The Dragon's Head Blog
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Mike and Barb Patriquin practice what they teach
In 2001, Barbara Patriquin, had reached a point in her life where, like many others, she found her job stressful. As a healthcare worker she took part in a committee on fall prevention. The topic of Tai Chi came up and the suggestion that it was a proven exercise for better balance and bone density. […]
Taoist Tai Chi helps with “very grim” Parkinson’s challenge
Simple activities like putting on a coat were becoming a challenge for Assunta Scaini as she struggled with the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease such as constant tremors, stiffness, fatigue, poor balance and frequent falls. Assunta started practicing Taoist Tai Chi in Toronto 30 years ago. Within just a few weeks she started to feel good again […]
September: Month of Fall Prevention
Group Health Research Institute recommends preventive steps including exercise as people age – not just any exercise, but those that can improve strength, balance and coordination. Tai chi is at the top of the list. Read full article >
Physios to get an introduction to the health benefits of tai chi
More than 50 physiotherapy staff in the Edinburgh area (UK) will attend an event showcasing the health benefits of tai chi. The free evening event takes place on 16 September at the National Taoist Tai Chi Centre in Edinburgh. Jo Gordon, an occupational health physiotherapist with the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh’s staff physiotherapy service, said: […]
Tai Chi to the Rescue
I knew that this would not be like taking a pill where 20 minutes later you feel better. I understood that this was (and is) a developmental practice, that it takes time. And it takes what we in Taoist Tai Chi call intention. But it didn’t even take a year for the pain in my hip […]
Dan-yu life-saver
My name is Pat and I have been a member of the Taoist Tai Chi Society of Great Britain for 15 years and an instructor for 10 years. 5 years ago I had an accident in my car. I woke up just as the airbag was deflating and because the car was tipped on its […]
Taoist Tai Chi® Arts Help Frozen Shoulder
Around April 2014 I developed a frozen right shoulder. Essentially that’s a tightening of the underside of the capsule of the shoulder – in your armpit, so to speak. There are actually changes in the cells of the capsule tissue for a period of about eighteen months (if you are unlucky, it’s longer). The classical […]
Note on Anatomy and Physiology: Suppleness of Focus
We’ve concentrated a lot lately on the upper limbs. We’ve emphasized that, because the hands form one end of a number of continuities running through the body, their proper use has a significant impact on all our movements. But the hands, although intimately connected to the centre, are situated out in the periphery. While they […]
Notes on Anatomy and Physiology: Slings at the Front, Slings at the Back
For awhile now, we’ve been delineating hand to foot continuities that run throughout the body, providing strength, flexibility and a more developed sense of one’s body in space as they unfold. These patterns of uninterrupted flow, created by sequences of muscle, tendon, fascia and bone, come and go with movement. We saw, last time, how motion […]
Notes on Anatomy and Physiology: The Hand and The Tiger’s Mouth
Last time, we looked at how the bones of the elbow-forearm complex are designed so that the elbow bends and the hand turns. To better understand the influence of the hand and elbow on the strength and balance of our entire structure, we need to consider the ties binding the components of the upper limb […]
Notes on Anatomy and Physiology: One Big Tendon
In an earlier article, it was mentioned that we are often asked in class to open Tiger’s Mouth, bring fingertips up, drop elbow, turn wrist or send out the hands. Why is that? What role do the upper limbs play in learning our art? How do they contribute to the balance and strength of our […]
Notes on Anatomy and Physiology: The Elbow-Forearm Complex
In practicing our art, one of the things we discover is the steady rhythm of the body as it turns up and then down. Surprisingly, we also learn that attending to the placement of the hand and elbow helps us acquire that rhythm. We will focus today on the elbow-forearm complex, its anatomy and its […]
Testimonial: Research Proves Experience with Fibromyalgia
As reported in the New York Times and US News & World Report, a small but significant new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows positive results in pain relief from regular practice of tai chi for people suffering from fibromyalgia. One of our members in Australia has personally experienced the positive […]
Notes on Anatomy and Physiology: Learning with the Hand and Elbow
Taoist Tai Chi® arts introduce a way of moving that is novel for all students. Because the focus is on balance in all its dimensions, we develop over time a newfound sense of comfort and ease as we practice the 108 moves of the set. It feels as if we are learning to move the […]
Testimonial: Full Range of Motion Regained in Spine
In celebration of our 40th anniversary, we asked members around the world to share how the Taoist Tai Chi® arts have affected their lives. “When I started practicing the Taoist Tai Chi® arts I had extremely restricted head movement due to calcification of my upper spine. Within four months I had regained full range of […]
Notes on Anatomy and Physiology: More On The Ties That Bind
In the tor yu, the hands draw out the spine – as the body sends out the hands. To better understand this interplay, let’s examine further the whole body continuities that tether the upper limbs to the rest of the body. You recall that last time we examined the lines of pull created by the […]
Notes on Anatomy and Physiology: The Intervertebral Discs
The intervertebral discs play a key role in the life of the healthy spine. Their degeneration is a frequent cause of pain and disability, and a herniated lumbar disc represents the most common reason adults end up with back surgery. And many students first come to the Taoist Tai Chi® arts because of persistent back pain. […]
Notes on Anatomy and Physiology: Slings at the Front, Slings at the Back
For awhile now, we’ve been delineating hand to foot continuities that run throughout the body, providing strength, flexibility and a more developed sense of one’s body in space as they unfold. These patterns of uninterrupted flow, created by sequences of muscle, tendon, fascia and bone, come and go with movement. We saw, last time, how motion […]
Notes on Anatomy and Physiology: Function of the Thoracolumbar Fascia, Part 2
In the last note, we learned that bending forward with the low back in Step Up and Punch or Push Needle to Sea Bottom reverses the normal lumbar lordosis, lengthens the thoracolumbar fascia, tautens its fibers and stores elastic energy. We saw that simply letting the weight settle in the don yu , tor yu and set causes […]
Notes on Anatomy and Physiology: Getting the Feel of Tensegrity
We’ve spoken recently of how the body makes use of tensegrity to help hold itself together. We stretch out our soft tissues and they resist further expansion and create a sea of continuous tension that tugs on and supports the bones suspended within it. Soft tissue and bone working together. Because the soft tissues resist […]
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