Tai Chi and Meditation

Chinese expert consensus on prevention and intervention for elderly with sarcopenia (2023)

Sarcopenia is the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and muscle strength or physical function. It is most common in elderly individuals. Due to its high incidence, insidious onset, and extensive impact on the body, it has a huge impact on the family medical burden and the social public health expenditure in China. The understanding of sarcopenia in China is still lacking, and the recommendations for prevention, control, and intervention are not clear and unified. The purpose of this consensus report is to standardize the prevention, control, and intervention methods for sarcopenia in elderly patients in China; improve the efficacy of intervention; reduce complications during the intervention process; and reduce the risk of falls, fractures, disability, hospitalization, and even death in elderly individuals.

Is the Qi experience related to the flow experience? Practicing qigong in urban green spaces

People experience a healthy energy gained from the environment and an inner feeling, called the Qi experience. The flow experience has been a popular topic in Western studies, especially within the fields of psychology and health, and in all kinds of activities. Our current study used quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze the relationship between the Qi experience and the flow experience. After collecting data using open-ended questions, we integrated and connected the Qi experience into five orientations: (1) the feeling of Qi; (2) the mind; (3) Qi and consciousness; (4) physical, mental, and spiritual benefits; and (5) the feeling of Tao. The results revealed a high level of consistency between the flow experience and the Qi experience (r = 0.90, p<0.00, which supports the conclusion that the concept of the flow experience in Qigong activity seems to be the same as that in East Asian disciplines, called the Qi experience.

Promoting Mindfulness in African American Communities

African Americans report higher rates of chronic stress compared to non-Hispanic Whites. Consequently, chronic stress contributes to disproportionately higher rates of poor health outcomes among African Americans. Mindfulness meditation is a well-established and studied strategy to reduce stress and potentially improve health outcomes. However, the practice of mindfulness meditation is largely underutilized in African American communities despite its potential health benefits. In this commentary, we will discuss the relevance of mindfulness interventions, limited research available, reasons for low representation, and cultural adaptations for mindfulness meditation in African American communities. We also provide additional strategies to guide future mindfulness research that target African Americans.

Acute Effects of Tai Chi Training on Cognitive and Cardiovascular Responses in Late Middle-Aged Adults: A Pilot Study

This study explored the immediate effects of Tai Chi (TC) training on attention and meditation, perceived stress level, heart rate, oxygen saturation level in blood, and palmar skin temperature in late middle-aged adults. Twenty TC practitioners and 20 nonpractitioners volunteered to join the study. After baseline measurements were taken, the TC group performed TC for 10 minutes while their cognitive states and cardiovascular responses were concurrently monitored. The control group rested for the same duration in a standing position. Both groups were then reassessed. The participants' attention and meditation levels were measured using electroencephalography; stress levels were measured using Perceived Stress Scale; heart rate and blood oxygenation were measured using an oximeter; and palmar skin temperature was measured using an infrared thermometer. Attention level tended to increase during TC and dropped immediately thereafter (p < 0.001). Perceived stress level decreased from baseline to posttest in exclusively the TC group (p = 0.005). Heart rate increased during TC (p < 0.001) and decreased thereafter (p = 0.001). No significant group, time, or group-by-time interaction effects were found in the meditation level, palmar skin temperature, and blood oxygenation outcomes. While a 10-minute TC training could temporarily improve attention and decrease perceived stress levels, it could not improve meditation, palmar skin temperature, or blood oxygenation among late middle-aged adults.

Effects of Tai Chi versus Physical Therapy on Mindfulness in Knee Osteoarthritis

Tai Chi mind-body exercise is widely believed to improve mindfulness through incorporating meditative states into physical movements. A growing number of studies indicate that Tai Chi may improve health in knee osteoarthritis (OA), a chronic pain disease and a primary cause of global disability. However, little is known about the contribution of mindfulness to treatment effect of Tai Chi practice. Therefore, our purpose was to investigate the effect of Tai Chi mind-body practice compared to physical therapy (PT) on mindfulness in knee OA. Adults with radiographic-confirmed, symptomatic knee OA were randomized to either 12 weeks (twice weekly) of Tai Chi or PT. Participants completed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) before and after intervention along with commonly-used patient-reported outcomes for pain, physical function, and other health-related outcomes. Among 86 participants (74% female, 48% white, mean age 60 years, 85% at least college educated), mean total FFMQ was 142±17. Despite substantial improvements in pain, function, and other health-related outcomes, each treatment group's total FFMQ did not significantly change from baseline (Tai Chi= 0.76, 95% CI: -2.93, 4.45; PT= 1.80, 95% CI: -2.33, 5.93). The difference in total FFMQ between Tai Chi and PT was not significant (-1.04 points, 95% CI: -6.48, 4.39). Mindfulness did not change after Tai Chi or PT intervention in knee OA, which suggests that Tai Chi may not improve health in knee OA through cultivating mindfulness. Further study is needed to identify underlying mechanisms of effective mind-body interventions among people with knee OA.

Tai Chi with mental imagery theory improves soleus H-reflex and nerve conduction velocity in patients with type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVES

Diabetes is a disease that leads to damage to the peripheral nerves which may eventually cause balance instability. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of 8 weeks of Tai Chi (TC) training combined with mental imagery (MI) on soleus H-reflex and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) of the sural and superficial peroneal nerves in people with diabetes.

DESIGNS

Quasi-experimental, one group pretest-posttest design.

SETTING

Human Research Laboratory.

INTERVENTIONS

A series of Yang style of Tai Chi classes with mental imagery, one hour, two sessions per week for 8 weeks was done.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale, Functional Reach Test (FRT), and One Leg Standing Test (OLS) were measured as functional data. Hoffman reflex (H-reflex), and sural and superficial peroneal NCV were measured as main outcomes.

RESULTS

All functional outcomes measures were significantly improved after the intervention (p<0.01). In the H-reflex, there was a significant increase in amplitude (μV) after completing 8 weeks of TC exercise (p=0.02). In the sural nerve, the velocity (p=0.01), amplitude (p=0.01), and latency (p=0.01) were significantly improved between pre and post-test. In the superficial peroneal nerve, significant improvements were observed in (p=0.02) and latency (p=0.01), but not in amplitude (μV) (p>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Combining TC intervention with MI theory showed an improvement in the H-reflex and NCV tests, which suggests improved balance and walking stability.

Self-Care for Nurse Leaders in Acute Care Environment Reduces Perceived Stress: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study Merits Further Investigation

Acute care practice settings are stressful. Nurse leaders face stressful demands of numerous competing priorities. Some nurse leaders experience unmanageable stress, but success requires self-care. This article presents a repeated measures intervention design study using mixed methods to investigate a self-care simple meditation practice for nurse leaders. Themes and subthemes emerged in association with the three data collection points: at baseline (pretest), after 6 weeks, and after 12 weeks (posttest) from introduction of the self-care simple meditation practice. An analysis of variance yielded a statistically significant drop in perceived stress at 6 weeks and again at 12 weeks. Conducting future research is merited.

Effect of Tai Chi Exercise Combined with Mental Imagery Theory in Improving Balance in a Diabetic and Elderly Population

Background

One of the effects of diabetes mellitus (DM), peripheral neuropathy, affects the sensation in the feet and can increase the chance of falling. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of 8 weeks of Tai Chi (TC) training combined with mental imagery (MI) on improving balance in people with diabetes and an age matched control group.

Material/Methods

Seventeen healthy subjects and 12 diabetic sedentary subjects ranging from 40–80 years of age were recruited. All subjects in both groups attended a Yang style of TC class using MI strategies, 2 sessions a week for 8 weeks. Each session was one hour long. Measures were taken using a balance platform test, an Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale, a one leg standing test (OLS), functional reach test (FRT) and hemoglobin A1C. These measures were taken twice, pre and post-study, for both groups.

Results

Both groups experienced significant improvements in ABC, OLS, FRT (P<0.01) after completing 8 weeks of TC exercise with no significant improvement between groups. Subjects using the balance platform test demonstrated improvement in balance in all different tasks with no significant change between groups. There was no significant change in HbA1C for the diabetic group.

Conclusions

All results showed an improvement in balance in the diabetic and the control groups; however, no significant difference between the groups was observed. Since the DM group had more problems with balance impairment at baseline than the control, the diabetic group showed the most benefit from the TC exercise.

Mindfulness may both moderate and mediate the effect of physical fitness on cardiovascular responses to stress: a speculative hypothesis

The psychological construct of mindfulness refers to an awareness that emerges by intentionally paying attention to the present experience in a non-judgmental or evaluative way. This particular quality of awareness has been associated to several indicators of physical and psychological health, and can be developed using mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), and therefore MBIs have been successfully applied as preventive and complementary interventions and therapies in medicine and psychology. Together with quiet sitting and lying meditation practices, mindful physical exercises such as “mindful walking” and “mindful movement” are key elements in MBIs and couple muscular activity with an internally directed focus, improving interoceptive attention to bodily sensations. In addition, MBIs seem to share similar mechanisms with physical fitness (PF) by which they may influence cardiovascular responses to stress. Based on these facts, it is feasible to raise the question of whether physical training itself may induce the development of that particular quality of awareness associated with mindfulness, or if one's dispositional mindfulness (DM) (the tendency to be more mindful in daily life) could moderate the effects of exercise on cardiovascular response to stress. The role of mindfulness as a mediator or moderator of the effect of exercise training on cardiovascular responses to stress has barely been studied. In this study, we have hypothesized pathways (moderation and mediation) by which mindfulness could significantly influence the effects of PF on cardiovascular responses to stress and discussed potential practical ways to test these hypotheses.

A review focused on the psychological effectiveness of tai chi on different populations

As a popular exercise form, Tai Chi (TC) has been investigated to determine its contributions to an active and healthy lifestyle. There are an increasing number of researchers who focus on exploring the potential physiological and psychological benefits of TC but only a few systematic reviews of these benefits to a variety of populations. The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively evaluate the reported psychological benefits associated with practicing TC. Although many investigators have reported possible psychological benefits of TC for children, young adults, older healthy adults, and for a variety of patient populations, many of the reports suffer one or more methodological flaws. These flaws include inadequate study design, including lack of control groups, small sample sizes, unsophisticated statistical techniques, or publication without rigorous peer review. After reviewing the results of the existing literature regarding the potential psychological benefits of TC, we recommend that future investigations be conducted with additional adherence to the traditional scientific process.

Effects of Tai Chi rehabilitation on heart rate responses in patients with coronary artery disease

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a six-month Tai Chi (TC) exercise cardiac rehabilitation program on two prognostic factors of cardiac events, rate-pressure product and rate-pressure product reserve, in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Patients (N = 54) with CAD were recruited from the clinics of cardiology and cardiovascular surgery at a regional hospital in Taiwan. Twenty-two of them enrolled in the TC rehabilitation program which consisted of weekly 90-min sessions of Yang's style TC for six months in addition to receiving usual care. The remaining 32 patients received usual care only. Modified Bruce treadmill exercise test was performed to evaluate their exercise test responses at baseline and at six months. The change over time was significantly different between the TC and control group in peak rate-pressure product (RPP) (interaction between group and time, p = 0.029) and in RPP reserve (interaction between group and time p = 0.009) over the six-month period, there was a decrease in peak RPP of 32.0 mmHg x bpm x 10(-2) and in RPP reserve of 37.4 mmHg x bpm x 10(-2) in the TC group. In conclusion, participating in a six-month TC exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation program was associated with improved peak RPP and RPP reserve during exercise testing in patients with CAD. TC exercise program may lead to a better prognosis for cardiac events in patients with CAD.