Tai Chi as a Part of CAM

The concept that sickness and disease arise out of imbalances in a vital energy field (here, qi) is part of some other CAM therapies, such as Reiki (in which the energy field is called ki) and homeopathy (vital force). Within CAM, tai chi is a type of mind-body medicine (one of the four domains, or areas of knowledge, in CAM). Generally, mind-body medicine focuses on:

  • The interactions among the brain, the rest of the body, the mind, and behavior.
  • The ways in which emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and behavioral factors can directly affect health.

Some people consider tai chi to be part of the CAM domain of energy medicine, because of the qi concept.