Working in Movement

They Call It Meditation in Motion, but Does Tai Chi Heal Ills? reports that though some tai chi practitioners report health benefits, attempts scientifically study the effects have been inconclusive and not definitive. The article almost takes an investors eye to toward the so called alternative health practices like tai chi and qigong; is your health better served with tai chi or aerobics or swimming? What's the better return on your investment of time?

Such attempts to measure the effects of these sort of practices misses an important point. Namely, benefits from tai chi or Feldenkrais, Alexander or whatever are largely indirect, the product of long-term commitment to practice. They are side effects; the practice itself is the main event. And it is not so much the practice itself as it is the principles behind the disciplines that yield a better life. If you're going to come anywhere near mastering any of these disciplines, you'll need to pay attention to the processes involved and not worry about the results. That's pretty tough in the end-gaining culture we're all exposed to from a very early age. It is in questioning the assumptions behind this culture and synthesizing alternatives to it that the real value lies.

How can you measure such a thing with a six-step scientific approach?