SOHMA Integrative Medicine

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Tai Chi

How To Become a Tai Chi Instructor

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If you have seen a group of people slowly moving in unison at your local park, they are likely practicing Tai Chi. Tai Chi has become one of the most popular martial arts practiced in the US because of its approach to providing a gentle workout that offers several benefits.

Perhaps you’ve been an active practitioner in our free Tai Chi class for beginners in Heartwell Park, Long Beach, CA, next to the duck pond, and you feel ready to pass your knowledge to your class. Fortunately, there are many tools available to become a Tai Chi instructor. 

Today, we’ll review what you may need to prepare to become a certified Tai Chi instructor.

Develop a Strong Foundation

This may be apparent, though it’s essential to build upon a strong foundation of Tai Chi. This can be developed through in-person classes, such as our free Long Beach class, or various online tools. This includes the Tai Chi for Beginners playlist hosted by Dr. Hoover, a Tai Chi Master and 5th Degree Black Belt in Shaolin Kempo. Ideally, you’ll want to master the basic movements and understand the underlying principles of Tai Chi. This means understanding the movements within the form as we know the philosophies of Tai Chi.

If you can complete the basic form accurately and fluently, congratulations, you may be ready to learn how to become an instructor and teach your class.

Gain Teaching Experience

Being able to perform the movements and understand the principles and philosophies of Tai Chi is a great start. Though learning Tai Chi and teaching it require two distinct abilities. You can obtain practical teaching experience by assisting experienced instructors. Hands-on experience is crucial for being able to develop an effective teaching method. As well as building confidence in your abilities as an instructor.

Communication Skills are Crucial

Many of the best Tai Chi instructors are great communicators. Only some students will learn using the same method as you did. Communicating well also allows instructors to adapt their teaching styles to suit students’ learning styles. Clear communication on safety and proper movements can help prevent injuries. While Tai Chi is generally seen as a safe exercise to practice for nearly everyone, many students with limited mobility will need to modify a pose to fit their needs.

You’ll need to be able to communicate with your students well to ensure they understand the movements and teachings of Tai Chi. New students exploring Tai Chi for the first time will frequently have many questions. As an instructor, you’ll need to be able to articulate responses to these students’ questions, allowing them to deepen their understanding of Tai Chi.

Education and Certification

Gaining a formal Tai Chi instructor’s certification is essential to becoming a Tai Chi instructor. 

At SOHMA Integrative Medicine in Long Beach, CA, we offer training courses and certifications for individuals aspiring to become qualified Tai Chi instructors.

This 100-hour course prepares you to teach your class. You’ll learn from Dr. Hoover, who will give students a detailed understanding of Tai Chi. His unique approach blends the principles of Tai Chi Chuan and medical traditions, allowing his students to understand Tai Chi and how to apply it.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can contact us and ask about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA, we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

Benefits of Practicing Tai Chi Regularly

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Tai Chi has been practiced for thousands of years and originated in ancient China. Every year, more and more people join classes or practice this martial art dubbed “meditation in motion” at home. In fact, it’s not uncommon to pass by a park and see a group of people practicing this martial art together in unison.

With the new year quickly approaching, many people go to the gym expecting immediate results and quitting when things get too difficult. Let’s try to break this cycle. Join a Tai Chi class instead of going to a gym just to straighten your body. Not only will you gain physical health benefits, but you’ll also gain mental and spiritual health.

Those looking for a New Year’s resolution that they can keep Tai Chi have a significant amount of benefits for those who can be consistent, and today, we’ll be covering some of those benefits.

Stress Reducer 

Often overlooked, stress can have an incredibly negative impact on your daily life. Stress is called “the silent killer” because there aren’t any obvious signs of the damage that stress is causing. Sure, you can notice a change in a person’s mood or behavior, though stress can lead to several serious conditions, including:

  • Chronic Fatigue
  • Sleep Disorders
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Loss of Appetite
  • Physical Discomfort

Simply put, living with unmanaged stress can affect your mind and body in ways you may not understand. When not taken care of, stress can lead to many other changes, such as social withdrawal. This can lead to substance abuse and ultimately change your life for the worse. Practicing Tai Chi regularly can help maintain a lower stress level that can be better managed and improve your health holistically.

Improved Mental Health

Tai Chi is regularly referred to as “meditation in motion.” This is because Tai Chi uses slow and gentle movements, making the practitioner aware of their body and mind processes. When practicing Tai Chi, there is an emphasis on controlled deep breathing. Coordinating with the poses and movements helps to calm the mind. Which in turn reduces stress and increases oxygen flow through the body. This promotes relaxation.

The combination of gentle movements and the focus on deep breathing puts your mind and body in a meditative state, and with it comes the benefits of meditation. Meditation has been shown to help manage stress levels, which can reduce tension in the body. This can have the added benefit of reducing pain caused by muscle tension. Regular meditation has also been shown to help improve your focus, improve your memory, and gain clear-headedness.

Improve your Heart’s Health

It’s never too late or too early to start caring for your heart’s health. After all, you only get one. Tai Chi as an exercise is incredibly beneficial for your cardiovascular system. This is because Tai Chi, similarly to jogging, uses repetitive contractions of large muscle groups to get the heart beating more. Although with much less stress on your muscles, bones, and joints. By doing this consistently, you can strengthen your heart’s blood vessels. By doing Tai Chi regularly, you can improve oxygen flow throughout your body, which can help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol while increasing your stamina. 

Tai Chi has also been recommended for people recovering from heart surgery. Because the movements aren’t seen as strenuous, practicing Tai Chi can help strengthen a patient’s heart without overworking it.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can contact us and ask about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA, we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

Who Benefits from Practicing Tai Chi?

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Tai Chi is an ancient Asian martial art practiced by thousands of people daily. Often called meditation in motion, Tai Chi isn’t practiced with the same intensity as other martial arts. You may sometimes see a group in a park calmly moving in unison and wonder what they are doing.

They were practicing Tai Chi.

Why is it so popular, and who benefits from practicing Tai Chi? Join us as we discuss who should practice Tai Chi and the benefits of this martial art.

Older Adults

As we age, many activities may become difficult. Something as simple as walking to the grocery store can even pose a dangerous risk of falling and injuring yourself. While we cannot stop aging, we can keep our bodies fit and healthy with Tai Chi.

Tai Chi combines meditation and spiritual focus with low-impact movements and poses. This allows for anyone of any age and fitness level to participate. The movements are designed to be incredibly gentle, and while initially it was meant for defense, Tai Chi now focuses on muscle control, balance, stability, flexibility, and meditation. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced practitioner, Tai Chi can be done by anyone, even people with limited mobility. A Tai Chi instructor can adjust the motions to your capabilities.

For senior citizens, Tai Chi can help them regain strength and balance. This can give them the confidence and freedom to be more independent.

People Suffering From Arthritis

When suffering from arthritis, exercise can help manage the symptoms. It’s common for people who suffer from different forms of arthritis to give up on exercising to prevent them from injury or pain. That’s understandable. However, Tai Chi is a form of exercise regularly recommended for people with arthritis. The low-impact movements can help improve strength and balance.

Because it’s soft on the joints and helps build muscle, Tai Chi can be a great way to manage pain and reduce the stiffness in the joints caused by arthritis.

Heart Health

The heart is a muscle, and aerobic exercises or cardio is typically what works out the heart to keep it healthy. Cardio exercises strengthen your heart’s blood vessels and improve oxygen delivery throughout the body. Usually, cardio involves maintaining an elevated heart rate for 30 minutes, and Tai Chi is a form of low-impact cardio exercise. This is beneficial for anyone looking for a cardio exercise that won’t leave them with sore knees or for someone who wants to minimize the risk of injury. 

While Tai Chi is great for improving heart health, if you’re recovering from a cardiovascular event, Tai Chi can help recovering patients. It used to be that patients with heart conditions may have been too weak to participate in exercises, though now we know that Tai Chi is an exception.

Reduce Stress

Stress can not only affect your mind but your body as well. When not dealt with, stress can lead to higher blood pressure, increased risk of stroke, obesity, and other health problems. We’ve been talking about the physical benefits of Tai Chi, though, like we said in the beginning, Tai Chi is known as meditation in motion. Being able to meditate regularly is a great way to manage stress levels. Because Tai Chi also focuses on meditation, it’s been found that Tai Chi can help with many other mental health issues as well. It’s been shown to help improve mood, reduce anxiety, and help manage depression.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can contact us and ask about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA, we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step to better health.

Where can Tai Chi be Practiced?

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Tai Chi is an ancient martial art practiced for thousands of years to help improve inner peace and physical balance. Tai Chi is often called “meditation in motion” as the slow-moving poses and relaxing breathing rhythm helps put your mind into a feeling of calmness. In the medical community, however, it’s now called “medication in motion” because of its numerous researched health benefits.

Some of the physical benefits include:

  • Improves strength
  • Improved Flexibility
  • Improved Mobility
  • Improved Balance
  • Aerobic Conditioning

Though practiced by people of every age and physical fitness, Tai Chi is most often seen being practiced by older adults. One of the greatest benefits of Tai Chi for older adults is improving their balance. Falls are the leading cause of injury among seniors, and by practicing Tai Chi, they can gain a sense of independence and confidence.

Practicing Tai Chi also comes with several benefits to your mental health. When you combine slow movements with calm breathing and get into a state of meditation, your mind begins to relax and release stress. Stress can lead to a variety of mental health issues, some of which include:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Irritability
  • Loss of Focus

Tai Chi has been shown to improve its practitioner’s mood significantly. Improved mood helps your energy levels, can reduce headaches, and help people get a restful night which can lower blood pressure.

With so many benefits, where and how should you practice Tai Chi? 

The short answer is anywhere you feel comfortable, though some people may have some preferences. Here are a couple to choose from when first starting.

Learning Online

With nearly everyone having access to the internet in the palm of their hands, the barrier of entry to learn Tai Chi is as low as ever. Following an online course such as Tai Chi for Beginners by our very own Dr. Hoover has incredibly detailed lessons for you to practice in the comfort of your living room. Learning through courses allows you to choose when to practice, how long to practice, and when to advance to the higher difficulties. 

There are some drawbacks, such as practicing too long. Though not dangerous, moderation is good practice to have when practicing Tai Chi. Other learning limitations via courses are losing the social aspect of practicing with a class and having a teacher help you with poses and movements.

Join a Class

One of the more common ways Tai Chi is practiced nowadays is by joining a Tai Chi class. You may even see a group practicing Tai Chi at your local park on the weekends. As previously stated, joining a class provided a social aspect. This is good learning because other students can help you when the teacher can’t. You can also give each other motivation to improve. A good teacher can also assist you when you are first learning poses. There may be some limits on how far you can stretch or how well you can balance at first, and a teacher can help you modify the stance and poses to suit your needs, even if you’re using a walker or a wheelchair.

If you want to join our free Tai Chi classes, we practice every Sunday from 9:30 to 10:00 am at Heartwell Park in Long Beach, CA. You’ll see us near the duck pond. You’re welcome to join. Just remember to wear comfortable clothes.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can reach out to us and ask about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA, we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

How To Choose A Tai Chi Class Near You

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Tai Chi has been practiced for thousands of years due to having many benefits. Often called meditation in motion due to the nature of calmness when practicing the poses, Tai Chi has been shown to help improve strength, flexibility, mobility, stability, and balance. Tai Chi has been proven to help improve cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure and improving mood. 

Tai Chi benefits older adults by helping prevent falls, one of the seniors’ most common sources of injury. Additionally, practitioners of Tai Chi have seen notable improvement when dealing with pain caused by arthritis. However, Tai Chi is for everyone, from babies and children to teens and young adults.

Although many of these benefits can be obtained through practice at home by watching classes such as Dr. Hoover’s Tai Chi for Beginners on Youtube, you’ll have more success by joining a class. 

Today, we’ll go over the advantages of taking an in-person Tai Chi class and how to choose the right class for you.

Why Go to a Tai Chi Class?

As previously stated, many benefits can be gained through solo practice at home. However, you’ll miss out on a few critical elements compared to attending an in-person class. 

Only some people can do the poses perfectly at first. Though not expressly tricky, it helps to be guided. There are often physical limitations due to lack of mobility, balance, or pain hindering your movements. Having a teacher present and providing feedback can help you understand how to adapt the Tai Chi poses to your best abilities. A teacher can also help you maintain a sense of calmness and keep your mind meditative.

Another benefit of attending a class is having other like-minded classmates you can bond with. You’ll be able to see their progression and work up to other’s levels while helping newer classmates learn the ropes.

What are the Qualifications of the Teacher?

Many Tai Chi instructors need to have invested time in practicing Tai Chi themselves. Afterward, a course to learn how to teach Tai Chi is required. Typical courses require around 100 hours of training to become a teacher. However, qualifications aren’t the only thing needed to find a great teacher.

A good teacher is necessary to learn Tai Chi correctly and efficiently. A good Tai Chi teacher needs to have a passion and love for teaching Tai Chi. Ideally, they should have good observation skills, communication skills, and amazing attention to detail.

How Much Do Tai Chi Classes Cost?

The price of a Tai Chi class can vary. Some classes charge a per-class cost, while others offer monthly memberships. Typically if a class is going to charge, expect to pay roughly $50 to $150 per month.

Though the cost isn’t very high, many people want to know if they want to invest time and money in practicing Tai Chi. Luckily some teachers want to give the gift of Tai Chi for free. If you feel like trying out Tai Chi for free, stop by Heartwell Park in Long Beach, CA, on Sundays from 9:30 am to 10:30 am near the duck pond. If you join us, remember to wear comfortable clothing to begin your journey back into balance. 

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can reach out to us and ask about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA, we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

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