Which is better, yoga or Tai Chi

There is no standard answer to this question. The one that suits your needs, physical foundation, and daily scenarios is the better choice. Lao Chen, who has been practicing Chen-style Tai Chi for 11 years, and Sister Lin, who has been practicing Hatha Yoga for 7 years, quarreled three times over this matter. Each time, they could bring out a basketful of solid evidence from personal experience, but no one could convince the other.

Lao Chen used to be a marathon enthusiast. He had an old injury on his left knee that had accumulated over the years. He was the first to sign up for a yoga class. The instructor was a person who pursued "difficulty of postures" and forced him to do three warrior poses and jumping flow yoga movements. After practicing twice, his knees were so swollen that he couldn't wear long pants, so he gave up. Later, he learned Tai Chi from a Tai Chi master in the community. No one forced him to squat as low as possible or raise his legs as high as possible. All movements followed his own strength. He paid attention to "no twisting of strength and no stiffness of bones." After practicing for half a year, his knees no longer hurt when going up and down stairs. Now every day At seven o'clock in the morning, I was walking in the small garden, surrounded by seven or eight retired old guys. After practicing, I could chat about today's vegetable prices. Not to mention how comfortable it was. He always said that Tai Chi was more friendly to the stable physiques of us East Asians and did not engage in the "difficulty theory".

But this is completely untrue when it comes to Sister Lin. Sister Lin works as a content operator for an Internet company. She often works overtime until ninety o'clock. Not to mention rushing to the Tai Chi field at seven o'clock in the morning, she is lucky to get up at eight o'clock to catch the morning rush hour. She is 32 years old. She usually sits in an office with rounded shoulders and a hunched back. She is always anxious and insomnia due to catching up on projects. She tried doing Tai Chi following videos on the Internet. The slow movements made her feel dazed after sitting for a whole day, and she almost fell asleep standing up after ten minutes of doing it. Later, she signed up for a night yoga class near her home. Yin yoga loosened the fascia and added a small amount of strength yoga to practice the core. After practicing for an hour each time, the stiffness in the shoulders and neck was completely gone. She followed the breathing adjustment for ten minutes before going to bed, and she fell asleep much faster. Now her whole body has stretched a lot, and she looks better in skirts than before. On the contrary, she feels that yoga is more suitable for busy young people. The time is flexible, and it can also take into account the needs of body shaping and emotional regulation.

I have been practicing both intermittently for three or four years, and I can’t say which one I prefer. Last year, I worked on a project for half a month, and my shoulders and necks were so painful that it was difficult to lift my arms. I practiced cat-cow pose and mountain pose adjustment for 10 minutes at the company’s workstation at noon, and I was able to recover more than ten minutes. When I have time on weekends, I will follow Lao Chen and do two rounds of twenty-four poses.

In fact, there is really no need to worry about which one is better. Whether it is the "mind-body connection" taught in Tai Chi or the "body-mind connection" taught in yoga, the core is to allow you to talk to your body. If you really have to choose, take the time to try each one twice. After practicing, the one you feel comfortable and can stick to is the "better" choice that is most suitable for you.