Why Proper Clothing Is So Important In Tai Chi

By: Gregg Hall Click author's name for more of his/her articles

Tai Chi requires fundamental meditation skills to execute properly. There are a variety of important aspects to your martial arts and exercise workout. Issues to consider in your session include:

Proper exercise clothing
Environment
Ambiance
Disruptions

Some of the experts argue that wearing proper clothing during the exercise session is every bit as essential as the mental preparation before actual session itself. They rationalize that:

Spiritual energy Qi flows from every pore in the body
Tight and inhibitive clothing can severely diminish the flows of energy in your body. This is especially important to those who are starting to learn the skills of the ancient art. Starters tend to have more difficulty in detecting and managing Qi.

This artistic martial art is a moving meditation, tough heavy clothing like jeans and jackets are, so rigid and not as flexible, that it will hinder body movement and encumber the practitioner.
Tight or heavy clothing tends to be uncomfortable, especially in the middle of a meditation.

Properties of the right exercise clothing

The proper clothing is soft, light, and supple. For best results the clothes should be:

Soft as not to distract the practitioner
Light as not to inhibit movement
Supple enough to accommodate the postures
Made of cotton, linen, or silk

Linen pants are a favorite choice since linen is thermo-regulating, strong, durable and more resistant to wear and abrasion. Traditional Chinese martial arts masters uses silk since, silk was plentiful in china. Cotton is also an alternative if silk and linen are not easily available. Cotton is cool and is also less expensive.

Colors and Uniforms

The most common color of Tai Chi clothing is black and white, but there are no restrictions to the color of clothing that you wear. If attending a specific school there may be a specific color that is required by students.

There are many other schools that do not require specially designed uniforms. Instead, they use a printed T-shirt as the school uniform. Usually, the shirt is white and the school's logo or Tai Chi symbols are printed on it. Trousers are the student's responsibility.

The right clothing does not define the skill in the art. Any person interested in the art of Tai Chi can try it. It is a really a state of mind and does not require specific clothing. You can practice the meditation in the middle of Sahara wearing only a swimsuit if you wanted to.

The proper exercise clothing only serves to make you comfortable while practicing your art, so getting uncomfortable clothes defeats the purpose. Tai Chi is suppose to help you balance your mind and body so whatever cloths you decide to wear they should not distract you from your meditation experience.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

About The Author: Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about clothes and accessories at www.clothesandaccessoriesplus.com