T to Z of Therapies
T’ai chi chuan or T’ai Chi
Derived from the words ‘great, ultimate fist’, T’ai chi has been practised in china since the 13TH century, though where it came from before then, has been hard to establish.
Practised by Taoist monks, the movements are thought to have originated by one monk in particular- ‘Chang San Feng’.
He dreamt of a fight between a snake and a crane and remembered the elaborate dance-like movements of both animals and incorporated them with Taoist breathing techniques to form T’ai chi.
T’ai chi was also seen as a form of non-combative martial art and that t’ai chi developed from monks forbidden to have any weapons.
Chen Wang Ting, a general from Henan province, in china, is also thought to have developed it about 400 years ago, but really no-one really knows where or who first developed it.
Seen as an instrument of ‘capitalist’ ways, T’ai chi was suppressed during the cultural revolution, though like religion, it just pushed it underground and many people still practised it in secret hideaways, such as on top of barns etc.
Today, it has been reinstated and is one of the most widely practised therapies all over china.
Most streets, factories, parks, businesses and boats have loud speakers in china and every morning, about 7.30am, nearly everybody stops what they are doing and practises T’ai chi, usually outside, so that the universal ‘qi’ of the earth and universe mingles and becomes one with the internal ‘qi’ of the person.
It is gaining popularity in the west today and many people are now training to become T’ai chi teachers.
T’ai chi is a form of exercise which employs a series of slow, graceful movements and combines them with special breathing techniques.
These movements are thought to calm and improve the flow of energy known as ‘qi’ or the ‘life-force’ throughout the body.
The smooth flow of ‘qi’ through the body ensures good health and well being as practitioners believe that any energy that is blocked causes imbalances that lead eventually to disease.
There are five principle forms of T’ai chi;- Yang, Wu, Chen, Sun and Woo and Yang is the one, most commonly used in the west.
This comprises of rhythmical movements slowly acted out to form one continuous posture and movement.
Each session either comprises of 108 movements which can take upto 30- 50 mins to perform or a shorter session of 24 movements can last upto 15- 20 mins.
A person usually attends a class where a teacher will teach and guide them throught he movements.
The movements should be done with light, cotton, loose fitting clothing and preferably barefoot or with socks so that a person can connect with the earth.
Contra-indications- see general precautions box at the end of the page.
Thai massage
The earliest roots of Thai massage are thought to have originated from India around 2,500 years ago.
Jivaka Kumar Bhaccha is the legendary founder of the art and is believed to have been a contemporary and friend to the Buddha and a physician to the sangha order of Buddhist monks and nuns.
The tradition of Thai massage has been passed down from teacher to student over the generations after reaching Thailand sometime in the 2ND or 3RD century bc.
Stone carvings depicting massage techniques etched with the energy of ‘sen’ lines still exist at the temple of Wat Pho in Thailand.
The ten ‘sen’ are particularly important in Thai massage and originate in the Indian philosophy of a vital life-energy system of invisible energy lines called Prana Nadis which, when ‘blocked’ of sufficient energy flow, can lead to sickness. The combination of massaging these lines, the use of acupressure points and applied yoga stretching are used to treat illness, relieve pain and bring about general well-being.
Although much of the philosophy behind Thai massage has striking similarities with the Japanese system of shiatsu and chinese systems of acupuncture and acupressure, the terminology in the historical roots of the massage seems to be derived from the Indian sanskrit language.
In Thai massage, there is a lot of use of applied hatha yoga techniques.
The postures, which the masseur applies to the person give the feeling of having a ‘yoga massage’.
The use of these hatha yoga asanas or postures and the use of acupressure on the whole of the energy system, (rather than on specific points), gives the thai massage a unique and distinctive feel.
Thai massage is usually performed on the floor and involves the practitioner massaging with firm pressure on top of your clothing on acupressure points and meridians all over your body using either their hands, feet or elbows.
The practitioner will put you into yoga positions and will gently pull, bend and stretch you into these postures.
A treatment usually lasts between an 11/2 to 2 hours and the practitioner will work on every aspect of your body.
Contra-indications- see general precautions box at the end of the page.
Touch for health
Touch for health derived from applied Kinesiology, was developed by John Thie, a former colleague of Dr. Goodheart in the us.
He wanted to find a way of teaching basic Kinesiology to every single person which would enable them to use it themselves at home, rather than having to consult a practitioner all the time.
Today, all Kinesiologists in this country wishing to join the Kinesiology federation have to take ‘touch for health’ courses 1 and 2 before joining.
Touch for health is not a system to treat symptoms but one in which the practitioner brings the bodys’ energy back into balance. As a consequence, they maintain, some symptoms do clear up because of this.
Touch for health practitioners balance the body by working through the bodys’ muscles in sequence, either rubbing or holding designated acupuncture points or areas such as the sacrum.
The persons’ muscles are tested for strength and if weak, certain techniques are employed to bring the muscle back to full strength. Some techniques involve lightly rubbing over the spine.
When the practitioner has performed them, they re-check the muscle to see if it has strengthened.
You remain fully clothed for the treatment and the treatment is usually carried out on a treatment couch or bed.
The practitioner may carry out allergy tests on your muscles using a set procedure.
Contra-indications- see general precautions box at the end of the page.
General precautions
It is advised that if you are suffering from any symptoms, please consult your doctor or health care practitioner before embarking on any complementary treatment.
Nobody suffering from any chronic symptoms should undertake a complementary therapy without consulting their doctor first.
Healthytherapies.com do not accept responsibility for any problems that may occur from anyone using any of the above therapies.
The above data is for information purposes only and healthytherapies.com have only written down contra-indications where known.
It is always advisable to seek help from your doctor or by ringing the main organisation of the therapy that you are interested in before embarking on any therapy, no matter whether you are suffering symptoms or not.
The responsibility of your health, lies with you and no-one else.