05/06/2026
Recently Chris, Pam, Stacie, and Suzanne, had the opportunity to attend The Science of Tai Chi and Qigong Conference at Harvard Medical School (HMS Osher Center for Integrative Medicine). This academic conference included presenters from research scientists and medical professionals as well as Tai Chi and Qigong practitioners about the benefits and effectiveness of Tai Chi and Qigong practice. While as practitioners, there is no surprise to us that one’s health can be greatly improved through the practice of Tai Chi and Qigong, but the bigger takeaway of the conference is how Tai Chi and Qigong effect people on a deep biological/physiological level and how much scientific research is being done to learn what is actually going on. We now have studies showing the benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong practice for:
Knee Health
Anxiety
Depression
PTSD
Aging
Cardiovascular Health
Back Pain
Balance/Fall Prevention
Pain
Parkinson’s Disease
Sleep Quality
Stress
Cancer Support
And much more
Again, as practitioners, none of this is really a surprise, but the mounting evidence continues to demonstrate that Tai Chi and Qigong practices can help with multiple aspects of a person’s health and build our understanding of “Whole-Person Health,” as opposed to treating individual body areas or systems. Tai Chi and Qigong are also helping people maintain better Quality of Life as people are living longer. One presenter made a strong point that while people are living longer, most of those extra years are often spent in declining health and discomfort. Tai Chi and Qigong now have a growing body of scientific evidence showing that through practice, those extra years can be healthier and more fulfilling.
