Live Whole Health #300: Cloud Hands practice tai chi

“The sky is the limit” is a common phrase used to say that we can achieve anything and that our options are limitless. It may not always feel that way, especially on those hard days where everything seems to be going wrong. It can be easy to think that things are impossible rather than possible when we hit even the most minor of roadblocks.

When we’re noticing ourselves getting stuck, it can be helpful to turn to practices such as tai chi to help shift our mindset. Tai chi is a gentle exercise that connects the mind and body. It pairs breath work with meditative movement that many relaxing, restoring and energizing.

There are almost limitless tai chi forms and practices and various ways to do them, like standing or sitting; tai chi can be adapted to meet your needs.

The tai chi “cloud hands” movement form uses slow, mindful and intentional movement to develop the back muscles, relax the neck and shoulders, and increase blood flow and the movement of “qi” (energy) within the body. And how fun is it to imagine touching and moving clouds in the sky? Using this imagery, we can further immerse ourselves into this practice and invite ease into the body and mind.

Ready to reach up and touch the sky? Join Roger Currier, a recreation therapist and certified applied tai chi instructor from the James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa, Fla., as he leads an 18-minute video practice of “Cloud Hands Tai Chi.”

Learn more about tai chi as a part of the VA Whole Health System of care.

For more Tai Chi practices and other follow-along videos, visit the #LiveWholeHealth archives.