T’ai Chi Chih Joy Thru Movement: My Personal Experience

Student of Sharon Sirkis

When I decided to register for T’ai Chi Chih class, I did it merely to satisfy the academic requirements for graduation. I had no idea how beneficial it could be for my health and, as a matter of fact, my life. It did not take long for me to realize how valuable the T’ai Chi Chih discipline is.

On the first day of class many people labeled themselves as ‘skeptical,’ and even though I did not raise my hand, I was one of them. Although I had heard of many great things about T’ai Chi Chih Joy Thru Movement and I did not doubt that most of them, if not all, were true, there was one big setback: I believed that all those great things would fail to work for me. The main reason to assume that T’ai Chi Chih practice would do very little for me was because it requires major concentration, something that I did not possess. Therefore, I decided to keep quiet, follow the instructions, and earn my academic credits. No frills, no strings attached. Not long after I would be proven wrong.

The first noticeable change I noticed in myself as we were finishing the first class was that my hands were warm. This is incredible since my hands are known to be cold at all times, even during summer. My doctor believes that this is due to my anxiety disorder, which leads to my next point.

I have had an anxiety disorder for almost two years. Symptoms of this disorder are sleeplessness (also known as insomnia), nausea, irregular heartbeats, cold hands, breathlessness, etc. Unfortunately, I have most of these symptoms, and to correct them, I was prescribed to take heavy medication. However, my doctor has agreed to let me take the medication only when the symptoms are unbearable instead of taking it on a daily basis, because it made me very groggy. Concerned about my health, my father (the new age expert), advised me to resort to the ‘eastern healing methods.’ Being so-called-westernized, I refused to opt for these traditional ways. So you can imagine how relieved he was when I told him about my decision to take T’ai Chi Chih class. He probably knew that I would soon turn into a believer.

The most remarkable change I have noticed in my health ever since I took T’ai Chi Chih class is that I have started to get more sleep. Surprisingly, after one of my classes, I felt very sleepy. Therefore, as soon as I got home, I went straight to my room to take a nap. Who would have thought that this nap would last 16 hours straight! I found it to be very pleasant since I usually only get four hours of sleep every night due to insomnia. I woke up feeling refreshed and energized, something that I have longed for for a long time. I mentioned this to my doctor in one of my routine check-ups and, sure enough, he recommended me to keep practicing the T’ai Chi Chih movements.

Needless to say, my anxiety attacks have become less frequent, and I even believe that one day it will be cured with the help of T’ai Chi Chih practice. I am glad to finally find a substitute for oral medication, which has not only interrupted my daily tasks but has also made me feel like I was not the same person anymore. With T’ai Chi Chih practice I can be myself again, in a most natural way. I sure will keep practicing T’ai Chi Chih Joy Thru Movement, and next time I call my father I will allow him to tell me “I told you so.”