Taoist tai chi

Zhou also notes that tai chi in general reduces stress levels and emotional problems while improving "concentration, attention, composure, self confidence, and self control".

Zhou indicates that tai chi generally reduces hypertension, relieves chronic headaches, dizziness and insomnia, has benefits for people suffering with mild arthritis and rheumatism, improves breathing and blood circulation and is "an excellent exercise for the mind."

Early in learning the tai chi set students may notice that the form strengthens the larger muscle groups in the legs, arms and back.

According to the Taoist Tai Chi Society, the stretching aspects of the form improves the functioning of the joints, tendons and ligaments by taking them through their full range of motion.

[4] The Taoist Tai Chi Society sums up the challenges: It is not easy to achieve the state of emptiness or stillness in the midst of today’s busy and complex lifestyle.

Learning to quiet the mind, even while moving through the Tai Chi set, lays a foundation for integrating the principle of stillness—and the recognition of our original nature—into our daily lives.

In addition to the full 108 Taoist tai chi set, students are taught a unique group of cyclical foundation exercises (基本功, jī běn gōng) that focus on the joints, called "the jongs" (from 站桩, zhàn zhuāng).

These exercises are not only used as preliminaries to the form, they are espoused as being the basic elements that provide health benefit in the varying movements of Taoist tai chi.