Wisconsin Tai Chi Academy’s founder and head instructor, Sifu Ray Gates, is one of several authors of a recent paper discussing the benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong for children, published in the current edition of The Journal of Taiji Science.

Led by Kutztown University’s CJ Rhodes, the paper discusses the results of a mixed method investigation into the benefits and programs of Tai Chi and Qigong (TCQ) for children ranging in ages from 3 to 19, for a variety of health challenges and outcomes. Gates was one of several Tai Chi instructors invited to co-author the paper based on his work in advocating for children and young adults to take up Tai Chi and Qigong for its immediate and lifelong health and wellness benefits.

“We continue to have a misunderstanding that Tai Chi is geared towards older people,” Gates said. “But there is a wealth of evidence out there which shows Tai Chi and Qigong can have significant benefits for children, not just in terms of their physical health, but for mental and emotional health, as well as social health like managing the pressures of school and other things occuring in childrens, teens and young adult lives.”

Gates and his co-contributors hope efforts such as this will help promote existing and new programs to younger people, and educate the public on the overall benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong.

The full paper can be found on The Journal of Taiji Science’s website: https://www.wtsf.org/ojs/index.php/jts/en/article/view/49