When it comes to holistic rehabilitation for mental illness, you can find peace through tai chi for anxiety. This Chinese wellness practice originated centuries ago and still teaches individuals mind-body connection and self-control. At Aliya Health Group, we promote full-body healing as a key aim of rehab. Thus, we provide holistic activities like tai chi for anxiety to alleviate symptoms and help people improve their lives. Let’s talk about the many benefits of tai chi as a treatment for mental health.
What Is Tai Chi?
As mentioned, tai chi stems from ancient Chinese culture. The practice of tai chi is both mental and physical, with a strong emphasis on promoting spiritual wholeness. In essence, those who perform tai chi complete movements synced to their breathing to experience relaxation and vitality. Notably, tai chi has its roots in Taoism, an ancient Eastern philosophy. Taoism believes that the body is composed of energy that can be channeled to flow intentionally. In this belief, a healthy system has free-flowing energy, while blocked energy leads to poor health. Because energy can be blocked by negative experiences like trauma and stress, tai chi focuses on redirecting energy to release stress.
What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a mental health disorder under the category of anxiety disorders. These are conditions with symptoms of distress over worrisome thoughts, fear, stress, and anxiousness in the body and mind. Some anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorders, social anxiety disorder, and phobias. Anxiety, when severe, can seriously impact someone’s life and cause them to avoid situations that would trigger symptoms. Additionally, it can cause them to stay trapped in feelings of worry, unrest, panic, and helplessness.
Tai Chi for Mental Health Treatment
Tai chi is a holistic anxiety disorder treatment, meaning it addresses anxiety while also improving mental, physical, and spiritual wellness. Although tai chi’s positive effects may not be widely understood, there is ample evidence showing it betters mental illness symptoms. For instance, tai chi for mental health has been shown to improve symptoms of both anxiety disorders and depressive disorders. The elderly population has been a key demographic in trying tai chi, as it is low impact and easy to practice. Yet, tai chi has mental health benefits for people of all ages.
Using Tai Chi for Anxiety
Treating anxiety with tai chi is simple and straightforward. Mental health counselors incorporate the movement and meditation aspects of the practice in therapeutic settings. The gentle physical moves and intentional inner focus on energy flow have a calming effect on the whole self. In fact, consistent meditation actually helps rewire the brain to have a more positive reaction to anxious scenarios. Thus, people who engage in tai chi as a daily or weekly practice have improved mental health symptoms. By strengthening the brain through tai chi, individuals have improved coping skills when strife does arrive. For instance, they are better equipped to manage their stress and anxiety rather than be held captive by their feelings.
How Does Tai Chi Reduce Anxiety?
There is success with using tai chi for anxiety disorders because of the way the ancient practice calms the body and mind. Some of the main benefits of tai chi are improved balance, deeper breathing, muscle stretching, and muscle relaxation. Thus, fluid movements help remove tension from the body through an intentional flow of motion. In the brain, it actually reduces neuroinflammatory sensitization to regulate mood and mental illness symptoms.
Tai Chi Poses for Anxiety
Tai chi exercise has a very low impact and focuses on light movement and breathing. Thus, it is suitable for people of all ages. There are many tai chi poses for anxiety that range in difficulty. Tai chi postures are either high, middle, or low. As individuals improve their flexibility and strength, they can work towards more challenging poses.
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Speak With Our Admissions TeamThe Importance of Breathwork and Meditation During Tai Chi
Breathwork and mindfulness are key elements of Tai Chi’s benefits for mental health. Significantly, meditation for anxiety helps calm the nervous system to regulate mood. By creating balance in the autonomic nervous system (responsible for controlling breathing and blood pressure), it aids in emotional regulation. Mental disorder symptoms, like those of anxiety and depression, include irregular mood patterns and anxiousness. In sum, meditation and deep breathing improve mental illnesses by inducing changes in the brain that increase one’s ability to manage symptoms.
Other Holistic Anxiety Treatment
In addition to tai chi, there are other beneficial holistic treatments for anxiety that can be combined with traditional therapy. At Aliya’s treatment providers, we offer these holistic options for anxiety.
Yoga
Tai chi and yoga sometimes get confused for each other. It’s true that yoga and tai chi are both practices that incorporate movement and meditation for holistic wellness. We believe in the proven benefits of yoga as a holistic activity in rehab. Yoga poses increase flexibility, strength, and relaxation, while the meditation aspect helps people release tension and reduces stress.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy is a holistic wellness activity that improves your mental and physical wellness. Notably, it is a common treatment for anxiety symptoms, particularly generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Registered massage therapists walk individuals through a session that is relaxing, tension-relieving, and stress-reducing. Additionally, breathwork is an important part of massage therapy.
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Check Your CoverageFind Professional Therapy for Anxiety
Out holistic and wellness services provide professional treatment for anxiety disorders and mental illness. Whether you prefer a mixture of traditional and holistic therapy or solely want to focus on holistic recovery options, we can tailor your treatment plan. We provide inpatient and outpatient recovery programming.
Inpatient Treatment for Anxiety
In residential inpatient treatment, clients live in our treatment facilities and receive around-the-clock support. Inpatient rehab is an ideal first step for those who need comprehensive assistance for their mental illness.
Outpatient Treatment for Anxiety
Outpatient treatment can be the next step for those who complete inpatient treatment. Otherwise, it can be a direct stage for those who can handle more independence in recovery. Clients live at home or in community housing and attend regular therapy sessions through Aliya.
If you’re struggling with mental illness symptoms, we encourage you to give tai chi for anxiety a try! Reach out to us so we can help make it happen.
- Effectiveness of Therapeutic Massage for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial – PMC
- Tai Chi Exercise for Mental and Physical Well-Being in Patients with Depressive Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis – PMC
- Frontiers | The effects of different types of Tai Chi exercise on anxiety and depression in older adults: a systematic review and network meta-
- Why Does T’ai Chi Help Relieve Stress?analysis
