Tai Chi Ch'uan: The Gentle Workout for Mind & Body

Introduces the Chinese system of exercise and meditation, and provides instructions for the various movements it employs

Tai chi chuan is alternately exercise, dance, religious ritual, life philosophy, and a form of meditation. Here, although the authors touch briefly on the spiritual and philosophical aspects, the exercise component is stressed. As with any form of intelligently undertaken exercise, the health benefits of tai chi can be significant as regards heart condition, blood pressure, stress reduction, and overall flexibility. For each clearly photographed and diagrammed movement, the authors include a description of the body's action, the position of the eyes, a breathing regimen, a mental focus, and the corresponding self-defense application should one choose to concentrate on the martial-art aspect of the exercise. In all, there are 78 separate movements detailed, divided into five sections of ascending difficulty. The appeal of tai chi is that it can be an effective form of low-impact aerobics and that it can be--once the basics are in place--performed alone. This modest guide will serve as a valuable introduction as one begins formal instruction. Wes Lukowsky