Tai Chi and  Circulation

At it's most basic level Tai Chi helps healing by increasing circulation.  There is a close link between blood and chi.  Chinese medicine says chi leads blood.  Neither can flow well through a muscle that is contracted or a joint that is folded.  A m uscle that is contracted is sqeezing the blood out.  A joint that is folded actually blocks blood flow.  How can you use these principles to increase circulation?  Try it for yourself.

If you reach out in front of you with your hand palm down and parallel to the floor.  You are using the muscles in the back of your hand to hold your hand up.  When you relax your hand,  your hand sags and fingers point downward.  If you turn your palm sideways to the ground (thumb side up) then the tendons and ligaments that hold your wrist, arm and hand together will support the weight of your hand withour you having to contract any muscles.  Since the hand is basically suspended in the joint, the joint pulls apart slightly allowing for more joint fluid to circulate between the bone connections.

Moving on to the elbow joint;  it only folds one way.  If you turn the crease of you elbow sideways to the ground and keep your thumb on top, wrist slightly rolled out - you are now suspending your arm from the elbow and your hand from your arm. 

In Taij Chi you learn to relax and use your bones, muscles and sinews to create hammocks that you rest in while moving.   You let gravity become a friend that supports your body, rather that a force you fight.  Once your limbs are nice and open you use a rocking motion through the center of the body to work as a supplemental pump to increase circulation of blood, chi and lymph.

In the special case of Parkinson's where the problem is a person can't relax.  I have fouind while working with someone with Parkinson's that your muscles don't care if they are pulling in or pushing out, as long as they are tight.  By pushing joints open and using her center as a pump you could actually watch her hands go from blue to pink.