An Invitation to Live: Insights from an Older, Long-Term Practitioner of Tai Chi

Background: Hundreds of randomized controlled studies have documented the effectiveness of Tai Chi (TC) to alleviate symptoms from varied medical conditions. Researchers, however, have called for alternate methods to discern participants’ perspectives and to provide additional information regarding the TC protocols, TC teachers’ qualifications, and the social contexts for learning and practicing TC. Purpose: This naturalistic study was designed to explore the perspectives of an experienced TC practitioner and those of her TC teachers as they reflected upon her 9-year journey with TC as she faced varied medical crises. Methods: Using an ethnographic approach, participant observation, the researcher observed participant’s TC classes, conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with the participant and her teachers and informal interviews in the field. Context: Participant was a 72-year-old female, who had suffered from spinal stenosis, hip arthritis, and bladder cancer. The participant attended two types of TC classes: a therapeutic Tai Chi (TTC) including a modified short form (10 forms) taught by a physical therapist and a traditional TC class including the Yang style short form taught by a Tai Chi practitioner with 50 years of experience. Findings: 1) TCC provided explicit cues and links between TC and functional fitness, improving the participant’s balance, daily life activities, and increased exercise efficacy and resilience; 2) TC provided a novel challenge motivating the participant’s continued practice while learning complex TC movements. 3) Traditional TC classes provided a supportive community, facilitating a meditative stance, and enabled the participant to subdue the “monkey mind” of a terminal cancer diagnosis.