Description
Tai Chi Fundamentals for Health Professionals and Instructors (Manual)
By Tricia Yu & Jill Johnson
126 pages, black and white © 1999
ISBN 1877950211
This manual was designed to accompany the Tai Chi Fundamentals for Health Professionals and Instructors DVD.
It includes information on background, research, clinical and therapeutic applications, and principles of mind/body integration. It provides detailed descriptions and photographs for all Movement Patterns and the Fundamentals Form, front and back views.
Click here to learn more about our Tai Chi Fundamentals Program.
Chapters include:
- Introduction
- Some Comparisons Between Traditional Tai Chi and Tai Chi Fundamentals
- Overview of Tai Chi
- Guidelines for Practicing Tai Chi
- Chapter One: Elements of Tai Chi Fundamentals
- Chapter Two: The Movement Patterns
- Chapter Three: Tai Chi Fundamentals Form
- Chapter Four: Mind/Body Principles of Tai Chi
- Section One: Active Relaxation
- Section Two: Effective Action
- Section Three: The Energetics of Tai Chi
- Reminders for Practice
- Appendix
- Glossary of Chinese Terms
- Summary of Research on Tai Chi Ch’uan
- Research References
- Recommended Reading
Praise for Tai Chi Fundamentals: For Health Professionals and Instructors
“The exercises in particular seem suitable to an older population, including those with chronic health conditions. The analysis of movement patterns from a physical therapy perspective is very helpful, as are the video clips showing older adults performing the exercises with the therapist. I also appreciated the clips showing incorrect body posture and mechanics. It’s good to see how not to do the exercises! Lastly, the video is beautiful and evokes the peaceful spirit and focused concentration of Tai Chi practice.”
Jane Mahoney, MDAssistant Professor, Geriatrics, University of Wisconsin Department of Medicine
“I have 28 videotapes on Tai Chi on my shelf! You have created THE best video on Tai Chi that I have ever viewed …[a]very important contribution to literature and to the video-instructional realm of professional education, a remarkable gift to the world of rehabilitation. It makes a strong connection between the exercise form and its applicability in the clinical environment. Many accolades for your brilliant and inspired work.”
Jennifer Bottomley, Ph.D2, MS, physical therapist, international lecturer
“Health care providers have long needed a concise but easy-to-follow guide to Tai Chi, both for their own well-being and for patient education. Yu and Johnson’s Tai Chi Fundamentals does the trick. The authors have distilled their many years of experience in Tai Chi, Yoga, and Physical Therapy to produce a work that gets to the root of Tai Chi. It will be of value to anyone who practices or is ready to fall in love with this wonderful art”
Kenneth S. Cohen, M.A., author of The Way of Qigong and Healthy Breathing
“Provides the health care practitioner with a much better understanding of the parallels and consistency of traditional Tai Chi with western health and wellness exercise programs?The very clear, well described, easily reproduced movement patterns can provide a needed template from which researchers can maximize consistency of exercise technique when studying the effectiveness of Tai Chi.”
Rita Wong EdD, PT Chairperson, Physical Therapy Department, Marymount University
“The movements of the Tai Chi Fundamentals are the simplest and easiest. The form lubricates all the joints, eases the mind, relaxes the body, and enhances balance. It is a unique exercise for all ages and physical conditions. It is a perfect form of movement for senior citizens and is a low impact exercise with no side effects. It is good for people with physical limitations and discomfort.”
William C.C. Chen, Grand Master, T’ai Chi Ch’uan
“The video is extremely well done both to facilitate learning of Tai Chi as well as to perform and practice the techniques. Ms. Yu’s manner and teaching style are appropriate for the audience and subject, and Ms Johnson’s clinical expertise evident as she offers clinical application of the techniques. The video and instruction book are professionally done and easily understood. Both are aesthetically pleasing and make learning these techniques fun and relatively easy. Any health care practitioner would benefit from these materials.”
Dale Avers, PT, MS Ed
” …offers a step-by-step instruction in the form of Tai Chi accompanied by detailed physical therapist (PT) analysis of the movement pattern. The flow between Eastern Tai Chi and Western analysis is beautifully accomplished. The PT analysis shows how Tai Chi movements are beneficial to older adults recovering from events such as hip replacement, stroke or simple immobility for a period of time…The complex movement of Tai Chi is deceptively simple and its value as a therapeutic modality in western medicine can be overlooked…This video provides a clear explanation of each movement both in the poetic Chinese tradition and the medical basis in movement retraining….This is an important addition to the library of any health care practitioner or movement specialist….Basic movements and their underlying kinesthetic principles are skillfully woven instruction of the Tai Chi…will help any health care practitioner place their Cartesian training of the body in the context of the whole person…”
Elaine Cress PhD, Associate Professor Gerontology Center, University of Georgia
