While Tai Chi has been used in China for thousands of years, it has only been recently that much has been written about this ancient healing art. The number of books, articles and medical studies that have been published during the last two decades however has been voluminous. The problem is that there is so much material now that it is hard to sift through it to get what you need. While some books will guide you down the path to learning Tai Chi, the best of these are technical and have a nearly spiritual tone. Medical books about the subject seldom go deeply into the actual practice, concentrating instead on studies about the results.

But Tai Chi, when broken down to its fundamentals, serves two basic functions. It relaxes both the body and mind and allows the body to use its natural energy to repair and heal the body, maintaining it over time. But, like anything else there are rules to be followed if you expect to get the most out of your Tai Chi practice.

• First of all, stop killing yourself. Trying to force your body to do things and getting the job done quickly is the best way to make the problem much worse instead of better.
• The human body was designed to heal itself if allowed too. This is why relaxation is vital during the healing process. If the injury is put under strain during the healing the process will slow considerably.
• Tai Chi's slow movements and extremely low impact allow you to stretch the muscles, freeing the blood and energy around your body, all while mentally relaxing.

Tai Chi does not require a large investment of your time and the benefits of relaxation alone that are derived from it are simply astounding. A small time each day for mindful practice of Tai Chi forms will gently and thoroughly exercise both the body and the mind and give you a skill for life-a long, healthy, happy life.