Tai Chi American Style: A Simple and Effective Guide to a Healthy Life

Tai Chi American Style was written to provide a simple and effective guide to healthy living for those leading busy, fast paced, active, mentally challenging and often physically exhausting lifestyles. This simple guide draws its information predominately from the 3,000 year old Chinese art of Tai Chi. Within the text, you will be invited to have a mind shift, perceiving your daily activity and movement as exercise. You will be taught to 'actively' move both your external physical body and your internal energetic body, creating greater Chi (vital life force) circulation. Basic anatomy and physiology of the human body will be explored as related to the energetic body. The most beneficial, healthy way for the body to breathe will be examined. Along the way, you will be exposed to exercises geared toward developing proper body alignment, muscle strength, joint expansion and overall relaxation. A sequential set of movements called the "Energy Ball Form" will be introduced. The study of the energetic body using the art of Chi Kung will be presented along with exercises for practice and development. You will be invited to take a brief look at your daily diet as it relates to the maximum conversion of the essences of food into vital life force. The author's intention is to present the preceding information in a simple, introductory format that is very easy to read, can be easily practiced and at the same time provides a tool that can be used to establish a life-long journey into the world of improving physical, mental and emotional health.

Terry Rappold has been studying Tai Chi and the Healing Arts since the late 1980's. In 1983, he contracted rheumatic fever and shortly thereafter began his search for healthy ways to manage the disease. Tai Chi provided the most positive results. After several years of continued study and practice, Terry began to share his experiences in the class setting. Within a few short years he was teaching in several Southeast Louisiana area Hospital and Wellness Centers.