Professor Yulong Yang, who attended the Harvard session, shared a generous reflection on the experience — describing the approach as a “completely fresh perspective on the principles and therapeutic benefits of traditional Chinese Qigong and Tai Chi”; and “an elevation of traditional Chinese healing and martial arts philosophy within the context of modern civilization.”

On April 30, our 2024 randomized controlled trial on virtually delivered Tai Chi, Qigong, and meditation for chronic low back pain — among the top-scoring submissions to the conference —was presented at The Science of Tai Chi and Qigong as Whole Person Health at Harvard Medical School. The trial, published in the North American Spine Society Journal, followed 350 adults across twelve weeks and demonstrated clinically and statistically significant improvement in pain-related disability, pain intensity, and overall quality of life, with statistically significant improvement in sleep quality.

And why that is exactly the point

There is a dimension of Tai Chi that solo practice cannot reach. Push Hands (推手) trains you to sense, absorb, and redirect a partner's force with minimum effort while maintaining your own center. Listening begins through contact and, with practice, grows into reading a partner's energy through subtle cues even before touch. At camp, practicing with partners of different levels and sizes, under close guidance, enhances what you have developed and teaches your body in ways solo training alone cannot accomplish.

How letting go unlocks healing

"Last week I walked 15,000 steps through Central Park. For a few days, I forgot I ever had pain." — WaQi spine class member and patient of Dr. Roger Härtl, Weill Cornell

At the root of healing is one principle: 松 sōng — release. Not collapsing, but a strong, naturally aligned skeleton with engaged but softened, relaxed muscles. Engage only what is necessary. Let go of the rest. When tension blocks flow: pain, poor sleep, and impaired balance often follow. 松 addresses all three at the root.

The art of minimum effort for maximum results
四两拨千斤 (Sì liǎng bō qiān jīn)

Tai Chi has a famous saying: “Four ounces can move a thousand pounds.” It sounds mysterious, even impossible—until you experience it.

This principle is not about being weak or passive. It is about efficiency: meeting a challenge with the right amount of effort, at the right time, in the right place. When your body is organized and your mind is clear, a small action can create a powerful result.

The Quiet Power of Doing Less
无为 (Wúwéi): Conserve Energy for Healing and Well-Being

Chinese New Year, the Year of the Horse, invites a reset. Each year, many of us respond to a new beginning by adding more—new goals, new plans, new commitments. This year, however, we might begin differently. Instead of adding, we reduce what is unnecessary.

Chinese Grandmother Wisdom for Protecting Qi in Winter

When cold weather arrives, many people notice their back pain returning—or worsening. This is not a coincidence.

In Chinese medicine, there is a well-known principle: “Cold causes contraction; contraction causes pain.” (寒则凝，凝则痛）

Small Neglect vs. Small Daily Practice

We often think of health as something we lose suddenly—after an illness, an injury, or a major life event. What I’ve learned in recent years is more subtle, and more unsettling:

December’s theme in our back pain class is core strength—a vital key to both relieving and preventing pain. In our 2024 study, participants in our Tai Chi–based program saw significant improvements in pain, disability, sleep, and quality of life. A major reason for the study’s success was the deep, functional training rooted in traditional Tai Chi and Qigong.

This November, we're exploring how balance and back pain are deeply connected—and how Tai Chi and Qigong can address both simultaneously.

Thank you for reading Grandmaster Yang’s blog at https://www.waqi.health.

Thank you for reading Grandmaster Yang’s blog at https://www.waqi.health.

Thank you for reading Grandmaster Yang’s blog at https://www.waqi.health.

Thank you for reading Grandmaster Yang’s blog at https://www.waqi.health.