Are You Doing Taichi OR Exercises?

A few months ago, I was interviewed by NZ Diabetes. As the only Chinese Tai Chi teacher featured, one of the questions I was asked stayed with me:

What is the difference between Chinese Tai Chi and Western Tai Chi?

(The full article can be found on pages 22–23.)

In Aotearoa and many Western countries, Tai Chi is often introduced as gentle exercise for older adults. People usually find their way to Tai Chi when balance becomes a concern, or when the gym, running, or martial arts no longer feel suitable. It is commonly described as a low-impact exercise.

All of this is true—and valuable.

In a world shaped by evidence-based practice, Tai Chi is often discussed through the lens of measurable outcomes: improved balance, fewer falls, better mobility, reduced stress. Health, in many ways, has become medicalised, with a strong focus on treatment and rehabilitation. These benefits are real, and the research supporting them is important.

Yet in traditional Chinese Tai Chi, the starting point is different.

The heart of Tai Chi practice is prevention.

When I shared this with the interviewer, I spoke about my aunt’s Tai Chi group in China. My aunt is now 70 years old and began practising Tai Chi in her 40s. In her group, it is rare to see people living with diabetes, cancer, stroke, dementia, or Parkinson’s disease. For them, Tai Chi has never been something they “took up” later in life—it has been part of how they live, move, rest, connect with the community, connect with nature, and care for themselves. 

In many EMBA programmes, Tai Chi is taught as a way for leaders to develop strategic thinking, presence, and self-awareness—while also supporting self-care. Through slow, intentional movement, leaders learn to pause, sense the whole situation, and respond rather than react.

From this perspective, Tai Chi is not simply a gentle exercise. It is a healing art, a daily practice that supports the nervous system, nourishes vitality, and maintains balance over a lifetime.

Tai Chi is a mind–body–energy practice. The difference between these approaches is subtle, gentle—and deeply important.

Where Exercise Begins

Most exercise begins from the outside.

You learn a shape.
You repeat a movement.
You aim for consistency, precision, and improvement through repetition.

The body leads, and the mind follows.

This kind of practice can strengthen muscles and improve coordination. It has its place.
But Tai Chi asks something different of us.

Where Tai Chi Begins

Tai Chi begins inside.

Before the body moves, the mind settles.
Before effort appears, awareness arrives.

In Chinese medicine, we say Qi moves where the mind goes.
In te ao Māori, we speak of Mauri — the living life force that gives vitality and coherence to all things.

The movement is not the starting point of Taichi.
It is the result.

Every Practice Is a New Baby Step

In exercise, we often aim to do the same thing again and again.
In Tai Chi, we meet ourselves as we are today.

Your breath may be shorter or deeper.
Your nervous system may feel calm or unsettled.
Your Qi may feel full, blocked, flowing, or quiet.

Tai Chi does not ask you to fix this.
It invites you to be in relationship with it.

So even when you practice the same form, the experience is never the same.
You are not repeating — you are responding.

From Performance to Presence

Exercise can be seen and measured from the outside.
Tai Chi lives primarily on the inside. In Taichi Sutra, it is clearly stated 'all instructions are given internally'.

Externally, if you try to remember where to put your hands or feet, you are very likely to miss the points.
Check yourself internally, there may be:

-The nervous system settling into safety mode - that means your body relax, your breath deep and slow

- Qi circulating smoothly- you wont have to hold your breath

- Mauri becoming steady and clear- you feel a sense of ease 

This is why no one can truly tell you whether you are “doing Tai Chi right” just by looking. 

Because Tai Chi is not a performance.
It is a state of presence, where your mind arrives home. 

 

Moving forward

It’s important to acknowledge that Tai Chi does include many foundational exercises. I have a playlist of Taichi Exercises on my YouTube Channel. These formative practices help train coordination and muscle memory, and they have real value. Exercise itself is necessary and supportive.

Yet in Tai Chi, mind training comes first.

My Sifu used to say to me, 

“You cannot actually ‘do’ Tai Chi. You are either in the state of Tai Chi—or you are not.”

Tai Chi is a state of being: a continuous flowing between yin and yang, where yin contains yang, and yang contains yin. It is not something forced or performed, but something entered.

That is why my Sifu always asked me to begin with three deep breaths before any movement. Before technique, before form, before effort—first, arrive. Settle the nervous system. Let the mind soften. Only then does movement become Tai Chi.

If this way of practising speaks to you, you are warmly invited to start or continue the Taichi journey with us.

You can subscribe to our newsletter for reflections, seasonal practices, and gentle guidance, join our online Tai Chi classes designed especially for beginners, or take part in our monthly online Tai Chi Q&A gathering—a space to ask questions, practise together, and meet other inspiring people walking a similar path.