[Daily] Benefits of Yoga and Tai Chi | Jack Canfield

Hi there, I'm Jack Canfield and today I want to give you a few tips to help you learn about some of the benefits of yoga and Tai Chi. The physical, mental and spiritual benefits of yoga and Tai Chi are limitless. Each discipline requires some time, but each is incredibly rewarding, capable of helping you feel more relaxed, centered and in touch with your life's most natural state. Stretching is much more than a de stressing technique. One of the goals I have for this year is to be more flexible. And there's a picture on my vision board of a man in a yoga posture. I started doing yoga in my late 20s and has been something I attempt to do on a daily basis. But as I've gotten older, I've sustained several injuries. I ruptured a disc in my lower back and I had a major shoulder injury to my right shoulder, which caused a lot of tightness in my lower back and in my neck, my shoulders. And without daily yoga postures and some moves I learned in Tai Chi, I'd hate to think of where I'd be now. I do yoga postures in Tai Chi when I first wake up and I do it again right before I go to bed at night. I'm also now learning and practicing some Chinese Qigong exercises as well. In addition to being more flexible, these stretching and breathing and energy exercises have helped keep my immune system strong. I rarely ever get sick, which is important because I travel all over the world to speak and conduct trainings and I need to show up healthy and with high energy. They also help produce a steady state of positive, calm, focused, steady presence. Now considered a classical branch of Indian philosophy, yoga uses exercise, meditation and breathing techniques to benefit one's overall health. It increases your awareness of your body, expressing its capabilities while enhancing a deeper and more subtle understanding of your day to day movements. Tai Chi, meanwhile, is a physical discipline derived from a Chinese martial art which uses slow, gentle movements and postures and stretches while the body is in constant motion. Because it's also very meditative, it contributes to your overall psychological well being. And for this reason, it's used by both healthy adults and those who have chronic conditions. From every angle, yoga and Tai Chi can enhance one's sense of self and be an important aid on your path to deeper wisdom and eventually enlightenment. Now, the energy released and created by these exercises is incredibly useful. It can calm you down, making a greater source of aid for those with anxiety and respiratory issues. Yoga, Tai Chi and stretching can decrease your blood pressure and each one can be as effective as aerobic Exercise. When practiced consistently, much of the stress release derived from yoga and Tai Chi is due to the focus on balance. Practicing yoga, Tai Chi and stretching can make you more in tune with gravity, your place in the world and your body's natural state. And by steadily increasing muscle strength. And yoga and Tai Chi also increase your ability to practice the arts more deeply and thus reach a more refined level of peace, security and motivation. Many experts believe these practices can create a sort of internal massage which benefits the vital organs in your body. And the sheer meditative value of Tai Chi and yoga is also astounding. Medical professionals consider these practices to be beneficial to the immune system. And because they both can increase the practitioner's T cells and disease fighting lymphocytes. Now we all inevitably age, but we needn't undergo the typical age related problems. Yoga, Tai Chi and stretching can restore one's range of motion, helping you with spatial orientation along the way. Some people might not be aware of their body's natural movements. And not being aware can result in missteps, accidents, torn ligaments and broken bones. But those who practice Tai Chi and yoga for decades learn to understand, improve upon and develop their sense of positioning in the world. Over a long period. These practices can benefit your overall well being and your adaptability to new situations. Some yoga forms, like restorative yoga, even focus on the practitioner's physical limitations. By using tables, beds and blankets, you can work to overcome any physical impairments you might have. Daily stretching exercises and restorative yoga have helped me overcome a frozen shoulder that I used to be only able to reach up this high with. Now I can move this much. Another important thing in life is flow. Now flow occurs when you don't force movements, mental states or emotional mindsets. Where the law of attraction is considered, flow is the final fires fuel. Entering a state of flow can help you explore new ideas, avoid overly objective thinking and discover a deeper, more intuitive side of yourself. Both yoga and Tai Chi help you create more flow in your life. Tai Chi and yoga also focus on meditative states, helping you expand upon your most human aspects in every part of life. Universal connectivity is a result of these states being connected to the entire universe. Think about that. By allowing flow into your life, you can achieve new levels of peace, calmness and spirituality. Your mind and your body will feel clear after practicing these movements. I remember a time in New York when I was in my 20s and I was first being introduced to yoga by a young woman I was dating at the time. I was visiting her in New York and I was totally stressed out by the pressures of being in graduate school, trying to win her love, and just being in the chaotic, noisy reality of downtown New York traffic, all the street noises. And when I went into class, I was basically uptight, agitated and definitely not at peace. 90 minutes later when we walked back out onto the streets of New York, I was calm, I was loving, I was open hearted. I was no longer judging the craziness of the city. I remember looking around at everything and everybody and feeling just love and joy and acceptance. Yoga can be that powerful, you know. I had a very similar experience after my first Tai Chi class. I can honestly say that the ability to get myself into a calm, meditative state is one of the secrets of my success. I'm more creative, I'm less reactive, and I make better decisions because of it. Tai Chi and yoga might seem difficult to embrace at first, but I promise you their benefits are powerful and long lasting. Focusing on both your body's internal and external well being, these exercises can calm the mind, fortify your body and nurture your spirit over time. You'll stay connected with this state all through the day, embracing new and deeper levels of meditation. I promise the effects of doing it in the morning and at night will stay with you hours and hours after you've done the exercises. Now here's your homework to complete after watching this video. Do some basic stretching or yoga postures now you can access some easy beginner postures on YouTube or better yet, join a yoga or a Tai Chi class in your area. The minimum commitment you want to make is to add 20 minutes to your morning routine or sometime later during the day, like when you first get home from work as a transitioning way to de stress, or before you go to bed at night, you'll be amazed with how great you feel as a result of it. Now here's a question for you. Do you currently practice yoga, Tai chi or some form of daily stretching? If so, how has it impacted your life? So let me know in the comments section below. Thanks for watching and remember, nothing will change for better in your life until you do. Now if you find this video helpful, make sure you like it, share it with a friend who may need it and subscribe to my channel for more videos like this one and for some additional resources, make sure to visit my website@jackcampfield.com thanks again for watching.