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There’s a lot written about the health benefits of tai chi. Unfortunately, too often, the focus is on physical health benefits and how important these benefits are to older people. Even though I’m one of those older people, I find this focus frustrating!
It’s true that young people tend not to worry about their physical health – they take it for granted. Young bodies shrug off illnesses or recover quickly from them. Any long-term damage they are doing to muscles, joints, and ligaments will likely stay hidden for many years. If they have any worries, they are probably about aerobic fitness or body shape – which is why many choose to do ‘hard’ forms of exercise like working out at the gym. They don’t choose tai chi!
However, many 30-year-olds increasingly DO worry about their mental and emotional well-being. This is even more true of Gen Z’ ers, the first of whom will turn 30 in the next few years. Mental health is reported to be one of their highest concerns because they recognize the potential for overwhelm and burnout from an overfull and overbusy life.
At work, they may have growing responsibilities, feel more pressure to succeed or struggle to hold work’s boundaries. At home, the pressures may be around finances, key relationships, a young family, or even social media—with its constant judgment and criticism. If you’re a 30-year-old or Gen Z’er reading this, I’m sure you could add many more things to this list!
By helping younger people deal better with these stresses, tai chi could be a lifesaver – perhaps even literally. Cheng Man-Ch’ing himself recognized that stress was the biggest threat in the Western world – which is why he decided to make his (our) form of tai chi available to all.
A surprising number of 30-year-olds (and very many Gen Z’ers) are already experimenting with mindfulness meditation to combat stress. But most wouldn’t realize that tai chi is itself a mindfulness practice. And, that it is better than many others because it practices mindfulness under ‘real-life’ conditions—not just when sitting with eyes shut but with eyes open, and while moving or even (in Push Hands) while interacting with others.
Of course, tai chi is also a physical practice—for example, we seek to release physical tension in our muscles. This also counters stress because tension in the body is directly linked to anxiety in the mind—that’s just the biology of the brain. So, when you reduce physical tension, you are also reducing mental anxiety (i.e., stress)—both in the moment of practice and, more importantly, as a long-term change.
So, if you’re a tai chi teacher, please consider how you can reach out to 30-year-olds (and Gen Z’ers) in your community. They may appreciate and benefit from Tai Chi as much as older people do!
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No matter your age, you can learn more about tai chi by exploring the diverse offerings of the Tai Chi Foundation (TCF). TCF provides live online courses, allowing you to participate in guided sessions in the comfort of your home. These virtual classes offer unique opportunities to connect with experienced instructors, ensuring that you receive personalized guidance and feedback. Additionally, the Tai Chi Foundation offers Teachable on-demand classes, providing a flexible and accessible way to learn at your own pace. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced practitioner, these online resources offer a wealth of knowledge to enrich your tai chi journey. For those seeking a more hands-on experience, check out the regular course offerings of TCF’s affiliated local schools.
TCF is a not-for-profit educational organization that promotes, funds, and teaches programs that enable people to learn tai chi chuan and embody its principles.
By Mike Barkham
Tai Chi Foundation 2024
Photography by Antoni Shkrabaon on Pexels
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