太极拳的八大“活性成分”

太极拳的八大“活性成分”

The active ingredients of tai chi

当哈佛医学院《太极导论》的医学编辑彼得·韦恩开始对太极拳的健康益处进行科学研究时，他就注意到太极拳不仅以一种方式进行，而是还以多种方式来展开。 虽然大多数药物具有单一活性成分，但是他发现太极拳更像是使用不同成分产生多种效果的几种药物组合。

When Peter M. Wayne, medical editor of Introduction to Tai Chi from Harvard Medical School, began conducting scientific studies on the health benefits of tai chi, he began noticing that tai chi works in a variety of ways, not just one. Whereas most drugs have a single active ingredient, he observed that tai chi was more like a multidrug combination that uses different components to produce a variety of effects.

八种活性成分

韦恩提出了太极拳的“八种活性成分”的概念，他和他的同事们目前正在用这8个概念作为初步框架来助力评估太极拳的临床效果，探索产生这些效果的潜在机制，并整理太极在培训临床试验参与者（以及师资）中的教学方式。

He formulated the idea of the 'eight active ingredients' of tai chi, which he and his colleagues now use as a conceptual framework to help evaluate the clinical benefits of tai chi, explore the underlying mechanisms that produce these effects, and shape the way tai chi is taught to participants in clinical trials (and to teachers).

虽然不同样式的太极拳各有侧重、风格不同，但这些治疗因素是相互交织和协同的。下面是其中一种活性成分的总结。

While different styles of tai chi emphasize different ingredients, these therapeutic factors are interwoven and synergistic. Here's a summary of one of the active ingredients.

结构协调

太极将身体视为一个相互联系的完整系统，而不是将其分割为一个个的不同部分。因此，练习太极拳时，你不会这次针对肱二头肌单独进行锻炼，下次再单独锻炼臀部肌肉。

Structural integration. Tai chi looks at the body as an interconnected system, not as a collection of individual parts. As a result, when practicing tai chi, you won't do one exercise for your biceps and another for your glutes.

相反，太极将上半身与下半身合为一体（上下相随），右侧与左侧合为一体（左右对称），末梢与中心融为一体。协同和身法是这种整劲协同的一部分，太极训练是帮助你找到不但动作优雅而且安全自然的运动路线。这样，行动就会更加高效——不只是在练习太极拳的时候，而且是在整个一天之内都富有效率。这种调整的结果就是减少了关节的压力和负荷，并获得了更好的平衡能力。

Instead, tai chi integrates the upper body with the lower body, the right side with the left side, and the extremities with the core. Alignment and posture are part of this structural integration, and tai chi trains you to find alignments that are safe and unstrained, allowing you to perform graceful movements. You move more efficiently—not just during your tai chi practice, but throughout your day. The result is less stress and load on your joints and better balance.

同样，改善姿势的益处远远超出了太极课程的范围之外。当你走路或坐着，肩膀紧致，屈身俯卧时，很难进行深呼吸。但是，当你伸直背部（含胸拔背）时，松开肩膀，敞开胸部，呼吸就会更深、更有效。这种调整不仅可以提高你的运动能力，更可以颐养你的身心健康。两项独立的研究都显示，实验过程中坐立行走身体中正直立的人比身体松懈的人拥有更良好的健康状态。

Similarly, improved posture has benefits that extend well beyond your tai chi class. When you walk or sit with your shoulders rounded and your torso hunched over, it is hard to take deep breaths. But when you straighten your back, roll your shoulders back and down, and open your chest, you breathe more deeply and efficiently. Not only does this integration improve your ability to move without pain, but it also affects your mental health. In two different studies, people who sat or walked more upright during the experiments had a more positive outlook afterward than those who slouched while sitting or walking.

（吴西顺 译）

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