Ellen Ziskin
SPRING Is In The Air – The Wood Element
A time of new beginnings; birth. We notice the plants pushing upwards, awakening and refreshed after their winter hibernation. The sun rises earlier and we naturally awaken earlier. There is an energy of activity and fresh new life all around … Continue reading →
WINTER – The Way of the Water Element
NEW – read to the bottom of this page and discover links for practice videos suited to the water phase. Winter is the season of culmination of all that has transpired in the year. We draw deep within. The most … Continue reading →
AUTUMN: Metal Element Way of Tao
Fall is the season of harvest, a time to pull inward and gather together on all levels, a time to store up fuel, food, and warm clothing, a time to study and plan for the approaching stillness of winter. Everything … Continue reading →
INDIAN SUMMER, and the Transition between all Seasons: Earth
As we pay attention to the natural rhythms of life, we easily attune and find harmony. Now it is time to turn our awareness to Late Summer / Indian Summer – the Earth Element. This is the interchange of all … Continue reading →
Tai Chi May Improve Symptoms and Functional Mobility in Fibromyalgia Patients
May 28, 2012 – Previous researchers have found that 10-form Tai chi yields symptomatic benefit in patients with fibromyalgia (FM). The purpose of this study was to further investigate earlier findings and add a focus on functional mobility. In a … Continue reading →
Tai Chi Among American College of Rheumatology 2012 Recommendations for the Osteoarthritis Therapies
May 28, 2012 – The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has issued new recommendations for the use of non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic therapies in osteoarthritis of the hand, hip, and knee. Tai Chi is among the list. The recommendations, available in … Continue reading →
Qigong Massage for Motor Skills in Children with Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome
May 28, 2012 – In an article published in the 2012 May-June issue of the American journal of occupational therapy, researchers from Western Oregon University presented a small randomized controlled study evaluating the effect of a dual parent- and trainer-delivered … Continue reading →
Push Hands in the ER: A Surprising Benefit of Tai Chi in Hospitals
(Greg Hooper, who is currently seeking ATCQA Tai Chi Instructor Certification, has been working as a Security Officer in the busiest emergency room in Sonoma County of California for about 10 years. In this article, he tells his stories of … Continue reading →
Tai Chi Improves Balance in Parkinson’s Patients
Researchers and aficionados of the ancient Chinese art of tai chi are already aware of how this moving meditation can help reduce stress and improve balance. Now a new study finds that the gentle flowing motions of this so-called “soft … Continue reading →
Tai Chi Attenuates Psychobiological Stress Reactivity in Healthy Subjects
January 28, 2012 – Stress reducing effects of Tai Chi, a mindful and gentle form of body movement, have been reported in previous studies, but standardized and controlled experimental studies are scarce. A study by University of Bern in Switzerland … Continue reading →
Tai Chi Can Improve the Balance Control of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons
December 28, 2011 – Balance control is a major problem for older individuals with poor vision. There are limitations, however, for visually impaired elderly persons wishing to participate in exercise programs. The benefits of Tai Chi for balance control, muscle … Continue reading →
Tai Chi Improves Health-related Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Survivors
December 28, 2011 – Breast cancer survivors experience diminished health-related quality of life (HRQOL). A new study by University of Rochester reports on the influence of tai chi chuan exercise (TCC) on HRQOL and explores associations between changes in HRQOL … Continue reading →
Research on Tai Chi and Other Exercises for Children and Adolescents
December 28, 2011 – Researchers from University of Miami Medical School and Fielding Graduate University performed a review of studies published during the last several years on exercise effects on overweight, growth, chronic illnesses, depression and anxiety in children and … Continue reading →
Meditation Effective to Reduce Stress In At-Risk Minority Secondary School Students
November 28, 2011 – With record levels of student stress reported in a recent UCLA survey, can a simple stress-reducing meditation technique be a viable solution? A new study published in the Journal of Instructional Psychology found the Transcendental Meditation … Continue reading →
Tai Chi Helps Older Adults Shift Attention Between Mental & Physical Tasks
November 28, 2011 – A study published in the November 2011 issue of European Journal of Applied Physiology investigated whether elderly Tai Chi practitioners would be better able to descend a step while performing a concurrent mental task than non-practitioners. … Continue reading →
Heart Health
Tai Chi Benefits the Rehabilitation of Elderly Patients with Chronic Heart Failure November 28, 2011 – This study is performed by Centre for Clinical and Basic Research, IRCCS San Raffaele of Italy and published in the latest issue of Rehabilitation … Continue reading →
Tai Chi Improves Sleep & Reduces Stress in College Student
This study, published in the October 2011 issue of Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, is performed by Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Objectives: This study sought to determine whether participants in Tai … Continue reading →
The Tao (Way) of Time
Why one practices qigong (t’ai chi) is deeply personal. Sometimes the reasons why we begin are far surpassed by the many pleasant ‘surprises’ brought by one’s practice. Cultivating Life with qigong, brings one’s practice into every aspect of daily living. … Continue reading →