Tai Chi Chuan, Somatics, and Your Brain

Maintaining a Continuous Thread

Applied Neuroscience to Improve Your Tai Chi

A Book Review by Lisa Sack

A must-read for all Tai Chi enthusiasts, no matter what style you practice. John Loupos, a Master of the art, offers his knowledge of Hanna Somatic Education (HSE) to help Tai Chi-ers elevate their practice to the highest possible level. His premise: unconscious, acquired postural habits follow us into our Tai Chi, limiting our range of motion and ability to sense our body. Complementary practices like HSE, a system of neuromuscular re-education, can reverse those habits and deliver the fluidity, rootedness, and sure-footedness we seek so that we reap the health benefits of Tai Chi.

This book is chockablock with somatic exercises to refine your ability to self-sense, and integrate this awareness into your Tai Chi practice. John is an ideal personal coach to develop bodily competence. His exuberance, wit, intelligence, and care abound on each page. As a fellow Hanna Somatic Educator and Tai Chi enthusiast, I can’t wait to put his suggestions into my own practice. And don't skip the reflections at the book’s end; each is a tiny gem of wisdom on what it means to live a life informed by the ethical and spiritual dimensions of Tai Chi. 

May you practice confidently and competently!

For more information:

John Loupos – jadeforest@comcast.net