Which one is better, yoga or tai chi?

There is no standard answer to this question. The choice depends entirely on your current physical condition, exercise requirements and even life rhythm. There is no distinction between good and bad. The one that suits you is the best.

I have seen too many examples of mistakes. Last year, a girl who was new to the company in 1998 had a rounded waist and rounded shoulders for a long time. Her temper was as anxious as stepping on a hot wheel. She could only move during the spare time after get off work. At first, she was dragged by her mother to the park to practice Tai Chi. After standing for 10 minutes, she felt itchy all over and could not sit still. She always felt that her temper was being worn away by her slowness. No more. Later, she signed up for a yoga studio near her home. The combination of yin yoga and power yoga took place three times a week. Each 45-minute session was just in time for her to catch up with her after get off work. After practicing for three months, most of the lumps on her shoulders and neck disappeared. Even her temper, which used to get angry when working with her colleagues, has calmed down a lot. When she meets people, she says that yoga is ten thousand times more suitable for her than Tai Chi.

But the 62-year-old Uncle Zhang downstairs was the first to disagree. When he was young, he had an old knee injury when he was a soldier. He was dragged by his daughter to practice Flow Yoga, an internet celebrity. The teacher patronized everyone and called everyone difficult poses. He didn’t attend two classes and his knees hurt even when he went down the stairs. He was shaking. Later, he followed a master in the park. He practiced Chen-style Tai Chi, starting with standing on the Wuji pole for 5 minutes. After slowly adjusting for three months, most of the discomfort in his knees disappeared. Even the morning peak of his blood pressure, which was always high in the morning, has stabilized a lot. Now he goes to the park to practice boxing with a thermos cup every day. Tai Chi is really nurturing.

This does not mean that young people should choose yoga, and middle-aged and elderly people should choose Tai Chi. I have a friend who is studying for a PhD and is only 34 this year. He stays up late for a long time doing experiments, and his sympathetic nerves are as stretched as a fully drawn bow. He used to follow the trend of Ashtanga practice, and his heartbeat was so fast after every practice, and he suffered from insomnia at night. Seriously, I later tried to follow an online class to do Tai Chi for 20 minutes. I said that the feeling of walking slowly along with my breathing was like lubricating my over-working brain. After practicing for two weeks, my sleep quality improved directly. Now I can’t shake the habit of getting up early every morning and doing Tai Chi.

In fact, fundamentally speaking, both are exercises that regulate the body, breath, and mind. No one can be said to be more advanced. Yoga originated in ancient India, and the differences between different schools can vary greatly. There are flow yoga and Ashtanga that focus on strength and muscle building, and there are also Yin yoga and restorative yoga that focus on relaxation and healing. If you have bad joints and insist on choosing difficult flow yoga, the probability of injury is really high. Tai Chi is a sport that has been passed down in our country for thousands of years. It seems to move slowly, but in fact each movement requires the core to be closed and the muscles to exert small and continuous force. It is actually a very solid exercise for core stability and lower limb strength. However, if no one guides you to practice blindly, bending the knees at the wrong angle and buckling the knees in, it will easily wear out the knees.

If you are really confused about which one to choose, it is better to find a reliable teacher and try it two or three times. After practicing, you will stretch your whole body and wake up the next day without soreness but full of energy. Whether it is yoga or Tai Chi, it is a good exercise for you. After all, we do not move just to join in the excitement of sports. Being able to persist and practice comfortably is better than anything else.