Tai Chi

Tai chi taps the flow of life energy
Monday, October 15, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

There were rows of racks and plates stacked in the group exercise room at C.O.R.E. Center of Fitness in Closter. But as it turned out, all the weight we needed for a workout was right in our own bodies.

[Staff photo by Tariq Zehawi. Courtesy of Northjersey.com]

The basic stance of tai chi involves two things. One is a consciously straightened spine. The other is a stance that lives in the limbo between a squat and a standing position, feet at shoulder width.

After 30 seconds, I learned, this "wuji" posture also involves a distinct burn. My untrained thigh muscles were shuddering involuntarily by the end of the 15-minute warm-up, and I was wiping sweat off my brow. So far, not a bad workout for a martial art form that is known for being popular among the octogenarian set in China.

"It looks so easy, but when you do it, it's hard," said instructor Lipeng Zhang. Unlike karate, tae kwon do, and other aggressive martial arts used in combat, tai chi was created hundreds of years ago in China as a method of maintaining health and attaining longevity. Done properly, it is an excellent way of fostering core balance, leg strength and organ health. But doing it right requires patience, explained Zhang.

Standing still in the wuji posture -- for what felt like a long time to me -- was the first thing we did in the warm-up portion of our hour-long lesson. Then in a moving meditation, we began shifting our weight out of the posture, legs still bent, and moving our arms in time with the motion.

Mental image

Following along, I thought that the movements were in keeping with my mental image of tai chi: it was as if we were moving invisible jugs from right to left, then left to right in a languid oscillation. But now I knew that I was supposed to be feeling the qi, or life energy, move between my hands.

Zhang usually leaves the discussion of qi for more advanced students, but tai chi instructor Arcady Dudko, who teaches at Callanetics and Pilates Studio in Tenafly, likes to incorporate it in his teaching.

"When you relax, it encourages natural life force, or qi, to flow through your body naturally," he explained. "Modern science has shown that there is great benefit in this bio-electrical energy flowing well.

"The easiest way to feel it is in your fingers," added Dudko, who repeatedly exhorted us to feel the "tingle" in our fingers during his lesson.

Like other martial arts, tai chi consists of different "forms," or sequences of moves that can be learned and memorized. This poses certain difficulties for an instructor teaching students at different levels.

After the warm-up, both Dudko and Zhang asked more experienced students to run through forms on their own for practice while teaching moves piecemeal to newer students. If the new students are game as I was, Dudko has them to follow along for the first and simplest sequence before splitting the groups.

Both instructors would keep an eye on the experienced students even while teaching the new students, watching for mistakes or slips in technique. When the newbies got the trick and began committing the new move to memory, the instructor would give notes to the experienced group or teach a new sequence. If you're thinking that this sounds like a long-term time commitment, you'd be right. Zhang estimates that he spends about a year teaching a novice the basics and the first form.

Increased energy

But the health benefits kick in after a few lessons. One student in Montclair, where Zhang teaches another class, said that he found himself walking up stairs effortlessly after a month. Most students also report more mental clarity and increased energy, said Zhang.

It's easy to forget the outside world because the entire tai chi experience is a mental exercise in concentrating on your body in a new way, said Dudko.

"You're developing [your] neurological system, as well as [your] cardiovascular system, because you are working with gravity and natural forces that are around you all the time," he explained.

Speaking of gravity: Can I stand up straight now? I was given permission at the end of the lesson, and did, to my great relief. According to Dudko, I had done the most basic and most natural type of weight training, simply by holding myself up.

"If you do weight lifting, you are applying particular strain on one part of the body," he said. "With tai chi you work with gravity as opposed to forcing yourself to lift heavy things."

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What to expect

You should wear: loose, comfortable exercise clothing that allows maximum flexibility; supportive shoes.
Class contents: Hour-long lessons generally begin with a 15-minute slow meditation and warm-up, followed by individual practice of excerpts from the longer sequence of movements called forms. More experienced students may run through full forms, and beginners continue practicing the movement of the day. Equipment used: Bring a water bottle and an open mind.
Muscles/body parts worked: heavy emphasis on legwork, core balance and overall coordination. At higher levels, qi (life energy) flow to internal organs improves, according to instructors.
For best results: Speak with your instructor beforehand if you need to learn the basics. Most classes have a core of long-term students but welcome beginners.
Availability:
• Callanetics and Pilates Studio: 9:30 a.m. Sundays, 10 Jay St., Suite 6, Tenafly. For more information, call 201-251-4500 or see njpilates.com.
• Lipeng Zhang: 9 p.m. Thursdays at the Lutheran Church, 153 Park St., Montclair. 12:30 p.m. Saturdays at C.O.R.E. Center of Fitness, 91 Ruckman Road, Closter. For more information, call 862-220-1382 or see americaneuropeanshaolin
.com.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.