The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi: 12 Weeks to a Healthy Body, Strong Heart, and Sharp Mind

by Peter Wayne, Mark L. Fuerst

Overview

A longtime teacher and Harvard researcher presents the latest science on the benefits of T’ai Chi as well as a practical daily program for practitioners of all ages
 
Conventional medical science on the Chinese art of T’ai Chi now shows what T’ai Chi masters have known for centuries: regular practice leads to more vigor and flexibility, better balance and mobility, and a sense of well-being. Cutting-edge research from Harvard Medical School also supports the long-standing claims that T’ai Chi also has a beneficial impact on the health of the heart, bones, nerves and muscles, immune system, and the mind. This research provides fascinating insight into the underlying physiological mechanisms that explain how T’ai Chi actually works.

Dr. Peter M. Wayne, a longtime T’ai Chi teacher and a researcher at Harvard Medical School, developed and tested protocols similar to the simplified program he includes in this book, which is suited to people of all ages, and can be done in just a few minutes a day. This book includes:

• The basic program, illustrated by more than 50 photographs
• Practical tips for integrating T’ai Chi into everyday activities
• An introduction to the traditional principles of T’ai Chi
• Up-to-date summaries of the research on the health benefits of T’ai Chi
• How T’ai Chi can enhance work productivity, creativity, and sports performance
• And much more

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781590309421
Publisher:	Shambhala
Publication date:	04/09/2013
Series:	Harvard Health Publications
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	125,395
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Peter Wayne, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and the Director of Research for the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, jointly based at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Wayne served as the Director of Tai Chi and Mind-Body Research Programs at the Osher Research Center and Founding Research Director at the New England School of Acupuncture. He has more than thirty-five years of training experience in Tai Chi and Qigong and is an internationally recognized teacher of these practices.

Table of Contents

Foreword vii

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction: East Meets West at Harvard Medical School 1

Part 1 Tai Chi and Its Essential Elements

1 The Ancient Promise of, and Modern Need for, Tai Chi 13

2 The Eight Active Ingredients of Tai Chi 29

3 Put the Principles into Practice: A Simplified Tai Chi Program 66

Part 2 Proof of the Promise: Tai Chi through the Lens of Modern Science

4 Improve Your Balance and Bones 109

5 Ease Your Aches and Pains 129

6 Strengthen Your Heart 151

7 Deepen and Enrich Your Breathing 165

8 Sharpen Your Mind 180

9 Enhance Psychological Well-Being and Sleep Quality 197

Part 3 Integrating Tai Chi into Everyday Life

10 Tai Chi for Two 219

11 Cross-Train with Tai Chi 229

12 On-the-Job Tai Chi 240

13 Enhance Your Creativity with Tai Chi 250

14 Lifelong Learning with Tai Chi 259

Afterword: Tai Chi and Twenty-First-Century Medicine 269

Notes 279

Index 333

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi is a significant milestone in the integration of Eastern and Western medicine. It deftly summarizes the scientific evidence for the healing potential of this traditional Chinese system of body movement and gives readers practical advice for using it in everyday life. I recommend it highly.”—Andrew Weil, MD, Professor of Medicine, University of Arizona, and author of 8 Steps to Optimum Health

“Dr. Wayne gives us a magnificent and useful contribution for the betterment of our health and well-being through the proper integration of Tai Chi into our lives.”—Herbert Benson, MD, author of The Relaxation Response and Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

“Peter Wayne is that rare individual who is sufficiently ‘bilingual’ to introduce Tai Chi to a largely open-minded yet skeptical medical community and to sensitively and movingly celebrate its timeless poetry, power, and appeal. This is a book for all to learn from and enjoy.”—David Eisenberg, MD, Harvard School of Public Health and the Samueli Institute, and Former Chief of the Division of Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies, Harvard Medical School

“Evidence has shown that unhealthy lifestyle is the cause of most if not all chronic conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease. Dr. Wayne’s book, with his expertise in medical research and Tai Chi, is a significant step towards modernizing Tai Chi—essential to making Tai Chi a central part of practical and effective solutions to the epidemic of chronic disease.”—Dr. Paul Lam, director of the Tai Chi for Health Institute and author of Teaching Tai Chi Effectively and Tai Chi for Beginners
 
“Peter Wayne has long been a leader in scientific research into how Tai Chi boosts health and well-being. In this brilliant book, he blends rigorous Western science with Eastern wisdom to present an illuminating and thoroughly modern view of a wonderful, life-enhancing art. I recommend it highly to anyone interested in Tai Chi, from novice to advanced practitioner.”—Yang Yang, PhD, director, Center for Taiji and Qigong Studies, and author of Taijiquan: The Art of Nurturing, The Science of Power

Editorial Reviews

The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi is a significant milestone in the integration of Eastern and Western medicine. It deftly summarizes the scientific evidence for the healing potential of this traditional Chinese system of body movement and gives readers practical advice for using it in everyday life. I recommend it highly.”—Andrew Weil, MD, Professor of Medicine, University of Arizona, and author of 8 Steps to Optimum Health

“Dr. Wayne gives us a magnificent and useful contribution for the betterment of our health and well-being through the proper integration of Tai Chi into our lives.”—Herbert Benson, MD, author of The Relaxation Response and Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

“Peter Wayne is that rare individual who is sufficiently ‘bilingual’ to introduce Tai Chi to a largely open-minded yet skeptical medical community and to sensitively and movingly celebrate its timeless poetry, power, and appeal. This is a book for all to learn from and enjoy.”—David Eisenberg, MD, Harvard School of Public Health and the Samueli Institute, and Former Chief of the Division of Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies, Harvard Medical School

“Evidence has shown that unhealthy lifestyle is the cause of most if not all chronic conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease. Dr. Wayne’s book, with his expertise in medical research and Tai Chi, is a significant step towards modernizing Tai Chi—essential to making Tai Chi a central part of practical and effective solutions to the epidemic of chronic disease.”—Dr. Paul Lam, director of the Tai Chi for Health Institute and author of Teaching Tai Chi Effectively and Tai Chi for Beginners
 
“Peter Wayne has long been a leader in scientific research into how Tai Chi boosts health and well-being. In this brilliant book, he blends rigorous Western science with Eastern wisdom to present an illuminating and thoroughly modern view of a wonderful, life-enhancing art. I recommend it highly to anyone interested in Tai Chi, from novice to advanced practitioner.”—Yang Yang, PhD, director, Center for Taiji and Qigong Studies, and author of Taijiquan: The Art of Nurturing, The Science of Power

“Highly readable and deeply informative. . . . This book has the potential of once and for all dispelling any lingering myths that Tai Chi and Qigong, and Western science’s growing understanding of its uses, are anything less than a profound health revolution that can help prevent or treat the majority of health challenges, and ultimately may save society hundreds of billions if not trillions in future annual health care costs. The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi may well be that point we look back to and say, ‘That was the tipping point that unleashed the building wave of Tai Chi, which has now transformed modern health care.’”—Bill Douglas, founder of World Tai Chi & Qigong Day and author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to T’ai Chi & QiGong

From the Publisher

Wayne (medicine, Harvard Medical Sch.; director of research, Osher Ctr. for Integrative Medicine) is a longtime practitioner of Tai Chi, a "mind-body exercise rooted in multiple Asian traditions." Here, with health writer Mark L. Fuerst (Golf Injury Handbook), he delves into scientific research to illustrate and demystify how the application of Tai Chi protocols can improve a person's overall health. While this work has an extensive, up-to-date bibliographic reference section, it does not read like a textbook, and it will easily captivate readers. Wayne uses his vast experience to develop a simple yet holistic 12-week Tai Chi program. The text is accompanied by photographs, but, as with any written exercise manual, it is hard for people to learn exact movements and choreography from simple pictures; this work would benefit from a video component. Tai Chi can be a part of everyday life and most likely should be. VERDICT A must for all health and exercise collections.—John N. Jax, Univ. of Wisconsin Lib., La Crosse

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