balance

I have written often about quieting the mind to achieve mental or emotional balance.  

One of the benefits of tai chi is also to improve physical balance so that people can prevent falls.  There have been studies on the benefits of tai chi for improving physical balance, especially among the elderly.
 
Tai chi focuses on rooting, suspending and alignment of the body.  When we have our head upright and our feet planted firmly on the ground with our weight sunk into our feet we are in a better position to work with, instead of against, the force of gravity.  Paying attention to our posture, how we stand, or how we move with each step we take can all assist with better balance.

In tai chi we learn to be aware of our center of gravity.  Are our limbs or our entire body over extended?  Where is our weight? How do we move from our center?  Are we moving with our entire body or just one part?  Are we moving from our waist?  Are we rooted, suspended and in a “tuck” position?  Being mindful of all these aspects will improve how we stand or how we move, which all helps with balance too.
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Learning how to stand or move in a balanced way will influence how you move through your day, or how you move when you are doing other activities besides tai chi.  I hope you will get a chance to practice tai chi and learn a bit more about balance.