Learning Tai Chi has many prerequisites. Some of these include the right environment, ambiance, and the disturbance factor. This is because Tai Chi is based more on meditation and, these are required in order to execute this art properly. Aside from these basic things, clothing also plays an important part in Tai Chi.
Why is proper clothing important in Tai Chi? Experts in Tai Chi believe that proper clothing is as important as the mental preparation. They rationalize that the spiritual energy Qi flows on every pore of the body, therefore tight and inhibitive clothing can severely diminish the flow of energy. This is especially important to those who are still starting to learn the skill, since starters tend to have more difficulty in detecting and managing Qi.
So what should be a proper Tai Chi clothing? Tai Chi clothing should be soft as not to distract Tai Chi practitioners, light as not to inhibit movement, and supple enough to accommodate the postures. The make are cotton, silk or linen. Traditional Chinese Tai Chi makes use of silk for the simple reason that silk is abundant during ancient China. These days, the favorite choice is linen since this is thermo-regulating, strong, durable and more resistant to wear and abrasion. On the other hand, cotton is only used as an alternative to silk and linen. Cotton is also cool and cheaper compared to the other two.
The most common color of Tai Chi clothing is black and white, but there’s no restriction for this. Other schools chose to have a specific color. Some schools don’t even require Tai Chi uniforms. Instead, they use a printed Tai Chi shirt as the school uniform. Usually, the shirt is white and the school’s logo or Tai Chi symbols are printed. For the trousers, it is up to the student.
In doing a Tai Chi session, do not wear jeans and jackets, or anything heavy. These clothing are not flexible and will hinder your movements. You’ll also feel uncomfortable in the middle of the session.
But in any case, you should know that clothing does not define your skills in Tai Chi. If you are an expert, you can wear anything and still get good results. Proper Tai Chi clothing will only make you comfortable and your execution easy. For a beginner, why not wear the right Tai Chi clothing and learn Tai Chi in a comfortable way.
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