Tai Chi Chuan movements favor spatial awareness, balance, concentration, and focus. The practice of Tai Chi Chuan helps you gain strength and increase mobility. Tai Chi Chuan emphasizes concentration on thought rather than strength. Reluctance to emphasize strength while practicing means that your thoughts direct every action, so that each action is alert and skillful.
As a student of Tai Chi Chuan, you promote good health, strengthen your body, and gain tranquility of mind. Tai Chi Chuan movements are fluid and graceful, as the running water of streams and rivers, while your mind is peaceful. This resembles the tranquil state found in Taoism. (The most important practice of Taoism is concerned with tranquility of mind and improvement of temperament). Thus, Tai Chi Chuan is also helpful in improving one’s temperament.
A healthy body and a sound mind helps you handle problems with ease, acheive success, and lead a happy life. As Lao-Tzu stated...
“A man is born gentle and weak.
At his death he is hard and stiff.
Green plants are tender and filled with sap.
At their death they are withered and dry. Therefore,
the stiff and unbending is the disciple of death.
The gentle and yielding is the disciple of life.
Thus, an army without flexibility never wins a battle;
a tree that is unbending is easily broken.
The hard and the strong will fail.
The soft and weak will overcome.”