Tai Chi as Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Tai Chi as Complementary and Alternative Medicine


Tai chi (pronounced “tie chee” and also known by some other names and spellings*) is a mind-body practice that originated in China as a martial art. A person doing tai chi moves his body slowly and gently, while breathing deeply and meditating (tai chi is sometimes called “moving meditation”). Many practitioners believe that tai chi helps the flow throughout the body of a proposed vital energy called qi (pronounced “chee,” it means “air” or “power”). In the United States, tai chi for health purposes is part of complementary and alternative medicine (tai chi as CAM), or CAM. This tai chi as complementary and alternative medicine mini-site provides a general overview of tai chi and suggests some resources you can use to find more information.

*Among the different names and spellings of tai chi are taiji and t’ai chi. Many consider the term “tai chi” to be a shortened form of “tai chi chuan” (two other spellings are t’ai chi ch’uan and taijiquan).