Success Stories

I had the privilege of studying T'ai Chi with this book's author, Bill Douglas. As a practicing physician, there are certainly times where stress can seem to be the norm. I found T'ai Chi to be profoundly beneficial in reducing stress, increasing mental clarity, and improving my emotional as well as physical health. Where else can you find such a highly effective tool to achieve these worthwhile goals without fancy equipment or complicated formulas?

I was an emergency room physician when I began studying T'ai Chi with this book's author, Bill Douglas. My first indication of T'ai Chi's powerful stress management benefits came from the ER nurses I worked with, who remarked on my level of serenity during crisis.

If T'ai Chi can help with stress in an ER room where lives often hang in the balance, imagine what it can do for everyone else!

Because of my practice of T'ai Chi and QiGong, my barometer for detecting "disease" within myself earlier, allows me to prevent serious infection and speed up healing. I feel T'ai Chi is a wonderful part of a revolution in health care, whereby each of us takes much more responsibility for our own health and healing.

This book can introduce people to the rich esoteric science of T'ai Chi's mind/body fitness in a humorous, easy, and fun way. Enjoy!

Susan Norman, C.I.M.T.

From the perspective of a health psychologist serving patients who are coping with chronic illness and stressful life events, I see the gentle mindfulness exercises of T'ai Chi and QiGong relaxation therapy as potentially useful for a broad spectrum of people. The author of this book, Bill Douglas, explains the complexities of T'ai Chi and QiGong in the form of an invitation, easing his students into a greater understanding of the usefulness and purpose of this ancient form of meditative movement.

Dizziness is one of the more common reasons for a doctor visit, particularly in patients over the age of fifty. Because the causes of dizziness can range from benign self-limiting conditions to potentially life threatening ones, a thorough medical evaluation is essential before embarking on any form of therapy. Persistent dizziness certainly has a distinct impact on the quality of life and emotional well being of the patient. Falls, hip fractures and lack of confidence in public often create a feeling of helplessness.

In over twenty years of experience as a clinical neurologist, I find that extensive and expensive medical evaluation including CAT scans, MRI scans and vascular imaging studies as well as prescription medications add little to alleviating the problem. I have found vestibular rehabilitation exercises in the form of T'ai Chi classes to be a cost-effective mode of therapy. Many of my patients have opted for this non-medication approach to treatment and have developed a sense of self-confidence through this form of exercise. In short, as a traditional medical practitioner, I frequently recommend T'ai Chi for my patients with dizziness and dysequilibrium.

It has been a year since I began practicing T'ai Chi under the teaching of the author of this book, Bill Douglas and his associate instructor Erik Feagans. This span of time certainly allows me to evaluate the result of this gentle "martial art", not only as stress management therapy but, more impressively, with regard to its effect on my physical health.

Suffering for years from chronic neck pain consequent to a whiplash injury, and also suffering from a limited motion of the right shoulder, I approached with some skepticism the T'ai Chi course. The course was initiated after unsuccessful sessions of physical therapy, including mobilization, ultrasounds, heat application etc. After two months of T'ai Chi the pain in the cervical region disappeared while the range of motion of my right shoulder returned completely to the normal. This achievement remained unchanged during the past winter up to now.

I would not hesitate to recommend T'ai Chi to individuals suffering from my same ailments as well as to mature persons who are seeking to maintain or improve their health and to remain free of chronic pain due to the aging process.

I have been, since many years, interested in the oriental arts and philosophy, including the "martial arts." It took however my wife's persistence to persuade me to enlist in your T'ai Chi courses, which I am taking since July 1997.

My attitude, since the first few lessons, changed, due to your effectiveness and to your ability to teach this gentle "martial art." I was suffering for symptoms related to osteoarthritis of the left coxofemoral joint, and, in addition, I was suffering from neck pain with limited motion. This symptomology disappeared with the T'ai Chi exercises.

My physician's recommendation is to continue with the practice of T'ai Chi. I would pass the same recommendation to individuals with similar sedentary life style as well as to people involved in activity, which requires exertion of the musculo-skeletal system.