What is Tai Chi for Kids?

Tai chi for kids can serve as a positive activity that is not only beneficial for children but it is helpful to parents and teachers. Tai chi is a Chinese martial art that is most often practiced to relieve stress and to improve overall health. As a full body and mind program, tai chi for kids can improve learning, overall concentration, physical and mental balance, flexibility and focus.

Traditionally, the Chinese have been using the simple but flowing exercises of tai chi to enhance mental and physical performance while promoting a higher quality of life. Tai chi for kids can take these ancient principles and redirect them as a life management system for children, their behavior and entire way of thinking.

Tai chi is based on simple movements, which benefit specific areas of the body and mind. Tai chi for kids incorporates the traditional methods with movements, which help a specific set of objectives to benefit young people. If a child needs to improve muscle tone or relieve fatigue, an exercise like The Tiger Charges, a vigorous striking exercise with strong exhalation will raise the heartbeat and work the muscles. Once this exercise has finished, a follow up exercise called The Lion Sleeps, where the child squats slowly, rests one side of their head on a hand placed on their knee, uses calm breathing and stillness to release the energy into the legs, which therefore relaxes the body. Ending this series of exercises with movements like The White Crane Flies where the child will balance on one foot, spread their arms like wings and balance themselves while slowly moving as if in flight.

Tai chi for kids is a good method for helping a child reach a level of calm, stay focused, and become happier about their life and surroundings. Naturally soothing for most of its practitioners, it can also be energizing, and enlightening, which gives a child a natural way to deal with tension and stressful situations. Tai chi can be a wonderful builder of a child's self-esteem and help them interact with their peers at a healthy level.

The life of a modern child can prove to be demanding and fast paced, so any program of exercise, positive activity, and connection to nature can only help in their development and success in the future. Tai chi is a great way for kids of all ages to maintain a healthy body and grow into a happy, serene adult.