Mind & Body: What Tai Chi Can Do for the Black Community
Photos by Jeanine Hays. Originally published in AphroChic magazine Issue 12, Summer 2023.
It’s no secret that in America the likelihood of a long and healthy life depends largely on the color of your skin. Searching the internet for terms like, “racial health disparity,” or “health desert,” will quickly produce a long list of articles, fact sheets, papers, declarations and mission statements cataloging the illnesses that plague our community and the reasons and rationales behind them. Some of these end by laying out optimistic steps towards health equity, while others offer the written equivalent of a helpless shrug. However long or short or hopeful or ambivalent these writings may be, they collectively point to a simple conclusion: that American racism kills Black people in a variety of ways, but none so comprehensive as the wide variety of health issues that it produces in us.
The Office of Minority Health, a branch of the Department of Health and Human Services, offered a brief survey of the damage in 2021, acknowledging higher death rates for African Americans from, “COVID-19, heart disease, stroke, cancer, asthma, influenza and pneumonia, diabetes and HIV/AIDS,” when compared to white Americans. Meanwhile, that same year the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) was waking up to the fact that, “centuries of racism in this country has had a profound and negative impact on communities of color.”
Hidden within these statements are the connections between social realities and health outcomes. Though heart disease continues to be a leading killer of all Americans, the fact that Black Americans are 30% - 50% more likely to die from a cardiac event than white Americans is attributable, in part, to the fact that more than 16.8 million Black Americans live in so-called, “cardiology deserts,” — counties with limited or no access to cardiology specialists — part of a wider epidemic of “health deserts,” which often lack so much as a local pharmacy. Similarly, asthma, which is also disproportionately high among Black Americans is linked to issues of environmental justice, food justice and more. And a whole library of issues directly stem from or are adversely impacted by the levels of chronic stress under which communities of color are habitually forced to operate.
While in the long run there is significant work to be done in holding American medical, governmental and economic institutions to account for the shocking disparities in physical and mental health outcomes for Black people in America, there are also things that we can do to improve the situation for ourselves in the short term. Though it may seem cliché, the oft-cited binary of health-and-exercise is a powerful force for increasing, preserving or recovering health. At the same time, new perspectives on the importance of mental health, rest and self-care for Black people are urging radical commitment to our own wellbeing through therapy, meditation, yoga and other practices that have long been a part of our community (Rosa Parks was a yogi).
One practice which seems to be climbing the charts as a must-have for better health is Tai Chi. Studies have shown that for all of the illnesses affecting Americans nationwide — heart disease and high blood pressure, diabetes and asthma, stroke, and stress — consistent Tai Chi practice can have a range of beneficial effects, improving motor function, reducing inflammation and more. For Black people, who suffer higher rates of incidence and mortality than other groups for these conditions, Tai Chi can be an essential part of a wellness routine. But like any practice, the first step to benefitting from Tai Chi is knowing what it is, what it does, and where to find it.
What is Tai Chi?
In 1644 AD, the Ming Dynasty ended in China, replaced by the Qing. In the process, Ming general Chen Wangting quickly went from being a celebrated officer to a wanted fugitive. While little is known of the general’s life — there are many exciting legends and few verified facts — it is known that he eventually retired to his family’s land, Chenjiagou, literally, “Chen Family Village,” located in Wen County, which was also home to the famed Shaolin Temple. There he combined his years of military experience with his studies in Taoist (or Daoist) theory to create what is now known as T’ai Chi Ch’uan (or Taijiquan), the “Supreme Ultimate Fist.”
Originally a battlefield martial art and protected secret of the Chen family, in the last three and a half centuries it has become more associated with elderly people and parks than warriors and combat. Nevertheless, the site where Wangting first introduced his art still stands and is a popular pilgrimage and study destination for students of the Chen family’s version of the art. And while there are theories suggesting longer histories or different founders for the system, the fact remains that of the 5 major styles of Tai Chi — Chen, Yang, Hao, Wu and Sun — all trace their origins to the art of Chen Wangting.
The physical practice of Tai Chi is generally characterized by slow movements organized into forms of different lengths and points of emphasis. A focus on breathing and weight distribution along with coordinated folding and unfolding of the joints further typify the practice, while other aspects, such as high or low stances, the prevalence of fast and hard movements within the softness or the study of classical Chinese weapons, can vary from style to style or school to school.
In its youth, Tai Chi was the secret of one family. As it spread it became a tool of imperial guards and noted scholars before spreading to the wider population. As the focus on combat faded, practitioners found the practice of the art to be as effective in improving their own health as the application of it had once been for diminishing the health of others. Today, medical researchers are finding evidence that practicing Tai Chi can be a powerful aid in dealing with or preventing a number of illnesses, including those which most impact Black communities in America.
Tai Chi Is Good For Your Heart
According to a 2022 article by the American Heart Association (AHA), cardiovascular disease (CVD) takes the lives of 650,000 Americans every year. Within that number, Black Americans are more than twice as likely to die from CVD, which, caused by blood clots or the hardening of the arteries, can take the form of coronary heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, aortic disease or stroke. High rates of hypertension among African Americans are a key CVD risk factor. The AHA cites Tai Chi as a “promising exercise option for patients with coronary heart disease,” showing that even 6 months of consistent practice at a low level of intensity can improve a patient’s weight, physical activity and quality of life.
Tai Chi has been shown to reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure and has been found by researchers to be an effective means of preventing CVD. And the benefits of a regular Tai Chi practice may not only be preventative. Among adults with chronic heart failure, consistent practice of the art, even at low intensity, has been shown to be beneficial by improving movement, breath capacity, and state of mind in patients.
Similarly, while there is insufficient research to confirm that Tai Chi can be effective in preventing a stroke, it has been shown to be effective for facilitating recovery and improving outcomes following one. Weakness or paralysis are frequent aftereffects of a stroke, which can decrease activity and physical conditioning while increasing the risk of a fall. Focusing on gentle movements originating from the center of gravity and achieved through coordinated actions of the limbs, Tai Chi has been found to have, “an overall beneficial effect on ADL [Activ- ities of Daily Life], balance, limb motor function, and walking ability among stroke survivors...and may also improve sleep quality, mood, mental health, and other motor function,” according to a 2018 article appearing in Frontiers in Physiology. The AHA concurs, finding that even seated Tai Chi routines can promote better outcomes for stroke survivors.
The potential benefits of Tai Chi in these areas alone are enough to suggest taking up the practice, but the promise of this classical art extends beyond lowering blood pressure — it can affect blood sugar as well.
Tai Chi and Diabetes
In 2018, the CDC listed diabetes as the number 6 killer of Black men, and the number 4 killer of Black women. With 12.1% of our population among the 37.3 million Americans with diabetes — and more among the 96 million who are pre-diabetic — what some of our older loved ones refer to affectionately as, “the sugars,” is a problem that too many African Americans have.
Born of the body’s decrease in production or reaction to insulin and the resulting buildup of sugar in the blood (hyperglycemia), diabetes can lead to heart disease, vision loss and kidney disease as well as immunocompromise, amputation and more. The best option for Type 2 diabetes is to avoid it through diet and exercise. When that isn’t possible, though diet and exercise are still important components of controlling diabetes, Tai Chi can also help.
In a preliminary evaluation of the effectiveness of Tai Chi as both a potential preventative and a control measure for adults with elevated glucose levels, a 2010 article published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine followed 11 participants over a 36-hour Tai Chi course. Classes were spread across a period of 12 weeks while researchers monitored seven indicators of metabolic syndrome — a suite of conditions such as high glucose or cholesterol and excess body fat around the midriff that can increase the likelihood of diabetes, heart disease or stroke. The study found that regular Tai Chi practice affected four indicators, reducing waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose levels and chronic stress.
A more recent 2018 study found that Tai Chi was effective at lowering average blood sugar levels (HbA1c), performing slightly better than aerobic exercise. Tai Chi has been shown even to improve immune function in diabetics. Another article in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that 12 weeks of Tai Chi practice produced significant improvements in cell activities related to immune defense.
Tai Chi and Stress Management
Perhaps the best way that Tai Chi can help us individually on a day-to-day basis is as an ally against stress. The American Psychological Association (APA) notes that stress can have an effect on a variety of bodily systems including the “musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous, and reproductive.” Pointing out as well the connection between race, health disparities and stress, the organization pays specific attention to what it terms “perceived discrimination.”
While the root of our community’s chronics stress is clearly not our perception of being discriminated against, but the actions of those who discriminate against us, Tai Chi can help us better manage that stress while keeping it from hurting us further. A 2019 review of 15 separate studies on Tai Chi found that practice “appears to be associated with improvements in psychological well-being including reduced stress, anxiety, depression and mood disturbance, and increased self-esteem.” And proving that the art’s benefits aren’t reserved solely for the elderly, a review of 10 separate databases published in 2021 suggested that Tai Chi was effective for creating similar benefits in adolescents as well as reducing cortisol levels.
Tai Chi and the Black Community
Tai Chi is not a cure-all for every health condition, and it won’t undo the impact of centuries of systematic racism on our community’s health, but it can be a beneficial part of our wellness practices. Like yoga, Tai Chi has been in our community for a long time. The art has been passed on through a number of high level practitioners, many of them among the O.G.’s of Black kung-fu teachers, including Roberto Sharpe, Oso Tayari Casel, the late and lamented Nganga Tolo Naa, and the venerable Dennis Brown to name just a few.
While we continue to live through illnesses and fight injustices, Tai Chi can help us to live a little longer and fight a little better, giving us a single practice to fit into our busy lives that can strengthen our muscles, improve our lung function, lower blood pressure and the sugars, all while easing our minds.
Tai Chi Tips to Get Started
One of the most important steps to getting the most out of your Tai Chi is finding the right place to learn. Here’s a couple of things to consider while you search:
Style: The benefits of Tai Chi are the same regardless of style. But there are a lot of different versions out there, with some designed for competition rather than health. The main styles of Tai Chi are the Chen, Yang, Hao, Wu and Sun. The Chen Man-ch'ing variant of the Yang style is also highly regarded. Each has their own characteristics. Chen is the oldest, with deep stances and explosive movements. Yang is the most popular and easiest to find, and so on. More important than the specific style for health is the depth of what’s being taught.
Curriculum: There’s more to Tai Chi than just the form. A full Tai Chi practice might also include stance training, breathwork, qigong and forms with weapons. These aren’t completely mandatory though, and so long as your instructor focuses on the elements of breathing, alignment and qigong in the form, you’ll get everything you need.
Certification: Certification is helpful, but not completely necessary. Traditionally, Chinese martial arts are less bureaucratic than some others, so there are plenty of qualified instructors without an organizational backing or certifications on the wall. But there are several good organizations to check out, like Yang Jwing Ming’s YMAA or the International Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan Federation. Organizations like these have pages listing certified instructors to help you find a school in your area.
Environment: Just like Tai Chi doesn’t require belts or certificates to be good, it doesn’t even require a school. Some of the best Tai Chi classes are in parks and on playgrounds. What a teacher has to offer might be more important than where s/he offers it. But a roof might be nice when it rains.
Explore the Aesthetic
