T’ai Chi is not T’ai Chi Chih

Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2003
From: Barbara Riley <>
To: Weekly Bulletin From DrWeil <>
Subject: Dr. Weil’s Weekly Wellness Bulletin

Dear Dr. Weil,

As an enthusiastic supporter of your writings and work, I was pleased to see that you featured the recently released study from UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, which showed significant improvements in virus-specific immune response of seniors who took T’AI CHI CHIH classes for 15 weeks. We who teach this form feel it is most significant because this form is NOT a martial art; its purpose is to improve health by circulating and balancing chi (life force energy). This form of meditative movement is taught in basically the same way throughout this country and in many other countries.

The study referenced was the first randomized, controlled clinical trial to demonstrate a positive, virus-specific immune response to a behavioral intervention. It is actually part of a four-year study, which is now nearly completed. Further information about the study may be found at the following resources, as well as in the September edition of the journal, Psychosomatic Medicine.

www.npi.ucla.edu
http://www.cousinspni.org/aboutus.htm
http://www.medsch.ucla.edu

The T’ai Chi Chih community would appreciate it if you would include in a future newsletter more news about this very important study, and the website www.taichichih.org, which has information about the form and a list of teachers who may be contacted. Thank you very much for your interest.

– Barbara Riley

* * *

Date: 10/2/03
Subj: Article about T’ai Chi in 9/29/03 issue
From
To

Dear Sirs: I saw with great interest the article about a study done on the benefits of T’ai Chi in the 9/29/03 issue of Time. Please check your source material. I was able to read the original article from which yours was taken and if you read that article carefully, it states that T’ai Chi Chih is the form of gentle movement documented in the study. My belief is that all forms of T’ai Chi benefit the practitioner. However, the study cited used a specific and unique form of T’ai Chi, called T’ai Chi Chih founded by Justin Stone, and it was this practice that created the results cited in the study. I think it is misleading to not mention the full name of the practice. I would hope that Time’s editorial staff would be more careful in the future.

Sincerely,

– Kendelyn R. Beck
T’ai Chi Chih practitioner
Berkeley, CA