and flexibility, as well as helping to improve mental focus and emotional management.
Elderly people: Taijiquan is ideal for the elderly because of its slow, gentle movements and low impact on the joints. It can help older adults maintain physical vitality, improve balance and reduce the risk of falls, while also helping to improve sleep quality and mental health.

Although tai chi is suitable for all ages, the following conditions require special attention:
Health conditions: If there is a specific health problem, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis or other chronic illnesses, you should consult your doctor or a professional instructor before you start practicing.
Adaptation: Everyone adapts to exercise differently. Younger children may need more guidance and encouragement to maintain interest, while older people may need to adapt certain movements to suit their physical abilities.
Personalization: Practitioners of different ages may need individualized instruction. For example, children may need more playful elements, while adults may focus more on the fitness benefits of tai chi, and older adults may be more concerned with balance and flexibility.
Overall, tai chi is a very inclusive exercise that is suitable for almost everyone, but the style and intensity of practice for each individual should be tailored to the individual.

Taijiquan practice times do have some traditional precepts, which are often combined with the theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), taking into account the body’s physiological rhythms and the natural environment. The following are some general suggestions on when to practice Taijiquan:
Morning Practice: Many people believe that morning is the best time to practice Taijiquan. The fresh air and peaceful environment in the morning are conducive to relaxing the body and mind and regulating the breath. Taijiquan practice awakens the body and prepares it for the day’s activities. According to Chinese medicine theory, 5:00 to 7:00 a.m. (Mao time) is the time when the lung meridian is active, which is conducive to respiratory system exercise.
Practice in the evening: Evening is also a suitable time to practice Taijiquan, especially around sunset when the environment is relatively cool and one’s spirit is more relaxed. Practicing in the evening can help relieve the stress of the day and promote sleep at night.
Avoid Extreme Weather: Taijiquan practice should be avoided in extreme weather conditions, such as scorching heat, severe cold or windy weather, which may have adverse effects on the body.
It is not advisable to practice immediately after meals: Strenuous exercise immediately after meals may affect digestion, so it is recommended to wait for at least half an hour to one hour after meals before practicing taijiquan.
Personal Biological Clock: Everyone has different physiological rhythms, so the most suitable time for practicing may be different. Some people may be more suited to practicing in the morning, while others may feel more comfortable practicing at night.
It should be noted that these precautions are not hard and fast rules, and the practice of taijiquan pays more attention to personal feelings and physical condition. The pace of life and habits of modern people are very different from those of ancient times, so the time for practicing taijiquan can be adjusted flexibly according to the actual situation of individuals. The most important thing is to find a suitable practice time for yourself and keep a regular practice habit.

Breathing techniques in Taijiquan are one of its core elements, complementing the slowness and gentleness of the movements as well as the inner relaxation. The following are some common breathing techniques used in Taijiquan:
Abdominal Breathing: This is the most basic form of breathing in Taijiquan. When performing abdominal breathing, one should breathe with the diaphragm rather than the chest. When inhaling, the abdomen expands; when exhaling, the abdomen contracts.
Slow, deep and long breathing: Taijiquan movements require deep, long and slow breathing, trying to prolong the time between inhalation and exhalation to synchronize the breathing with the movements.
Movement and breathing coordination:
open inhale and close exhale: in Taijiquan, when the body unfolds or the arms expand outward, it is usually accompanied by inhalation; while when the body closes or the arms recycle, it is accompanied by exhalation.
Up Inhale Down Exhale: Inhale when doing upward lifting movements and exhale when doing downward pressing or squatting movements.
Substantial inhalation and exhalation: Inhale during the “real” part of the movement (e.g. pushing the palm) and exhale during the “virtual” part (e.g. retracting the arm). 4.
Natural Breathing: In the beginning stage of Taijiquan, one should focus on the accuracy of the movements first, while the breathing should be kept natural and there is no need to pursue a specific breathing pattern.
Breath sinking into the dantian: When breathing, one should visualize the breath sinking into the dantian (an area located below the abdomen), which enhances the stability of the body and contributes to inner relaxation.
Even Breathing: Try to keep your breathing even and smooth, avoiding sudden deep inhalations or sharp exhalations.
Silent Breathing: When practicing Taijiquan, try to keep your breathing as silent as possible and avoid making breathing sounds, which helps to maintain inner peace.
Use intention and not force: When breathing, one should use intention to guide the flow of breath rather than pushing the air with force.

When practicing Taijiquan, breathing techniques need to be gradually integrated with the skillfulness of the movements, and ultimately achieve a natural integration of breath and movements, intention and breath. When practicing, if beginners feel unnatural or difficult to breathe, they should first simplify their movements and focus on the adjustment of breathing, and with deeper practice, their breathing skills will gradually improve.

The “Loose and Sinking Strength” in Tai Chi is a kind of advanced inner strength, which embodies the principles of Tai Chi Chuan’s “softness overcomes hardness” and “four two pushes a thousand pounds”. The following are the sensations and characteristics of Looseness and Sedimentation:
Sense of relaxation: First of all, the foundation of SongShenJin is the relaxation of the body, not only of the muscles, but also of the spirit. This kind of relaxation is a comprehensive, inside-out state of relaxation.
Sinking of the center of gravity: In terms of sensation, SongShenJin makes one feel like a tree with deep roots, the center of gravity sinks to the soles of the feet as if it is connected to the earth, and the body is stable as a mountain.
Flow Sense: Although the body is relaxed, the strength in the body is like a liquid that can flow, and the feeling is like water flowing in a pipe without obstruction or interruption.
Sense of Weight: When practicing Taijiquan, the Loose and Sinking Strength makes one feel as if one is hanging heavy weights on one’s arms and body parts, but this weight is not produced by muscular tension, but is a result of the joint action of the body’s relaxation and the ground’s reaction force.
Flexibility: Loose and Sinking Strength is not only the sinking of strength, but also includes the flexibility of the body. In the movement, the body is able to flexibly make various responses with both strength and flexibility.
Penetration: When Taijiquan practitioners are able to correctly use the SongShenJin, their power will have a penetrating feeling, as if the power is able to pass through the opponent’s defenses and reach their center of gravity.
Integrity: The use of SongShenJin is the result of the coordination of the whole body, not just the manifestation of local strength. Practitioners will feel that each of their movements is supported by the strength of the whole body, rather than a separate part of the body.
Without interruption: In Taijiquan practice, the Loose and Sinking Power should be a continuous power, from the beginning to the end, the power is as continuous as water.
It takes a long time of practice and realization to experience loose and sinking power. Beginners often need to gradually understand and master the feeling of loose and sinking power through the guidance of the teacher and their own realization. Taijiquan emphasizes inner cultivation, therefore, the experience of loose and sinking power is also personalized, and each person’s feeling may be slightly different.

Tai chi is a very popular sport in China and is also a national intangible cultural heritage of China. Taijiquan emphasizes slow and smooth movements, focuses on both internal and external cultivation, and combines the functions of nourishing the temperament, strengthening the body and physical fitness, as well as technical combat and confrontation. In China, people can be seen practicing Taijiquan in parks, schools, community centers and professional Taijiquan gyms.

In Handan, China, foreigners have every opportunity to learn Tai chi. In fact, Handan, as the birthplace of Tai chi chuan, is famous for its profound Taijiquan culture, which attracts many foreign Taijiquan enthusiasts.