ABSTRACT
Rhythm is important because it implies movement. Cooper’s aerobics stimulate both breathing and heart rate long enough to cause beneficial changes in the body. Much of the physical activity in these workshops is inherently aerobic and many of the exercises can be developed to increase aerobic activity. T’ai chi ch’uan is ‘the great ultimate fist’ and a martial art, but internalised and not used for combat. Its free-flowing, rhythmic movements are exercises to harmonise the yin and the yang of the practitioner. The principles of t’ai chi have been practised for centuries, perhaps as early as the third century in China. Today, across East and South-East Asia, public parks are full at dawn and dusk with people following their master in the ritual exercises of t’ai chi to start and finish their days.
