When Thomas O’Rourke needed to find a way to ease college stress, he did what a growing number of Binghamton students are doing: he signed up for a Tai Chi class.
He believed that Tai Chi could help reduce stress since he found yoga to be beneficial last year.
O’Rourke has already experienced real benefits from the class.
“I’ve come to feel more upbeat and happier after class. As time has gone on, it’s really helped me relax in the morning, especially as I get the poses right.”
Yorktown, N.Y. Tai Chi Instructor Gary Gione contends that stress reduction and the many other health benefits of Tai Chi can be better appreciated with a more intimate understanding of our bodies’ energy systems.
“Stress is mainly caused by blockages of energy pathways within the body known as meridians,” Gione explained, adding that particular emotions are managed by particular organs. Anger, joy, grief and fear are managed by the liver, heart, lungs and kidneys, respectively.
“What happens is when you get put under [emotional] stress a blockage will occur within the meridian associated with that particular organ,” he said. “What Tai Chi does, is it opens up these meridians and relieves your body’s congested negative energy,” he added.
Mr. Gione also asserts that Tai Chi can lower blood pressure, counteract diarrhea, and improve a person’s breathing.
Some of these effects are more immediate and appreciable than others.
“When people come into one of my classes, I often see them struggling with the stresses in their personal or professional lives,” he said. “I can see it wear on them. When they leave the class […] their facial muscles have more of a smile about them, because their blood pressure drops and their facial muscles relax,” Gione said.
According to data obtained from the Binghamton Athletics Department in the West Gym, student enrollment in Tai Chi classes is unprecedented; perhaps because of an increased appreciation of these health benefits. On average, in any given semester for almost the past three years, sections have had to be expanded to accommodate an additional eight students. Student enrollment in Tai Chi reached its zenith this semester when the university had to add a third section of Tai Chi classes.
One student who realized, and capitalized on, the potential benefits of Tai Chi, is Binghamton senior Sean Drepaul. While he could have easily chosen another class to fulfill his general education health requirement, Drepaul settled on Tai Chi to roll back the specter of senior-year stress.
“Knowing that I was taking 300- and 400-level econ classes, I figured Tai Chi would give me down time to help clear my mind and relax for an hour and a half,” Drepaul said.
Like O’Rourke, Drepaul offered nothing but praise for the class.
“I definitely feel improved blood circulation,” he said. “I feel a lot more relaxed and I feel a lot more energized in terms of being able to go about and finish the rest of my day. Tai Chi is also fun, so knowing that helps me to relax even more because I’m doing something not only healthy but fun as well,” he said.
Drepaul recalls harnessing the positive energy he releases during Tai Chi to ward off exam stress.
“A couple of weeks ago, I had an econ exam the same day that I had Tai Chi and I used that hour and a half to stop worrying and thinking about the test and put my body in a more relaxed state,” he said. “This relaxed state really helped me perform a lot better on the test.”
And Tai Chi has even put a bit more confidence in Drepaul’s stride.
“When I go to take my econ exams now, I feel much more at ease and optimistic about my performance” he added.
He believed that Tai Chi could help reduce stress since he found yoga to be beneficial last year.
O’Rourke has already experienced real benefits from the class.
“I’ve come to feel more upbeat and happier after class. As time has gone on, it’s really helped me relax in the morning, especially as I get the poses right.”
Yorktown, N.Y. Tai Chi Instructor Gary Gione contends that stress reduction and the many other health benefits of Tai Chi can be better appreciated with a more intimate understanding of our bodies’ energy systems.
“Stress is mainly caused by blockages of energy pathways within the body known as meridians,” Gione explained, adding that particular emotions are managed by particular organs. Anger, joy, grief and fear are managed by the liver, heart, lungs and kidneys, respectively.
“What happens is when you get put under [emotional] stress a blockage will occur within the meridian associated with that particular organ,” he said. “What Tai Chi does, is it opens up these meridians and relieves your body’s congested negative energy,” he added.
Mr. Gione also asserts that Tai Chi can lower blood pressure, counteract diarrhea, and improve a person’s breathing.
Some of these effects are more immediate and appreciable than others.
“When people come into one of my classes, I often see them struggling with the stresses in their personal or professional lives,” he said. “I can see it wear on them. When they leave the class […] their facial muscles have more of a smile about them, because their blood pressure drops and their facial muscles relax,” Gione said.
According to data obtained from the Binghamton Athletics Department in the West Gym, student enrollment in Tai Chi classes is unprecedented; perhaps because of an increased appreciation of these health benefits. On average, in any given semester for almost the past three years, sections have had to be expanded to accommodate an additional eight students. Student enrollment in Tai Chi reached its zenith this semester when the university had to add a third section of Tai Chi classes.
One student who realized, and capitalized on, the potential benefits of Tai Chi, is Binghamton senior Sean Drepaul. While he could have easily chosen another class to fulfill his general education health requirement, Drepaul settled on Tai Chi to roll back the specter of senior-year stress.
“Knowing that I was taking 300- and 400-level econ classes, I figured Tai Chi would give me down time to help clear my mind and relax for an hour and a half,” Drepaul said.
Like O’Rourke, Drepaul offered nothing but praise for the class.
“I definitely feel improved blood circulation,” he said. “I feel a lot more relaxed and I feel a lot more energized in terms of being able to go about and finish the rest of my day. Tai Chi is also fun, so knowing that helps me to relax even more because I’m doing something not only healthy but fun as well,” he said.
Drepaul recalls harnessing the positive energy he releases during Tai Chi to ward off exam stress.
“A couple of weeks ago, I had an econ exam the same day that I had Tai Chi and I used that hour and a half to stop worrying and thinking about the test and put my body in a more relaxed state,” he said. “This relaxed state really helped me perform a lot better on the test.”
And Tai Chi has even put a bit more confidence in Drepaul’s stride.
“When I go to take my econ exams now, I feel much more at ease and optimistic about my performance” he added.
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