Does Tai Chi work for tinnitus?

Does Tai Chi work for tinnitus? Amongst the other relaxation exercises out there, it has certainly begged the question whether tai chi is effective or not for tinnitus? 

We know by now that tinnitus affects a huge percentage of the population worldwide. Both young and old suffer from this condition. I am one of the sufferers and I started building this website with the ultimate goal of helping others with this condition. I hope that you are finding some benefit from the information that I have written thus far?

I have investigated and used various therapies myself which includes acupuncture, yoga and color therapy to help me with my tinnitus. And I can tell you that they work for me.

They help at curbing my stress levels.

‘Everywhere you look there is stress, so how can we eliminate it completely?’

I personally think that we can’t. Yes I may be a little pessimistic, but I do not think it is possible. Unless, you retreat to a Buddhist Temple, you will find less stress and everlasting peace. That too, is not that easy. You’ve got to discipline your mind and exercise self control. Both will take time to master, but is certainly worth the reward at the end of the day.

So coming back to my answer. We are living in an environment whereby there is constant stress all around. Sort of like a pressure cooker waiting to explode any minute. It is something that we cannot ignore. It’s there and it’s real. And what is even more real, is that it is affecting our health physically, mentally and emotionally.

OH my God, There is NO escape!!!

Of course there is, there is always a way out. Whenever I am in a pickle, and I can’t seem to find a way out , I tell myself this one line,”If it’s a man-made problem, then there is bound to be a solution.” We just have to find the way.

Our stresses are there and we can certainly find a way to handle it. We can find a way to deal with tinnitus. Relaxation and calmness of the mind is an important key.

Yoga and meditation offers us this peaceful state of mind.

I would like to devote this article to the art and practice of Tai Chi.

We will start by chatting about Tai chi, from its evolution to current day practice. How does one start off by doing Tai Chi. What does it involve? And last but certainly most important, we will investigate the benefits that it offers to tinnitus sufferers.

What is Tai Chi?

It is a form of martial arts. No, nothing like the Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan type.(Believe me, I thought this too at first!!)Unlike the kicking, punching and verbal sounds associated with martial arts movements, Tai Chi is more subtle. It involves you moving your arms, legs and the rest of the body in slow specific movements.These movements are graceful and fluid,  and its purpose is to get you to feel the Qi energy or Life force energy that is inside each one of us.

Where did Tai Chi come from?

There have been some disputes over many years as to the origin of Tai Chi. According to Chinese history, Tai Chi, began in the Chen Village in  the Henan Province of China,  it is the same area of the Shaolin Temple, famous for its Kung Fu.

According to WebMD, Tai Chi, originates from Qigong, which is a Chinese discipline and is rooted into Chinese medication. Its practice dates back to about 2000years.

How Different is Tai Chi from Yoga?

Since my yoga exercise and I are inseparable, this is indeed a question that I asked myself before I decided to include it as therapy for my tinnitus. To my surprise, I found out some very interesting differences between the two.

Yoga originated in India whilst Tai Chi as I mentioned above, originates in China. Whilst the postures that are performed during yoga are concentrated on stillness, Tai chi involves your body following sequential movements without any pauses or stops.

Most of the postures or sequences associated with Yoga like ,Upward Dog and Vinyasa, involves the arms carrying the weight of the body. Tai Chi on the other hand, uses the legs to bear the body’s weight during movement. Whilst Tai Chi is more focused on the mind, Yoga is a practice of the mind as well as the body.

SO, what are the benefits and does Tai Chi work for tinnitus ?

Tai Chi follows the principles of Yin and Yang, the two opposing forces of life , for instance light and dark, night and day, positive and negative and open and closed.

These principles are incorporated into Tai Chi as hard and soft movements. The overall purpose of doing these slow rhythmic movements is to enable you to relax and to strengthen your body. At the same time because this discipline is low impact, you will not incur any damage or injury to your body whilst performing it.

I like to call it, meditation in motion. The more often you do Tai Chi, the more easier it will be to get accustomed to the fantastic benefits that Tai Chi offers. Benefits such as improved concentration and inner peace by quieting the mind and bringing it to focus onto the present moment. Sounds Familiar?

This is a major benefit that we got from doing our Yoga. When I talked about Yoga and Tinnitus, I elaborated on this aspect. The controlling of the mind and changing its focus ultimately gets you to concentrate less on the tinnitus and more on your movements. Well, what do you know? Tai Chi does exactly that.

So, does Tai Chi work? I absolutely think so.

Furthermore, I can tell you first hand that Tai Chi is a fantastic stress reliever. We all are well aware by now, that controlling the stress is a major element when it comes to dealing with tinnitus.

Other Awesome Benefits of Tai Chi.

And the bonus, there are added benefits that Tai Chi offers to you. According to the Health Harvard Website, here are some of the other benefits.

• Improve Muscle Strength– “strengthens both the lower and upper extremities and core muscles of the back and abdomen.”
• Improve Flexibility and Balance
• When combined with the appropriate treatment , Tai Chi is said to have helped improve conditions such as, Arthritis,Breast Cancer, Heart Disease, Heart Failure, Stroke and Parkinson’s Disease to name a few.

Is this not enough?

I must be honest with you, I got so used to doing yoga, that starting off with Tai Chi felt a bit strange initially, to say the least.

However, I found that alternating between these two workouts on a regular basis spiced things up a bit and gives your body a good variety.

Remember the dancing as well, I try to squeeze that in somewhere as well.

Oh my God, you are Nuts? You probably wondering how do I find the time for all of this. The answer is, I do my best to make it a daily priority, and I have learned over time that I have to make provision for unforeseen circumstances as well. Most importantly, I’ve learnt not beat myself up, on the days where I am unable to follow through.

So my advice to you all. Even if you just start up with 30minutes a day or every second day, it’s a great start. The point is this is something that will benefit you and your health in the long run. Believe me it will be worth it.

Self-Defence and Tai Chi

Did you know that Tai Chi, was a form of self-defence?.Yeap, the slow, rhythmic movements are said to harness a lot of energy. The energy generated in your arms and hands is actually powerful enough to knock an attacker to the ground.

Amazing don’t you think? So you can become a ‘slow-motion’ Bruce Lee. Another reason to start!

Where do I start?

I have taken the liberty of reviewing a tai chi workout program on another post. I think it would be an excellent start. You can do it in the comfort of your home and at your own time.

Conclusion

So, now we have yet another tool to help deal with tinnitus. Isn’t this great. Look how far we have come to finding solutions.

The ringing in our ears can be dealt with. We must not give up and keep pushing, till we find something that works. There is still a lot more information to come, so please keep stopping by.

So does Tai Chi work? Have you tried it? Did it help you? Share your stories with us.

Once again, you all have been amazing ,thank you for spending your time here.

Take Care and God Bless

Roopesh