The ancient Chinese art of Tai Chi, or taijiquan, is now quite well known. Its slow, graceful movements are readily recognizable. Yet other than this, what taijiquan is and what it does are not so well known.

This book brings together the stories of a number of people from different parts of the world who practise Taoist Tai Chi™ taijiquan and other Taoist Tai Chi™ internal arts of health. They talk about their reasons for taking up these practices and about the benefits they have gained from them. These benefits are not only physical but also spiritual and social. Many have experienced a significant change of attitude, not only towards their own health, but also to other people, society and life in general.

These arts of health are thus not just a set of moves or exercise techniques. They are an activity of the International Taoist Tai Chi Society located in more than 25 countries around the world. This community is the context in which those benefits are nurtured and experienced.

Ranging across a wide variety of people from Australia, Europe, Canada and the US, from the youngish to older, and from those who are healthy to those who are not but who are trying to recover their health, this book is an inspiring collection of stories about the experience of practising these arts and being a member of the International Taoist Tai Chi Society in their home country, or a participant in one of its health recovery programs.

Based largely on interviews conducted in Canada, it is probably the first study of a group of Taoists and taijiquan practitioners outside China.