I first learned about the concept of “body signals” from my teaching partner (and certified nutritional advisor), Carole Taylor. Carole uses “body signals” with her health clients to make sure they are on the right track to getting the proper nutrition for health and longevity.

Carole says that your body sends you clear and easy signals that tell you if you’ve eaten properly. Most people, however, don’t know to look for these signals, or how to interpret them if they receive them.

Well, your body does the same thing when you practice Tai Chi and Qigong, and you have to know how to look for these signals. Specifically, your body signals the effects of your Tai Chi through (1) your energy level, (2) your mental reactions, and (3) your emotional reactions.

Be aware though that, unlike food-based reactions, which happen generally within 1 to 2 hours of eating, Tai Chi and Qigong-based reactions can sometimes actually take longer. While some people experience signals during or immediately after practice, it’s not unusual for there to be a “delay effect” of several hours up to a full day in body signals from Tai Chi and Qigong.

For example, one of our students who had numerous physical problems once told us his peak always occurred about three hours after practice. “I don’t know what it is, but I just feel great after about three hours,” he said, despite having constant pain from a hip injury. “The pain just seems to disappear and stays gone for several hours. I’ve never had that happen before.”

This delay effect has been identified by psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), which studies how the nervous system, endocrine system, and immune system interact. PNI has also studied how these systems interact through chemicals that are released by practices like Tai Chi and Qigong.

Generally, these systems interact through chemical secretions, including a variety of chemicals known as “neuropeptides”. According to the late Robert Anton Wilson, Ph.D., “Since neuropeptides travel through virtually all body fluids (blood, lymph, cerebrospinal fluid, etc.) as well as between neurons, the neuropeptide system acts more slowly but more holistically than the central nervous system.”

What this means is that while the effects of practice may be happening “during” practice, your brain may delayed in getting the “signals” from these effects. So in looking for body signals from your Tai Chi practice, make sure you pay attention to how you feel over a 2 to 24 hour period after practice. Check your energy level, look for how mentally sharp your thinking appears, and notice any feelings of happiness or well-being.

Most people find that there will be a “peak” in these body signals somewhere during the 24 hours after practice. And if you practice at the same time each day, often times you’ll notice that the peak will occur at the same time each day as well.

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