What is the Difference Between Yoga and Tai Chi?

Yoga and Tai Chi are two forms of exercise that date back hundreds of years and are often compared to each other. While they are actually quite different from one another, they are both still practiced by many today. With that said, what is the difference between yoga and Tai Chi?

To understand the difference between the two, you first must understand where each originates from and what the basic concept is behind the two. Yoga originates from India and is about gaining the harmony of body, mind and spirit through breathing, exercising and meditating. The goal is to facilitate the enhancement of physical and mental health, gain peace of mind and an experience of higher consciousness.

Because there are many different forms and techniques of yoga, the kind practiced will depend on what that particular person is looking for. Most people practice it today to relieve stress and gain an overall peace of mind.

Typically a yoga session will consist of doing different positions or postures, breathing techniques and meditation. It will often include the use of your arms to hold your body weight to help develop strength.

In all, you will find that yoga is grouped into three separate facets; the physical aspect, mental aspect and spiritual aspect. The physical aspect works to improve flexibility while providing a good balance to help increase energy, improve breathing, relieve pain, increase vitality, and actually help one feel and look younger. The mental aspect is based on relieving stress and providing a peaceful mind. Finally the spiritual aspect promotes consciousness of one's feelings, body and the environment.

Now that you understand yoga, what is the difference between yoga and Tai Chi? First off, Tai Chi originated from China during the 1300s. This is a soft martial arts routine that is designed to work out the muscles and joints in the body using low impact techniques. It essentially uses different positions or postures while standing and taking steps. The legs are generally used to carry the body while the arms move slowly and gracefully in the air.

This form of exercise is perfect for relaxation and concentration. In addition, it can help build strength, develop balance and flexibility, and ultimately help one stay stress free while boosting your stamina and energy. Because of the gentle movements, this is a mind than body exercise that can be practiced at any age.

With that said, there are three primary distinctions that sum up what is the difference between yoga and Tai Chi. First is the origin of the two as yoga cam from India and Tai Chi from China. Second is the movement as yoga uses the all parts of the body including arms to carry the weight of the body and Tai Chi uses the legs. Lastly, you will find yoga is a practice of the body and mind and spirit while Tai Chi is more of a practice of the mind.

As a teacher at Yoga Center of California, I've seen hundreds of people enjoy the many benefits of yoga--better health, vitality, peace of mind, stress reduction and spiritual centeredness. For more information, check out our website at http://www.yogacenter.org. Send any questions to me at info@yogacenter.org