My master says: If you are not relaxed, you are exercising or maybe doing something interesting but you are not doing Tai Chi. I played every sport under the sun and I found in Tai Chi a way to be "In the Zone" through gentle practice and meditation.
Tai chi reduces blood pressure better than aerobic exercise
91–100 of 147 posts
Re: Tai chi reduces blood pressure better than aerobic exercise
#92Earlier quoted context omitted.
Doesn’t mean it’s correct!
In this case, I would argue that it does. "Sahara" means "desert", but "Sahara Desert" is still the proper name for that place. "Naan" means "bread", but it's also the name we use for the kind of bread originally made by the people who speak the language where "naan" means "bread". Likewise, "chai tea" is a perfectly fine name for tea made in the style of the people whose word for "tea" is "chai". Languages do this a…
> Likewise, "chai tea" is a perfectly fine name for tea made in the style of the people whose word for "tea" is "chai".
In India, chai specifically means tea with milk. It’s not just any “tea”. It’s fine to use, but not entirely accurate.
Re: Tai chi reduces blood pressure better than aerobic exercise
#93Earlier quoted context omitted.
Purists like me would object to Chai being referred to its redundant form Chai Tea :)
Chai (or a variation) is the name for tea in half of the world [1], so if you say "chai" you are just saying "tea", while if you say "Chai Tea", if I understand correctly, you are probably referring to a specific beverage [2] [1] https://qz.com/1176962/map-how-the-word-tea-spread-over-land... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masala_chai
Chai = Tea (e.g. Assam tea) with milk
Masala Chai = Chai + spices (masala)
Re: Tai chi reduces blood pressure better than aerobic exercise
#94Taichi is very similar to isometric exercise. Basically in a lot of moves you are pushing against yourself while moving slowly in circles.
Isometric exercise, which is when you are exerting force but not moving, has been shown to be great at reducing blood pressure: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/57/20/1317
Re: Tai chi reduces blood pressure better than aerobic exercise
#95There doesn't really seem to be anything unique to single out tai chi in particular in this study. The benefits pointed out in the article --- that it's meditative, encourages stretching and relaxation, improves balance --- seem to also be associated with things like yoga, or just going through a general stretching and mobility routine. They idea that calming yourself (removing stress or just relaxing) will lower you…
Also there was a recent study saying isometric exercise, such as wall sits, was better then aerobics at lowering blood pressure. If a tai chi form spends a lot of time holding low stances, that could play a part.
Zone-2 aerobics definitely has plenty of other benefits.
Re: Tai chi reduces blood pressure better than aerobic exercise
#96There doesn't really seem to be anything unique to single out tai chi in particular in this study. The benefits pointed out in the article --- that it's meditative, encourages stretching and relaxation, improves balance --- seem to also be associated with things like yoga, or just going through a general stretching and mobility routine. They idea that calming yourself (removing stress or just relaxing) will lower you…
It's probably worth mentioning that the Chinese government really likes to promote Tai Chi as a cultural and athletic practice, so there's a lot of effort spent on justifying Tai Chi as uniquely beneficial, especially as compared to Yoga or other foreign practices that might have similar benefits. Looking at the author's affiliations on this paper, I imagine this is what they're doing.
This. Nearly all of author affiliations listed include "Chinese medicine" as part of affiliated organization's name.
Re: Tai chi reduces blood pressure better than aerobic exercise
#97Earlier quoted context omitted.
In this case, I would argue that it does. "Sahara" means "desert", but "Sahara Desert" is still the proper name for that place. "Naan" means "bread", but it's also the name we use for the kind of bread originally made by the people who speak the language where "naan" means "bread". Likewise, "chai tea" is a perfectly fine name for tea made in the style of the people whose word for "tea" is "chai". Languages do this a…
> Likewise, "chai tea" is a perfectly fine name for tea made in the style of the people whose word for "tea" is "chai". In India, chai specifically means tea with milk. It’s not just any “tea”. It’s fine to use, but not entirely accurate.
just call it a chai latte piss off everyone
Re: Tai chi reduces blood pressure better than aerobic exercise
#98Earlier quoted context omitted.
You're not a purist, you're just incorrect. We are speaking English, so saying that it is redundant isn't true. Just like how Hound means generic dog in German but hunting dog in English, or rouge means red in French but means a kind of makeup in English, Chai doesn't mean tea in English and thus there is no redundancy here.
Chai means (Indian) tea with milk. It’s a borrowed term in English that already includes the meaning. Just like you don’t use “yoga exercise” in English because yoga already means a form of exercise. Or the usage of “karma” in English. You don’t say “karma fate”. You might want to revisit who’s incorrect.
Yes, loanwords don't operate consistently when brought from one language to another. That does not mean that one way they work is "wrong" and the other way is "right", it just means language is complicated. You're the one coming here and telling people they are wrong.
Edit: Like in Italian Latte just means milk, but in English it means an espresso with steamed and then frothed milk on top, what would be called a cappuccino in Italy usually. Americans calling it a latte aren't wrong, they're just using a loanword to mean something different then the original language.
Re: Tai chi reduces blood pressure better than aerobic exercise
#99There doesn't really seem to be anything unique to single out tai chi in particular in this study. The benefits pointed out in the article --- that it's meditative, encourages stretching and relaxation, improves balance --- seem to also be associated with things like yoga, or just going through a general stretching and mobility routine. They idea that calming yourself (removing stress or just relaxing) will lower you…
> general stretching and mobility routine.
I disagree here.
Tai Chi is quite different from what most people will do with stretching. At least anyone I know or have seen exercising.
Just as Yoga is different than holding stretches. Both Tai Chi, Yoga, and Katas are somewhat similar, and they all incorporate stylized movements executed in particular sequences
Also, there is a part of them all to master the poses and movements and in longer sequences remembering it all and remembering corrections and more.
Ritual movements and poses perhaps.
When people stretch you know about how you do it and how to do it. It does not have the mastery and memory additions.
It does that but the discipline of what, how, how long and in what sequence separates it in practical terms.
Re: Tai chi reduces blood pressure better than aerobic exercise
#100Earlier quoted context omitted.
In this case, I would argue that it does. "Sahara" means "desert", but "Sahara Desert" is still the proper name for that place. "Naan" means "bread", but it's also the name we use for the kind of bread originally made by the people who speak the language where "naan" means "bread". Likewise, "chai tea" is a perfectly fine name for tea made in the style of the people whose word for "tea" is "chai". Languages do this a…
> Likewise, "chai tea" is a perfectly fine name for tea made in the style of the people whose word for "tea" is "chai". In India, chai specifically means tea with milk. It’s not just any “tea”. It’s fine to use, but not entirely accurate.
Yes, and if you go to a coffee place in the US and ask for a "chai tea", you'll get a drink made with black tea, spices, and steamed milk.