How Does Tai Chi Work? (2) The Scientific View
The Daoist account is full of esoteric theory and imagery. What objective evidence is there for benefits from Tai Chi practice and how can these gains be understood?
The physical characteristics of long-term Tai Chi practitioners in the general population have been identified across studies: increased bone density, muscle strength, flexibility, stamina, and reduced blood pressure (Wang, 2010). These physical attributes are consistent with the established physical gains of Tai Chi for people with neurological conditions: improved balance and mobility. Physical training of core strength through a focus on the trunk of the body and hips initiating motion, slow movements and weight transfer would logically produce these outcomes, while the bodily alignments central to Tai Chi minimise unintended injury through the physical demands of the practice.
However the Daoist account of benefits from Tai Chi and related practices emphasises the internal experience and psychological dimension. Many of the claims that Daoists make for the characteristics and causal effect of the internal process of change associated with Tai Chi and related conditions are not amenable to scientific study, however. Furthermore, an additional lack of focus on the psychological aspect of Tai Chi practice in the scientific research has been a blind spot in the literature, in contrast to the priority of this dimension for Tai Chi practitioners themselves.
In the neurological conditions literature, one group of researchers have tried to conceptualise the psychological dimension of Tai Chi practice as a form of mindfulness, an approach to meditation that has become very popular in the West. Mindfulness is from the East and captures much of the internal focus of Tai Chi, and is consistent with now repeated findings that groups of long-term Tai Chi practitioners in the general population demonstrate superior control of attention to novice groups (with corresponding differences in brain connectivity and specialisation evident in imaging studies).
However, Mindfulness is a Buddhist meditative tradition, in contrast to Tai Chi’s Daoist origins. Is there another theory, amenable to scientific scrutiny, that is closer to the Daoist framework? I and other writers have suggested that Flow States may be the missing link here. Flow State Experiences have been studied as part of Western Positive Psychology (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997) and have been linked with psychological health and wellbeing, in addition to optimal performance in sports and business domains.
Being ‘in the flow’ is a familiar concept to most people – it is when you lose your sense of self (with its worries and concerns) by becoming so absorbed in a task or activity, with a corresponding sense of wellbeing. When Flow States are studies in professional athletes and sports players, these experiences are associated with optimal physical performance. This suggests that this state of mind, if accessed during Tai Chi practice, will contribute towards the physical gains reported above.
However, the experience of Flow is actually greatly prioritised by Tai Chi practitioners. It is very relevant to the psychological dimension of Tai Chi practice as the conversion of different types of energies (read more here) during practice should be experienced as a sense of flow through the body. In fact, there is one important difference between Tai Chi and sports (and perhaps rehabilitation physiotherapy exercises): while flow is part of athletes experience, their goal is to improve their performance. In Tai Chi, getting into the Flow State is the main goal, and physical and psychological functioning improve as by-products. More can be found on the role of Flow experience during Tai Chi practice here and the value of this state of mind for neurological conditions here. Read a comprehensive article on the subject here.
In summary, empirical findings of both physical and psychological gains of Tai Chi practice can be formulated through acceptable scientific theoretical frameworks such as restoration of physical function, the generic benefits of gentle exercise but also the specific impact of Flow States on both psychological wellbeing and optimal physical functioning.
The physical characteristics of long-term Tai Chi practitioners in the general population have been identified across studies: increased bone density, muscle strength, flexibility, stamina, and reduced blood pressure (Wang, 2010). These physical attributes are consistent with the established physical gains of Tai Chi for people with neurological conditions: improved balance and mobility. Physical training of core strength through a focus on the trunk of the body and hips initiating motion, slow movements and weight transfer would logically produce these outcomes, while the bodily alignments central to Tai Chi minimise unintended injury through the physical demands of the practice.
However the Daoist account of benefits from Tai Chi and related practices emphasises the internal experience and psychological dimension. Many of the claims that Daoists make for the characteristics and causal effect of the internal process of change associated with Tai Chi and related conditions are not amenable to scientific study, however. Furthermore, an additional lack of focus on the psychological aspect of Tai Chi practice in the scientific research has been a blind spot in the literature, in contrast to the priority of this dimension for Tai Chi practitioners themselves.
In the neurological conditions literature, one group of researchers have tried to conceptualise the psychological dimension of Tai Chi practice as a form of mindfulness, an approach to meditation that has become very popular in the West. Mindfulness is from the East and captures much of the internal focus of Tai Chi, and is consistent with now repeated findings that groups of long-term Tai Chi practitioners in the general population demonstrate superior control of attention to novice groups (with corresponding differences in brain connectivity and specialisation evident in imaging studies).
However, Mindfulness is a Buddhist meditative tradition, in contrast to Tai Chi’s Daoist origins. Is there another theory, amenable to scientific scrutiny, that is closer to the Daoist framework? I and other writers have suggested that Flow States may be the missing link here. Flow State Experiences have been studied as part of Western Positive Psychology (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997) and have been linked with psychological health and wellbeing, in addition to optimal performance in sports and business domains.
Being ‘in the flow’ is a familiar concept to most people – it is when you lose your sense of self (with its worries and concerns) by becoming so absorbed in a task or activity, with a corresponding sense of wellbeing. When Flow States are studies in professional athletes and sports players, these experiences are associated with optimal physical performance. This suggests that this state of mind, if accessed during Tai Chi practice, will contribute towards the physical gains reported above.
However, the experience of Flow is actually greatly prioritised by Tai Chi practitioners. It is very relevant to the psychological dimension of Tai Chi practice as the conversion of different types of energies (read more here) during practice should be experienced as a sense of flow through the body. In fact, there is one important difference between Tai Chi and sports (and perhaps rehabilitation physiotherapy exercises): while flow is part of athletes experience, their goal is to improve their performance. In Tai Chi, getting into the Flow State is the main goal, and physical and psychological functioning improve as by-products. More can be found on the role of Flow experience during Tai Chi practice here and the value of this state of mind for neurological conditions here. Read a comprehensive article on the subject here.
In summary, empirical findings of both physical and psychological gains of Tai Chi practice can be formulated through acceptable scientific theoretical frameworks such as restoration of physical function, the generic benefits of gentle exercise but also the specific impact of Flow States on both psychological wellbeing and optimal physical functioning.
Online Talk on Converting Daoist Ideas into Applied Scientific Concepts
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