| Body alignment refers to how everything is | | | | unreported health problems that people have. |
| positioned internally. Tai Chi teaches you how to | | | | Although back pain is sometimes due to an injury |
| recognize your body's alignment and to achieve | | | | or a traumatic event, more often than not, it |
| the best possible body alignment for whatever | | | | comes from years of poor posture. Tai Chi |
| activity you are doing at the time both in combat | | | | teaches correct back alignment by taking |
| situations and otherwise. With proper body | | | | students through a set of forms while maintaining |
| alignment, you can alleviate many health problems | | | | a very straight back alignment throughout. In this |
| including back pain as well as reach new levels of | | | | way, the Tai Chi student can learn how to move |
| skill in your Tai Chi practice. | | | | in ways support good alignment. |
| When you go to push a heavy (but movable) | | | | If practiced correctly, proper body alignment will |
| object there is an alignment through the body and | | | | also lead to greater bone density which is known |
| if the alignment is correct and true and all the | | | | to help prevent falls in the elderly. In order to |
| way through your body you won't have any | | | | obtain this Tai Chi health benefit, the practitioner |
| problem moving the object. If the alignment is off | | | | must align their upper body weight over the legs |
| then the body mechanics are incorrect and it's not | | | | and then relax the entire body so that the weight |
| going to work. | | | | of the entire body presses down through the |
| With practice, you can have an awareness of | | | | structure due to gravity. This alone will increase |
| your body's alignment that is based not just on | | | | the thigh bone density and mass over time and |
| rules for how to sit and stand but instead on a | | | | increase the muscle mass and strength through |
| real knowledge of the skeletal system. This | | | | the entire leg. |
| includes how to properly align the spine, how the | | | | Back alignment is also foundational for the other |
| midsection should be positioned, how the knees | | | | health benefits of Tai Chi. Many students come to |
| should be aligned to the feet and how the feet | | | | a dead end in their practice because they do not |
| should be placed for good knee health that utilizes | | | | have proper back alignment. Consequently, they |
| the musculature of the leg and protects the | | | | are not receiving many of the well-known health |
| tendons and ligaments. | | | | benefits of Tai Chi. This kind of student must first |
| This understanding of alignment and posture is | | | | understand what they are trying to accomplish in |
| excellent for your health. It can prevent a large | | | | terms of the body's alignment and then work |
| number of problems including neck pain, back pain, | | | | proper alignment into their practice. This requires |
| knee pain, poor circulation, migraine headaches, | | | | that students pay close attention to their |
| and many other ailments as well. By practicing Tai | | | | alignment as they perform their Tai Chi set. Only |
| Chi you will learn to move in many different ways | | | | after a student has accomplished this can they |
| while maintain excellent posture and alignment the | | | | then progress in Tai Chi and achieve higher levels |
| whole time. | | | | of skill. |
| Back pain is one of the most significant | | | | |