Tai chi is a mind-body exercise that was first used by Chinese monks to improve concentration and physical well-being. This low-impact aerobic exercise combines breathing exercises with slow and gentle movements. The graceful and precise body movements can enhance strength and coordination while helping you achieve better body awareness – and maybe even inner peace.

Tai chi won’t make you huff and puff. It is ideal for many people who are elderly or have disabilities. You can often do tai chi even when you use a wheelchair or walker. Many of the movements can be adapted and be done from a sitting position.

Benefits of tai chi

Tai chi may help to:

* Enhance your stamina
* Make you stronger
* Help you breathe easier
* Achieve better balance
* Improve your posture
* Lessen joint stiffness
* Increase flexibility
* Raise your energy level
* Relieve stress

Research shows that the most effective plan to prevent falls among older adults is activity that improves strength, movement and flexibility. Tai chi may help to achieve these goals. In one study, older people taking part in a 15-week tai chi program reduced their risk of falling by almost half. After the course, many were no longer afraid of falling.

In Hong Kong and Taiwan, foreigners can learn how Asian medicine uses herbs and other ingredients to fight illness.

Reporting from Hong Kong and Taipei, Taiwan, — The world is divided into two categories: those who get the flu, and those who don’t. Not only did I fall into the former, but it happened a week before my scheduled departure for Taiwan and Hong Kong. “Nobody goes to Hong Kong with the flu,” said my husband, Paul.

Achy and exhausted, I had feverish nightmares about the “C” word (cancel); I had never backed out of a trip in my life. It was touch-and-go until the last minute . . . and then it became go.

With the Year of the Ox upon us, what can we expect in the new Lunar Year, and will the animal largely associated with dependability and calmness bring a halt to the economic recession both in Taiwan and the whole world?

Local fortune tellers predict that the financial and political rumblings of the nation will continue to dominate in the year ahead. But don’t lose faith: they also say that in the second half of the year of the ox, the economy will slowly but gradually start to improve.

“Pluto is entering Capricorn and financial markets around the world, already in a steady decline for several months, will continue to go down,” forecasts famous Taiwanese horoscope reader Jesse Tang.

But after the stock market hits bottom, it will start to rise, and it will soar again by the end of next year. That is when investors should return to the market, says Tang.

Chan Wei-chung, an expert in Chinese Zi Wei Dou Shu and master of Feng Shui or geomancy, also notes that “Wu Qu” or the “Star of War” will be strong in the year of the Ox. This means that the financial market should have good prospects, especially in July and August of 2009.

Each animal represents a unique set of traits. The animal of our birth year is thought to define and influence us as, according to a Chinese saying, it “hides in our heart.” For example, if you were born in the Year of the Ox, you are considered to be patient, dependable and to inspire confidence in others. (Coincidentally, President Barack Obama was born a metal ox; Be sure to check out the Gate’s Lunar New Year page for more articles and event information!)

…

Ox – Years: 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009; Characteristics: Honest, patient, dependable, self-sacrificing, stubborn and conservative. The Ox is most happy when left alone to his own devices. You can trust that an Ox will always finish the task at hand despite having a slow start. They are good friends with Snakes and Roosters, but at ends with Goats.

1. Bullish on Obama

President Obama, who has pledged to begin rehabilitating the economy, was born in an ox year. Those born in this year achieve through hard work and routine.

2. True blues

The ox, according to Chinese astrology, is the best friend you could choose. So are ox celebrities Meryl Streep, George Clooney, Dustin Hoffman, Jane Fonda and Warren Beatty good to their friends? Other ox celebrities include Meg Ryan, Bruce Springsteen, Bill Cosby, Robert Redford and Jim Carrey.

3. Know thy Ox

Ox lucky numbers, according to an online horoscope, are 1, 3, 5, 12, 15, 33, 35, 51 and 53. Ox careers include composer, landlord, doctor, cook, police officer, teacher, judge, banker, insurance broker and gardener.

The ox carried the rat, who pushed the cat, who nearly drowned and lost the race in a popular legend behind the Chinese Zodiac, an ancient system steeped in lore that both puzzles and enthralls around the world.

This year, the 15-day Chinese New Year begins Jan. 26, ushering in the Year of the Ox. But why does the year begin then, and why are the years marked by roosters and dragons and pigs?

The Chinese Zodiac is said to follow the stations of Jupiter’s orbit around the sun, which is just shy of 12 years. The animals mark years in a 12-year cycle that begins with rat, followed by ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and boar.

Why they fall that way has a colorful past.

One story has Buddha inviting all the animals in the kingdom to a meeting. In another, it’s the Jade Emperor holding a great banquet. Some animals outwit others to get there first, with their places in the zodiac assigned according to when they arrived.

A third legend is more like “The Amazing Race,” with plotting and scratching and clawing in a competition that includes a river crossing followed by a gathering at the emperor’s palace. The kindly ox agrees to carry the scheming rat and the cat across the water on his back, but the rat betrays his friend the cat by pushing him into a swift current and hops off the ox to claim the top spot.

Always, the cat and the rat were once best friends but wind up mortal enemies after the cat fails to make the top 12.

Millions of people consult horoscopes around the world, including China. The animal of your birth year defines and influences you as it “hides in your heart” for the rest of your life, a Chinese saying goes. In addition to dictating individual destiny and personality, some believe the animal influences events through the year.

Next Sunday night and Monday, as Chinese the world over gather to celebrate the Year of the Ox, firecrackers will scare away evil spirits, bright red banners hung on doorways will convey good wishes for the months ahead, and pan-fried and steamed dumplings stuffed with juicy meat and vegetable fillings will be devoured by the thousands.

Although there are many Chinese New Year delicacies, dumplings have become the food most closely associated with this grand festival. Many families serve dumplings for the midnight snack, a meal on Sunday night that welcomes in the New Year. Chinese who abstain from eating meat stuff savory pastries with ornate vegetarian fillings. Of all the numerous varieties of dumplings, xiaolongbao, also known as Shanghai soupy buns, have become the most desirable – perhaps because of the delicious spurt of hot juices that fill your mouth at first bite (watch your shirt fronts and ties!) or the dipping sauce of mellow black vinegar with delicate fresh ginger slivers. In most regions, the dumplings are considered a type of “dian xin” (dim sum), or snack, but they can also become the main course when served in quantities with a side vegetable or soup.

Healthy food choices and good digestion are the building blocks to good health and well-being. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that food is a form of medicine. Daily meals are an opportunity to nourish, build and heal our bodies. To benefit from wholesome food choices, however, the body has to digest those foods properly. Fatigue, gas, bloating, constipation and loose stools are signs that your body is out of balance and unable to acquire the full benefits of your diet.

It never ceases to amaze me that I practice a form of medicine that has been in use for more than 3,000 years. Oriental medicine was, in fact, developed and practiced in ancient China as a primary health care system. It was, and is still today, used to diagnose and treat illness, prevent disease and improve overall wellness.

The practice of Oriental medicine includes several different modalities of healing. Chinese herbs and acupuncture, diet therapy, exercise (tai chi and qi gong), and bodywork (accupressure and shiatsu) are all examples of Oriental medicine that are based in specific ancient healing principles.

Qigong therapy, a form of traditional Chinese medical practice, including a variety of Chinese energy exercises can offer alternative treatment for people with osteoarthritis, suggest researchers.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) suggests the existence of a subtle energy (qi) circulating throughout the body and in the surrounding environment