My first 'Tai Chi ' attempt

I decided to try my hand at the acclaimed Tai Chi way to physical and mental health. To check it out, I got the 'Tai Chi for beginners' DVD and went through the 24 forms that Dr.Lam showed and explained via the videos.
I really liked it. The smooth fluid movements did not seem difficult to watch or perform individually. But once I started doing the various forms in a rythmic motion, I literally felt my muscles being worked out and the 'Chi' as it is called. The best part of it was the control on the breath.
The DVD introduces the Qigong (pronounce ' Chi - jong ' ) style of Tai Chi.

I have watched a few other excercise routine videos and discs before and this one is totally different. There are no glamorous bikini clad models here (helping you concentrate on the excercise hehe.. ). But the development team certainly has thought about what they are doing. While explaining every excercise, they have atleast one person facing the camera and one facing the other way. This prevents you from forgetting whether you were doing the right or the left side. It also , kind of takes you into the group making it easier to follow the steps.

I certainly would suggest taking at least a peek at the disc before ignoring it totally. Hey, if its not your style, you can always switch it off :D !

I am not sure if Tai Chi can improve your muscle mass, but I am certain that if done correctly and consistently, it will improve the form of both the body and mind. Its breathing techniques are quite similar to those in yoga and the overall philosophy idea behind the excercises also feels the same.