Tai Chi and Parkinson’s would appear, on the surface at least, to be two unrelated subjects. So much so in fact, that the reader may even wonder if I have made a mistake. But there is no mistake in my particular, one has clearly influenced the other.
Five years ago, I was diagnosed with spastic Parkinson’s disease. Both my left hand and foot were blocked, as if I’d had a stroke. My cervical spine was stiff and immobile, like a lead pipe. Living with such challenges brought a great deal of hardship into my daily life.
I decided to go to Huana Xiangya Medical College in order to see a very famous neurologist. Unfortunately, he said that there was no known cure for the disease at the time. All he could suggest was to submit myself to taking medicine on a daily basis to attempt to limit the progression of the disease. The prognosis was not good – in the worst scenarios, I would be unable and may even have to be confined to a wheelchair.
For a time, I was at a loss as to what to do. Then an old classmate suggested that I try Tai Chi. It was said that Tai Chi could open up the tendons and bones and would also help activating the joints and, therefore, it may well be helpful in alleviating my Parkinson’s symptoms. I had previously been engaged in sports management so I had some notion of the efficacy of Tai Chi. I decided to learn what I could from my old classmate.
My classmate informed me that the system he was learning was known as Li’s Ancient Tai Chi Thirteen Postures. He and several others would practice every morning. When he invited me to practice with him to which I readily agreed.
It was pleasant to discover when I turned up to practice Tai Chi in the morning that most of the people there were acquaintances. When my classmate told the other practitioners of my situation they all reacted positively and encouraged me to practice Thirteen Postures. They told me that such practice would definitely help in regards to my Parkinson’s. Thus I started practicing Thirteen Postures.
After practicing for more than a month, I found that the flexibility of my left hand and left foot had improved significantly. This greatly increased my confidence in the efficacy of Tai Chi and made me want to learn even more.
My Tai Chi friends told me that Master Xue Wenyu, the successor of Li's Ancient Tai Chi (the traditional Li branch Tai Chi) would come to Yuanjiang to hold a training class. I was very excited and looking forward to meeting the Master.
In May 2018, Master Xue finally came to Yuanjiang to hold a training class. I was working and attending the training at the same time. Sometimes I had miss classes but master Xue would arrange extra sessions in the evening. To address to my particular problem, the master also taught me some special techniques. I insisted on practicing for about two hours every day, in line with his teaching. After more than two months of diligent practice, my condition had improved even more significantly than before.
The senior practitioners also taught and encouraged me. Such support increased my confidence and determination to overcome the pain. Since practicing the thirteen postures the stiffness of my left hand and foot has changed a lot and both became much more flexible than previously.
In July 2018, I returned to Hunan Xiangya Hospital for a follow-up visit. The deputy dean of Xiangya, the neurologist Yan Xinxiang, who was also the chief doctor, was shocked and asked me what medicine I had taken. I told him that I didn't take any other medicine but that the improvement was the result of practicing Tai Chi every day. She was very interested and asked me in detail what kind of posture I practiced, how to practice, and how long to practice. I demonstrated them one by one. Professor Yan said that Tai Chi was very good for patients with spastic Parkinson's disease. She also wanted me to go to Xiangya to share my experiences with Parkinson's patients. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go because of the demands of my work life.
From August 2018, I took a year off. In order to test the effects of my learning the thirteen postures of the ancient Tai Chi, I decided to drive from Yuanjiang to Nanjing on my own. The journey was thousands of kilometers and took thirteen hours. I left early in the morning and arrived late at night. Following such a long drive, I found I was in good health and didn't feel overly tired. This, I believe, is the effect of practicing Tai Chi. I then decided to climb Mount Huangshan and I found my legs and feet were able to cope with such a challenge.
In early December 2018, I returned once more to Xiangya for a follow-up visit. When I related my experiences to the doctor they couldn't believe it. I had to show them the photos of me climbing the mountain as proof. They were shocked. My fellow patients also asked me for my experience in coaching Tai Chi. In November, Master Xue came to Yuanjiang again to deliver lectures. I reported my situation to the master. The master was very happy and encouraged me to keep going. He personally corrected some of my movements and taught me finger movements (of The Qi Circulation Techniques of Tai Chi). He said that as long as I could connect my mind and spirit, my condition would continue to get better, possible fully recover. I was secretly delighted. If such a miracle really happened one day, wouldn't I become a celebrity? Then it will be clear to all that Tai Chi can have a positive effect on Parkinson's disease. Regardless of whether such a miracle happens or not, I can already prove that practicing the ancient art of Tai Chi Thirteen Postures is absolutely beneficial in remediating Parkinson's. If you don't believe me, try it yourself and see!