As a foodie, I enjoy sugar and carbs with reckless abandon. As a student juggling the high stress of our modern lifestyle with school, bills and family pressures, I need a way to get healthy and deal with the mounting stress.

For America, exercise is the key to weight loss and stress reduction. On my own, time and energy for exercise proves elusive.

Eating less is not an option. Clearly, increasing my physical activity must occur, lest I succumb to stress and more unwanted weight. I realized if my exercise related directly to my academic schedule and affected my grade point average, I would be without excuses to avoid exercise. So I took a Tai chi class at the SRJC.

I have always admired the martial arts practitioners, their feats of speed, agility and skill with leaps, rolls and jumps to say nothing of their blazing hand eye coordination.

Tai chi in soft form is a slow moving activity you often see old people doing in a park. It’s not as difficult to learn as Jujitsu or Aikido nor is it as demanding or punishing as Karate or Judo.

Tai chi has proven itself to be the best option for improving my health and managing my stress. The added bonus of not being boring or mindless like using a treadmill is a plus.

In fact, Tai chi is a simple series of movements but it takes a lifetime to master. These movements incorporate elements of timed breathing, shifting balance and changing tempo to achieve a state of being that is deliberate, yet at ease. It can only be achieved after practice, practice and more practice.

While practicing Tai chi I received the exercise I was looking for. The difficulty can be increased as much as you like, becoming a real challenge. The stance works your legs using muscles that non-martial artists don’t develop. The act of holding your arms out for a continued period of time while concentrating on form strengthens the core and builds stamina. Its low impact and moments of high-energy release keep it fun. The deep breathing oxygenates the mind, enriches the spirit and enables the body to perform its functions with higher efficiency.

Beyond exercise, I think of Tai chi as moving meditation. Concentrating on movement, breath and balance moment to moment is a welcome diversion from my daily stress.

I contemplated how deep meditative breathing can be like the waves of an ocean, cleansing the cratered beach of our lives, each outgoing breath taking a bit of stress with it, the way waves can wash out a sand bar.

With each session, Tai chi leaves me with a grounded and serene outlook as I continue my day granting me clarity of mind and a balanced spirit that allow me to stand firm while I reach for a better tomorrow.