Body Work or Massage Therapy as a Tai Chi or Qigong (chi kung) Class Enhancement

Tai Chi is meant to loosen the mind and body and increase internal awareness (see various videos throughout the site for examples).

Tension disconnects the mind from the body. Therefore, you may find it very complementary to begin massage therapy prior to your first Tai Chi class and to continue massage therapy for the rest of your life.

Most good Tai Chi teachers will advocate massage therapy or some type of body work as part of your Tai Chi training, just as many good massage therapists will recommend Tai Chi to their clients.

You also will find that massage therapy will be helpful in relieving chronic problems such as allergies, hypertension, head aches, etc.

Sage Sifu Says

As Tai Chi teaches the body to move and change more easily and effortlessly, it provides a model for the mind and heart to change more easily, too.

Therefore, as you continue with Tai Chi, you may discover you eat healthier, drink more water and less soda, get better rest, adopt habits like regular massage therapy, and spend more time with people who make you feel good about yourself.