The Dragon's Head Blog
Health Benefits
Things are Looking Up at Health Recovery Week
Up … Up … Up! There’s always more up! Participants in this month’s Health Recovery Week at the International Centre, Orangeville, are enjoying getting taller and working together. From some of the participants: “It’s been more than just physical. I’m learning how to listen to my body and I didn’t realize how I […]
Round Table Discussion Helps to Reach Out to People in Need of Tai Chi
This spring the Taoist Tai Chi Society of Hungary held a round table discussion in Budapest on the health benefits of Taoist Tai Chi® arts. Among the participants of the discussion were instructors of the Hungarian TTCS, doctors who are also practicing Taoist Tai Chi® arts, and two of our members living with health problems […]
Study Shows Tai Chi and Physical Therapy Were Equally Helpful for Knee Osteoarthritis
For patients with painful knee osteoarthritis, tai chi was as helpful as physical therapy in reducing pain and improving physical functioning, according to a new study partially funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. The results of the study, conducted at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, were published in the journal Annals […]
Good News for Cross-Canada Seniors’ Day
As locations across Canada get ready for Cross-Canada Seniors’ Day next week on June 9, a new meta-analysis suggests tai chi can lower blood pressure in older people as effectively as drugs or aerobic exercise. Researchers also found that the reduction in systolic blood pressure was greater in people who performed tai chi more frequently. […]
Brisbane Twentieth Anniversary Dinner
Members and special guests in Brisbane, Queensland (Australia), celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Brisbane branch at a dinner on March 10, 2016. We were pleased to be joined by special guests Mr. Duncan Pegg MP, member for Stretton and representing the Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk; Councillor Vicki Howard from Central Ward of the City […]
Active Senior Makes the Most of Every Day in Stratford, Ontario
The benefits of an active lifestyle are well documented in studies. But for living proof look no further than Stratford’s Isabel Plant. A five-day-a-week regular at the city’s branch of Taoist Tai Chi the energetic and charming senior celebrated her 90th birthday with fellow participants at the Ontario Street facility this week. Along with Anneli […]
Tai Chi Deemed One of the Five Best Exercises
Harvard Health Publications, the media and publishing division of the Harvard Medical School of Harvard University, one of the oldest and most trusted sources of medical information in the United States of America, reports that one of the five best exercises you can ever do is tai chi. As reported in the article No matter […]
Images and Testimonials from FLK Week at the International Centre
As a result of corrections in the sitting meditation and in my tai chi, a new part of my back opened up that had been hurting before. — Matt from Oregon You have to pay attention to your task, watch the other people, if you want to learn about something and […]
Dan Yu Challenge Comments From Canada’s Pacific Region
Participants from across Canada are taking part in a six-week national dan yu challenge. One only challenges one’s self to do more dan yu’s, not others. Donations are freely given to support fundraising for the International Center in Florida. Better health for the individual and for the organization is the best reward. Here are some comments from participants in Canada’s Pacific […]
Halfway through the National Dan Yu Challenge
Here’s what participants in Western Region are saying about their practice: “It’s a good way to start the day.” Audrey “It softens the stiffness in my hips.” Phyllis “I’m doing the same number of Dan Yus every day, and it feels like it’s getting easier.” Eileen “The more Dan Yus I do, the more I […]
Danyus for Dunedin in the Atlantic Region
Many welcome thoughts on the Danyu Challenge…… The Danyu challenge has encouraged many participants to extend their limits and to discover the benefits of the extra practice. Je sens la chaleur sous mes pieds ..Jean/ Moncton, NB It makes shovelling snow easier..Claude/ Dartmouth, NS Il faut en faire plusieurs chaque jour, pour sentir une différence […]
Taoist Tai Chi® arts gave me back my active life
I am a living testimonial that Taoist Tai Chi® arts is a lifestyle practice that everyone can benefit from, regardless of age and physical challenges. Here’s my story. Ten years ago I was in my 50s and enjoying my second adolescence of activity. I ran, swam, cycled and competed in age group triathlons. It was […]
Osteoporosis – an Artist’s Story
In November 2014 I accepted an invitation from the International Directors for an extended stay in Orangeville. The hardest bit was leaving my family for 9 weeks; they are grownups and live independent lives but it was still difficult and I missed the regular contact. We hadn’t been separated for that length of time before; […]
Tai Chi Is as Effective as Physical Therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis
A study by Dr. Wang to evaluate the effectiveness of Tai Chi in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms concluded that tai chi reduces pain and improves physical function, self-efficacy, depression, and health-related quality of life for knee OA. “Dr Wang has been quoted as saying: “The value of Tai Chi goes beyond physical therapy because […]
Strong leg muscles for a fit brain!
The brains and bodies of identical twins were compared over ten years and for the first time, a connection has been found between power in the lower limbs and healthy cognitive ageing. So, if you need a little extra motivation to get up and do your danyu’s (or any of our moves!) ….. Read article published on […]
Tai Chi & Psychotherapy for Better Sleep and More
Poor sleep is associated with increased inflammation, which may contribute to heart disease and a variety of other ailments. A new study has shown that cognitive behavioral therapy and tai chi, the Chinese exercise technique, may reduce both insomnia and inflammation….At one year after the treatment, compared with the control group, those on cognitive behavioral […]
Tai Chi Effective Physiotherapy for Knees
Both Tai Chi and physical therapy positively impact pain, function and other symptoms of knee osteoarthritis — making Tai Chi a viable treatment alternative for people suffering with the degenerative disease, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Francisco. Read full article >
Staying alive…
While many of us are working hard to improve our health, Bob, a participant from Colchester in Great Britain, is just focussing on staying alive. Here is his story: 2 years ago I broke my arm and had to do everything with my left hand. The doctor told me the cause of the break was […]
Edinburgh Anatomy part 2
As the Weekend program got under way, our 150 participants explored their insides with the help of an Essential Anatomy app presentation, during which we had a real-life demonstration of the the importance of good posture on the position of our organs. Please don’t think we spent all week sitting around watching TV!
Doctors reaching out to the Society and the community
There was a conference for Family Doctors in upstate New York on Chronic Disease Management. It was hosted by the Upstate Medical University, Department of Family Medicine, in Syracuse, NY. The director of that program contacted the Society and asked for a program as a final social event of the day. Four from the Ithaca […]
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