Tai Chi, or Taiji, is a Chinese martial art turned healing practice.

It is a light to moderate form of

exercise used to connect the mind and the body. Although popular among older populations, Tai
Chi can be practiced at any age with the same health benefits. A regular Tai Chi practice builds
strength, stability, and flexibility. It also has the power to ease the body into the parasympathetic
- rest and relaxation - mode, reducing pain and stress. 

In Tai Chi, you connect the body’s movement with a quiet and conscious mind; one that
minimizes distractions and concentrates on breath awareness. Like our muscles, our brains
increase in size when we exercise them using mind-body activity. According to a neuroimaging
study (Wei, et al., 2013), the brain areas that light up as a result of Tai Chi practice mirror that of
aerobic exercise and meditation. Once you develop a consistent Tai Chi practice, you can
experience a thickening of the following brain regions:

 White and Grey Matter: Just like aerobic exercise, Tai Chi bulks up these “meaty”
parts of your brain through attention to the movement and breath.
 Prefrontal Cortex: Older in age, younger in spirit. Mindful exercise is a great way to
maintain executive functions like decision-making and personality expression.
 Temporal Cortex: This area can maintain and strengthen your ability to hear. In Tai Chi,
your ears become more highly attuned to auditory cues and environmental sounds.

Left Hemisphere (logic, reasoning)

 Precentral Gyrus: If you see someone move, how easy is it for you to repeat that motion
with your own body? This region helps you translate between visual and motor function.
 Middle Front Sulcus: Tai Chi helps you reach beyond the thinking mind and into the
feeling body. Exercising this area builds your capacity for emotional intelligence.

Right Hemisphere (emotion, creativity)

 Insular Cortex: Tai Chi allows you to listen to your body with greater accuracy. Pain,
peace, and relaxation are experienced not only as emotions but also as bodily states,
giving greater context (and a more objective understanding) to your negative experiences.
 Medial Occipito-Temporal Sulcus & Lingual Sulcus: By increasing the intensity of
your Tai Chi practice, you can increase your proprioceptive sense of balance, agility, and
coordination.

o Learn to navigate crowded or tight spaces, control your arms and legs

without looking at them, and experience life through a more holistic lens by
integrating your internal sensations with your external perceptions.

Tai Chi gives you the opportunity to build new neural pathways and create new brain cells.
These physical changes provide your body and mind with a new way to perceive the world, more
efficient ways to communicate, and more tools for emotional awareness.

Wei, G., Xu, T., Fan, F., Dong, H., Jiang, L., Li, H., . . . Zuo, X. (2013). Can Taichi Reshape the
Brain? A Brain Morphometry Study. PLoS ONE,8(4). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0061038