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For the body and the soul

T'ai Chi is the ideal way to de-stress

FINDING PEACE Iqbal K. M. practising Ta' i Chi with his students

Peace of mind is at a premium among the chaos that rules our lives. As stress levels shoot up, an increasing number of people are turning to meditation as a means to calm frayed nerves.

According to Iqbal K. M., the ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism has the key to physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Dr. Iqbal who is trained in acupuncture, is a well-known figure in the karate arena in India and a trained Yoga instructor. A T'ai Chi instructor for over 10 years, he avers that he has observed positive changes in his students as they perfected this form, also known as the art of moving meditation. T'ai Chi derives its roots from the Chinese philosophy - Taoism.

Internal energy

Dr. Iqbal states that within our bodies there is a vital animating energy called Chi. This energy needs to be fostered, regulated and bought under our control in order to achieve vibrant, balanced health of body and mind.

A typical session of moving meditation lasts only about five minutes but is enough to make a person sweat profusely. It consists of smooth uninterrupted movements and it does not cause exhaustion as it keeps the vital energy within the body.

Dr Iqbal says that T'ai Chi increases brain capacity from existing levels by 10 to 26 per cent. This is because T'ai Chi teaches how to increase the use of the right as well as the left hemispheres of the brain leading to an increase in attention span and heightened concentration levels, he says. Besides these, T'ai Chi is also for cardiac patients, insomniacs, those suffering from stress related diseases and for those who are plagued by negative self-defeatist thoughts.

He says that the cardiovascular system, nervous system, circulatory system, muscles tendons and joints are all bought under control with the practice of T'ai Chi.

Hisclasses consist of small batches and are timed according to the convenience of the student.

FIONA SCOTT

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