Meet Chengran Mo, a 57-year-old Chinese expatriate living in Dubai for 19 years. She has been practising Tai Chi for five years. “First of all, Tai Chi makes me more relaxed. Every time I practise it, I can concentrate - it relieves stress and fatigue and has made me calmer and more confident.
“Secondly, Tai Chi makes me healthier. Through regular practice, my body's flexibility has improved significantly. Meanwhile, it has enhanced my resistance to diseases.”
Most importantly, Tai Chi made Mo pay more attention to her inner balance. “There is an important principle in Taijiquan [Tai Chi] - that is to overcome rigidity with softness. This principle tells us that not only external strength and determination are needed in life, but also a calm and soft heart is needed to overcome various difficulties and challenges. Therefore, practising Tai Chi is both a physical and a mental exercise.”
She is not alone, there is a small community of expatriates who practice this ancient martial art form regularly.
Huajin Liu, a Chinese teacher in a governmental institution in the UAE, has also been practising Tai Chi for years. “It improved my flexibility and balance. It made me discover the countless changes in my body.
“I was able to talk to my body … I was able to see, embrace, challenge, understand, accept and affirm myself. Between exhalation and inhalation, I experience peace from the inside out.”
One of the biggest benefits I get from practising it is increased mindfulness and relaxation. The slow, flowing movements of it help me to focus my mind and let go of stress and tension.
For British expatriate Robert Studholme, Tai Chi has been a life-changing experience. “I got interested in it because I was looking for an exercise that would keep me active and healthy without putting too much strain on my body. However the exercise exceeded my expectations.
“One of the biggest benefits I get from practising it is increased mindfulness and relaxation. The slow, flowing movements of it help me to focus my mind and let go of stress and tension. After a session, I often feel more centered and calm, and can better handle challenges coming my way.
“Another benefit of Tai Chi is improved balance and coordination. The movements are very precise and require a lot of control and concentration, which helps to strengthen the muscles and improve overall body awareness. This has been particularly helpful for me as I've gotten older and started to worry more about falls and injuries.”
Having practised Tai Chi for two years, Studholme feels it has been a wonderful way to connect with a community of like-minded people who are interested in health and wellness. “It's been great to meet other practitioners and share our experiences and insights.
“Overall, studying tai chi has been a fantastic journey for me, and I look forward to continuing to explore this ancient art form and all of its benefits in the years to come.”
...I’ve been suffering from a persistent lower back pain since years, but after practising simple Tai Chi warmup exercises, my back pain has vanished.
Indian expatriate Nayeem Ali never imagined himself being involved in Tai Chi as he has “a rigid body with poor flexibility”.
“I couldn’t even touch my toes!” he said. “However, I decide to give it a try and here I am, attending Tai Chi classes every week for well over a year now. It has helped me in several ways.
“I feel energised and focused. It taught me patience. Moreover, I’ve been suffering from a persistent lower back pain since years, but after practising simple Tai Chi warmup exercises, my back pain has vanished.”
I do it for the grace and strength, the serenity and the force, and the never ending journey for the quest of perfection...
Tatiana Piersanti from France said that there are so many reasons for her to practise Tai Chi. “I do it for the grace and strength, the serenity and the force, and the never ending journey for the quest of perfection. Besides, our Tai Chi group is a source of happiness – this is also one part of Tai Chi.”
Key elements to know
UAE-based Tai Chi master Shufa Yang has been practising Chinese martial art since the age of four, he offered some key principles on Tai Chi practice.
“It has many branches. Each branch has different ways of practising. However, there are some general principles - we practise Tai Chi with these nine: respect, tranquility, calmness, slowness, uniformity, softness, roundness, looseness, and alignment.
“The practice is like water, there is stillness in the movement, and movement in the stillness, softness in rigidity, rigidity in softness.
“It’s the perfect fusion of man and Nature. It’s a special exercise that integrates breathing, traditional Chinese medicine, and martial arts,” the 64-year-old master concluded.
Although a martial art form today, Tai Chi (or Taiji in Chinese) is also an ancient Chinese philosophical concept. Essentially, it’s a way of life that guides balance – which is its basis.
‘Tai’ means supreme, while ‘ji’ means extreme, or polar. So, Tai Chi’s literal meaning is supreme ultimate, or supreme polarity as in having two opposing tendencies of yin and yang that eventually cancel out the polarity. Do nothing but do everything, free from constraints, and finally reach a peaceful and harmonious realm that tolerates everything.
Liu has been hosting Chinese martial arts classes in public, free of charge, every Sunday morning from 7:30am onwards, at South Ridge Park in Dubai.
Master Yang and Mo are there to teach classes, too. Since the establishment of this public event in 2021, it has attracted over 200 international participants. They hope that Tai Chi will be understood by more people, and that more people will benefit physically and mentally from practicing it.
“I’m very happy to meet like-minded friends because of this event. Although we are from different countries, we have become a family. Many members can now master various types of Tai Chi very well. What makes us especially gratified is that they have also become the teachers of the new members, and even their friends. It feels great to facilitate the spread of positive energy,” Liu concluded.
Understanding the benefits
Tai Chi is a “…meditation and medication in motion”, a mind-body practice, which has value in treating or preventing many health problems, as per the paper ‘The health benefits of Tai Chi’, published in Harvard Health Publishing by Harvard Medical School.
It said that Tai Chi is a low-impact, slow-motion exercise, “Different from other types of exercise in several aspects, Tai Chi movements are not forced, thus the muscles are relaxed rather than tensed, the joints are not fully extended or bent, and connective tissues are not stretched. It’s a sport for nearly everyone, from the most fit, to people confined to wheelchairs, or recovering from surgery.”
According to the website of the Chinese Martial Arts school in Dubai, Tai Chi helps practitioners to improve their self-immunity and self-healing capabilities.
Meanwhile, Dr Parco Siu of the University of Hong Kong in China has been researching the health benefits of Tai Chi for over a decade, as per a BBC.com report.
In his study comparing results between people who practised three hours of Tai Chi per week, and people who did regular aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities, he found that the martial art produced greater and earlier improvements in participants’ overall cognitive functions and flexibility.
(Note: This article was first published on June 5, 2023)
