A Personal Testimony on T’ai Chi Chih

(This letter of 13 years ago has become famous among T’ai Chi Chih teachers. It was first published in the VITAL FORCE in the Summer 1984 edition.)

Justin,

On this 5th day of April, 1976, my 27th birthday, I want to tell you of the tremendous influence, both physical and psychological, that T’ai Chi Chih has had on my life and the lives of those whom I have been able to observe closely. Since I first began doing T’ai Chi Chih in October of 1975, there has been an enormous increase in the level of physical energy, and the same has been true of those whom I have observed.

Rapid weight loss was the first and most obvious physical change. I have lost 65 pounds and am still losing slowly, although I appear to be stabilizing at an optimum weight for my height (6’2″) and frame of about 185 pounds. My wife has also had a weight loss of nearly 25 pounds since she started doing T’ai Chi Chih regularly, about two months ago. My muscle tone and strength, especially in the legs, has improved drastically, and my overall endurance and stamina as judged by athletic performance has increased to a level I never thought possible. Last Wednesday, after swimming a mile, my pulse was 105 and respiration only slightly elevated from normal. Endurance on the tennis and handball courts of both my wife and myself has improved greatly and I now have no problem with fatigue in 5 set matches. The amazing fact concerning my weight loss is that at no time have I attempted to control my diet or restrict my caloric or carbohydrate intake. In fact, I now eat much more than I did when I was 65 pounds heavier. It appears that my metabolism has changed completely, since I have always had a problem controlling my weight, regardless of my level of activity.

My blood pressure under stress conditions has dropped from approximately 140/95 in September 1975 to 120/75 at present. Immediately after doing T’ai Chi Chih, it drops to approximately 95/60 and then gradually increases to a resting level of about 115/75. In preliminary studies, it appears that there is a drop in blood pressure when it starts in a high normal or low mild to moderate hypertensive range, whereas people with normal blood pressure seem to be unaffected. They do, however, show a drop in blood pressure while actually doing T’ai Chi Chih, which then returns to their normal resting pressure. We have not yet seen a case of blood pressure increasing in the hypotensive, but two people I know of who had circulatory problems have claimed to have improved and have shown loss of symptoms. Of the three hypertensives I have worked with, all of whom had mild hypertension, all three showed a significant drop within 2-4 weeks and all three have stabilized in low normal to mid normal range for their age and sex.

Other physical changes I have seen in myself and others include ability to function better and feel better with less sleep, and an increase in sex drive, particularly in middle-age men and women.

We are only now beginning to study psychological changes in people practicing T’ai Chi Chih, but the reduction of nervous tension and anxiety is apparent after each practice session. In my own case, I have experienced profound psychological changes in the last six months. I rarely experience anxiety anymore, and as soon as this state of mind is recognized, it disappears. I no longer experience frequent and emotional highs and lows. I find myself living in the present most of the time now. The past rarely enters my consciousness, and worries about the insecurity of the future seldom occur. I am much less self-conscious or worried about what other people think about me or my activities. This represents a significant change in my own state of mind, and although I have been practicing other compatible meditative techniques, I feel that a major portion of the change is due to the practice of T’ai Chi Chih.

I want to thank you for the positive influence you have had on my life. I know of no way to repay you for what you have taught me but to teach the same to others.

Gratefully yours,

– John Burchard