Subjective Experiences of Older Adults Practicing Taiji and Qigong

Abstract

This article presents a qualitative study following a 6-month Taiji (T'ai Chi)/Qigong (Ch'i Kung) intervention for older adults. The researchers conducted in-depth interviews of eight selected participants who elected to continue practicing Taiji after the intervention ended, in order to explore their subjective experiences of Taiji's effects and their motivations for continuing to practice. We created a Layers Model to capture the significance and meaning of the multidimensionality of their reported experiences. Participants not only reported simple benefits along five dimensions of experience (physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual) but also described complex multidimensional experiences. Overall findings indicate that participants derived a very wide variety of perceived benefits, the most meaningful being a felt sense of body-mind-spirit integration. Our results support the important role of qualitative studies in researching the effects of Taiji and Qigong.

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SAGE-Hindawi Access to Research
Journal of Aging Research
Volume 2011, Article ID 650210, 11 pages
doi:10.4061/2011/650210
Research Article
Subjective Experiences of
Older Adults Practicing Taiji and Qigong
Yan g Yan g, 1, 2 Sharon DeCelle,3Mike Reed,4Karl Rosengren,5
Robert Schlagal,6and Jennifer Greene7
1Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
2Center for Taiji & Qigong Studies, P.O. Box 308, NY 10028, USA
3319 S. Randolph Street, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
41104 West Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61821-4516, USA
5Department of Cognitive Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
6College of Education, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608, USA
7College of Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 230C Education Building, 1310 S. 6th Street,
Champaign, IL 61820, USA
Correspondence should be addressed to Yang Yang, yyang5@illinois.edu
Received 11 March 2011; Accepted 14 April 2011
Academic Editor: J. Woo
Copyright © 2011 Yang Yang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License,
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
This article presents a qualitative study following a 6-month Taiji (T’ai Chi)/Qigong (Ch’i Kung) intervention for older adults.
The researchers conducted in-depth interviews of eight selected participants who elected to continue practicing Taiji after the
intervention ended, in order to explore their subjective experiences of Taiji’s effects and their motivations for continuing to practice.
We created a Layers Model to capture the significance and meaning of the multidimensionality of their reported experiences.
Participants not only reported simple benefits along five dimensions of experience (physical, mental, emotional, social and
spiritual) but also described complex multidimensional experiences. Overall findings indicate that participants derived a very
wide variety of perceived benefits, the most meaningful being a felt sense of body-mind-spirit integration. Our results support the
important role of qualitative studies in researching the effects of Taiji and Qigong.
1. Introduction
Over the past 20 years, Taiji has emerged as a popular and
much-researched exercise intervention, especially for older
adult populations. Although most Taiji research has inves-
tigated physical effects, many studies have reported positive
findings for both psychological and physical function. Most
of the studies that have evaluated psychological benefits have
used a quantitative approach and standardized psychological
measures, with significant positive effects noted in a variety
of areas assessed, including improved quality of life/mood
[1–5]; reduction in perceived stress and pain [6–9]; increased
self-efficacy [2,10,11]; reduced fear of falls and increased
balance confidence [12–15]; enhanced immune response
[16–18].
Although not all Taiji studies report on the continuance
rates for participants at the end of a Taiji intervention, those
that do report high levels of subsequent adherence. Wolf
et al.’s [13] study cited a continuance rate of over 50%.
In the Wenneberg et al. [19] study, 9 of 16 participants
continued Qigong. In their study of patients with chronic
heart failure, Yeh et al. [4] reported that 14 of 15 participants
planned to continue Taiji. Two studies cited higher exercise
continuance with Taiji compared to a control group, either
an aerobic exercise group [20] or a home exercise group
[21]. Other studies reported low drop-out rates for Taiji
classes. Gavin and Myers [22]reported,“Itisnoteworthy
that tracking for three years, the drop-out rate for the
ongoing Taiji (community) class was only 34%, considerably
lower than the 46–52% dropout rate for more traditional

2 Journal of Aging Research
exercise classes” (page 137). In a 6-month post-intervention
follow-up study, Li et al. [23] reported that more than 50%
of a previously sedentary sample had remained physically
active. The Gavin and Myers [22] study also reported a
high continuance rate: of the 107 people who had enrolled
in a beginning Taiji class and were tracked over a 1-year
period, 67% said they planned to enroll in a subsequent class.
This decision of participants to continue practicing Taiji
or Qigong after an intervention has ended is an important
finding that has not been addressed. Such a trend is of
interest, because sedentary lifestyles are a major public
health concern; a majority of Americans do not engage in
recommended levels of physical activity despite decades of
research showing its benefits [24,25].
These low drop-out and high continuance reports sup-
port the premise that Taiji elicits an unusually positive
response in participants, yet, despite many calls for research
that investigates the role of subjective experience and
meaning regarding older people and exercise [26], very few
studies have used interviews to gather subjective information
regarding participants’ responses to Taiji. The importance
of a sense of carryover of Taiji into everyday life and/or
a wide range of perceived benefits has been alluded to in
several studies. By asking six questions to generate binary
outcome variables, Kutner et al. [27] found that both
their intervention (Taiji) group and their control (balance
training) group reported increased confidence in balance
and movement, but only the Taiji participants reported
effects in daily activities and overall life. Wenneberg et al.
[19] conducted semistructured interviews to examine the
subjective experiences of patients with muscular dystrophy
who practiced Qigong. Using a computer program, they
coded their data into six categories that included three
categories of perceived benefits: mental/stress reduction
effects, increased body awareness and physical effects, and
psychosocial effects of group training. They reported that
one third of the patients described very positive results;
another third reported moderate benefits in relaxation and
stress reduction; the final third experienced minor effects. In
conclusion, they noted
The most prominent finding ... is the wide
variation of experience and perceived effects
among participants ... [the] blending together
of mental and physical methods may in part
explain the wide range of experienced benefits
(page 593).
Docker [28] interviewed seven older participants in
community Tai Chi clubs in Northern England. Her findings
showed participants reported “a variety of physical and
mental benefits” as well as “intriguing special effects ... of
a spiritual or mystical nature” concluding that “practicing
(tai chi) may be attractive to older people not only because
of its suitability as a moderate intensity exercise ... but also
because it may fulfill other social, emotional, developmental
or spiritual needs” (page 114-115).
The purpose of the present study was to further inves-
tigate the subjective experiences of older participants who
elected to continue practicing Taiji on their own after our
intervention ended. Our study was small and the focus
narrow. Our intent was an exploration of respondents’
personal experiences of Taiji in order to gain understanding
of the perceived effects and motivations that empowered
them to continue practice: just what were they experiencing
during the six-month study that influenced them to keep
practicing Taiji after the intervention was over?
2. Method
2.1. Taiji Intervention Participation. Taiji (T’ai Chi)/Qigong
(Ch’i Kung) are complex practices that have existed for many
centuries in China. Traditionally, the purpose of pursuing
these practices is to unify the mind, body, and spirit in
order to move toward greater harmony with oneself and
the environment, and thus toward improved health and
functioning [29,30]. A complete traditional Taiji curriculum
includes Qigong (standing, sitting, lying down meditation,
and simple movements, all with an emphasis on meditation),
Form (the classic movements that are the familiar hallmark
of Taiji), and Push-hands (two-person dynamic training, the
“martial art” application of Taiji) [30,31]. We did not have
adequate time to include Push-hands due to the limitations
of the 6-month time frame. Three one-hour classes per week
were designed and taught by Yang Yang with three of his
long-term students assisting.
We began with two dynamic Qigong exercises (Heaven
and Earth Open and Close and Lower the Qi and Cleanse
Internally) and with static sitting and standing Qigong
meditation. We gradually increased the amount of static
sitting and standing practice, until by the 13th week of the
study participants were completing one 10-minute sitting
and two 10-minute standing meditations each class.
Form work was comprised of 7 movements taken from
the Chen Style 48-Movement Form distilled by Grandmaster
Feng Zhiqiang. The intention was to create a form that
was short and thus easy to remember and yet engaged a
wide range of motion of the entire body and incorporated
weight shifts and stepping in all directions. Movements were
also selected for their adaptability and accessibility, as it was
deemed essential that participants be able to enter the study
at nearly any level of physical ability and experience progress.
The seven movements are Preparatory Form, Lazy About
Tying Coat, Fist Under Elbow, Step Back and Whirl Arms on
Both Sides, Part Horse’s Mane, Wave Hands Through Clouds,
and Close. The fundamental skills of Taiji—relaxation, align-
ment, footwork, efficiency, coordination, accuracy of force
production, and control—were emphasized, and parallels
were drawn to daily activities. We gradually included more
information about integrating mind and spirit into the
practice, stressing the importance of a tranquil, peaceful
mind and a light and happy spirit in nurturing the body’s
vital energy. Traditional Chinese music [32]wasplayed
during classes to help cultivate tranquility.
2.2. Methodological Framework. In designing this study, our
hope was that through open-ended, in-depth interviews, we
would gain insights into the nature of the experiences that

Journal of Aging Research 3
led to respondents’ ongoing commitment to Taiji practice.
Our methodology is grounded in social constructionism
[33,34]. In this framework, it is the meaning that individuals
construct their lived experiences that are assumed to shape
and guide human action, and so social inquiry is appropri-
ately focused on understanding these meanings. Because the
interpretive reconstruction of meanings depends, in part, on
who is the listener, our aim was to offer a keenly interested
ear and to encourage a full telling of participants’ Taiji
experiences, while muting our own views and perceptions as
much as possible [35,36].
2.3. Sampling. At the end of our six-month quantitative
Taiji intervention [15,18], we purposefully selected and
obtained written informed consent from a sample of eight
“information-rich cases” [37, page 231]. These were subjects
who were continuing Taiji classes on their own, and who,
during the six-month study, were observed to be verbally
enthusiastic and articulate about their participation. The
rationale for selecting these participants was to maximize
the potential richness of the interview information to be
obtained [37]. The study was approved by the institutional
review board of the University of Illinois.
2.4. Interviews. The interviews were semistructured using
the general interview guide approach [37, page 342–344] as
a framework. We began each interview with an invitation to
tell the story of their Taiji experience; subsequent questions
and probes pursued participant motivations for joining the
class, experiences during the class, and any reported changes
in aspects of daily life and general health and well-being.
An assistant Taiji teacher (Reed) and a physical therapist
who was also a Taiji student (DeCelle), each, conducted
four interviews. Conversations of 60- to 90-minutes were
recorded in the interviewees’ homes and then transcribed.
2.5. Analysis. In designing our analysis, we were influenced
by a series of dialogues we had conducted with Taiji
participants in a 2000 pilot study; results from this suggested
a broad five-category model of physical, mental, emotional,
social, and spiritual benefits from Taiji participation. We
elected to start with these five descriptive categories as an
initial framework for organizing and coding the interviews
as they seemed to capture the key elements from our pilot
study and from other studies (e.g., [19,28]), as well as being
congruent with the work of Spirduso, 1994 [38].
Following an initial reading of all of the interviews, the
three members of the coding team (Yang, DeCelle, Reed)
ranked the interviews in terms of information richness [37]
and began coding with the richest interview. The process
began with each coder independently assigning each data
segment (phrase, sentence, or passage) to the appropri-
ate dimension of experience—physical, mental, emotional,
social, or spiritual. We then met to agree on a group coding.
After completing the group coding of the first interview,
we went on to the next interview, repeating this process of
individual then group coding. After completing the coding
of the first four interviews, we used the data from these four
to create an interpretive model.
Our five dimensions—physical, mental, emotional,
social, and spiritual—were initially conceived as “fuzzy” cat-
egories [39], and so it was assumed that there might be some
overlapping assignments of the data. Yet, we were surprised
to discover that the vast majority of the data segments
required multiple-dimension assignment (e.g., physical and
mental; emotional, social, and spiritual) in order to fully
capture their meaning. We then created a horizontal table
of the 31 mathematically possible categories (e.g., possible
combinations of the five dimensions) and arranged all the
data in this table in order to search for themes in each of the
31 categories. Upon detailed examination and comparison
of the contents of the statements in each category, we found
that the multidimensionality of the data seemed to be their
most dominant and meaningful characteristic. The number
of dimensions characterizing the data segments appeared
to emerge as a more compelling story of the meaning
of participants’ experiences than a listing of exactly which
categories were involved, or even of exactly what was said
in each category. The meaning of the data came into focus
when we began to look at it in terms of investigating the
meaning of its surprisingly substantial multidimensionality.
Our interpretive framework emerged directly from this
“discovery”.
Because all the three coders had practiced Taiji, in order
to minimize possible interpretive bias, we then had an
experienced outside qualitative researcher (Greene) with no
previous Taiji experience examine our data and findings to
give objective input and feedback. After re-analyzing and
fine-tuning our model, lastly, we went back and coded the
remaining four interviews as a form of both multiplicative
and structural corroboration of our findings [40,41].
3. Results
3.1. Interpretive Framework. We created the Layers Model
as a way to capture the meaning of the multidimension-
ality of respondents’ statements. The model is based on
the overlapping of the five dimensions—physical, mental,
emotional, social, spiritual—and how they combine to create
five overlapping layers of one-, two-, three-, four-, and
five-dimensional statements. Upon reviewing the substantive
content of all of the statements contained in each layer, the
Layers Model evolved from a descriptive representation of
the material in each layer to a “prototype” model that offers a
conceptual framework for examining the collective meaning
of the statements in each layer.
We combined the four- and five-dimensional statements
into one layer, Layer 4, to reframe the model as a continuum
representing four increasingly complex layers of experience.
Layer 1 (Simple Benefits). Statements that reference a single-
dimension. These comments describe physical or mental
effects that often were related to the interviewees’ original
motivations for joining the study.

4 Journal of Aging Research
Layer 2 (Complex Benefits). Statements that reference two
dimensions. In this layer, benefits begin to carry over into
everyday life, and the interviewees express the beginnings of
improved mind-body connection and an increase in general
self-awareness.
Layer 3 (Immersion). Statements that reference three dimen-
sions. In this layer, there is expression of increasingly signif-
icant carryover of benefits into everyday activities and there
is a clearly expressed mind-body connection with associated
positive emotions. The interviewees report that Taiji begins
to permeate the way they think and feel about themselves;
they report a more positive attitude and significant changes
in self-confidence and self-concept.
Layer 4 (Complex Integration). Statements that reference
four- and/or five-dimensions. In this layer, interviewees
express experiencing Taiji as an opportunity and a tool to
grow and nurture themselves; they describe a sense of a
complex mind-body-spirit connection and most report a
conscious sense of a more integrated spirituality.
We then created a Layers Diagram as a visual represen-
tation of the Layers Model. It shows the overlapping of the
layers and the progression from the lightly shaded single-
category statements in the outer Layer One, to the slightly
darker double-category statements of Layer Two, the more
darkly shaded triple-category statements of Layer Three, and
finally the four and five category statements in the darkest
shaded Layer Four center of the figure. Tab l e 1 shows the
relationship between the initial 31 possible categories, the
Layers Model and the Layers Diagram.
This representation seems obvious in retrospect, but was
actually a “Eureka!-” like realization when it finally emerged
at the very end of our analytic process. We believe it provides
a parsimonious way of visualizing the entire project and thus
of mapping all the data and our interpretive understanding
of it.
Because, in qualitative studies, the goal is to construct
an interpretation that resonates with the participants’ own
interpretations of their experiences [42], in order to establish
the credibility of our interpretations, we conducted a formal
“member check” [36]. Each of the interviewees (seven of
the eight as one was deceased at that point) was asked
to read this account and comment on the accuracy of
our interpretations. Each participant expressed unqualified
agreement that this is an accurate representation of her/his
experiences and their meaningfulness.
3.2. Participants. What follows is a brief description of the
participants and their initial motivations for doing Taiji.
(Specific demographic details have been omitted to safeguard
confidentiality. Interviewees selected their own aliases for
the quotation section.) At the time of the study, all eight
interviewees were retired, aged 82, 82, 79, 79, 75, 74, 70, and
67. One was male. Seven were college graduates including
four with advanced degrees, and one was a high school
graduate. Six were of moderately high and two of moderate
socioeconomic status. Four lived in a senior retirement
community, and four in their own homes; four lived with
spouses, and four lived alone. All were motivated to join the
intervention for physical reasons (1) one with moderately
severe back pain that limited her activities of daily living
(ADL’s) and generated problems with sleeping; (2) one with
long-standing back pain and severe arthritis, along with
a feeling of not having much more time “left”; (3) one
with limitations in various ADL’s including gardening and
dressing, self-described as “beginning to feel like an old
lady”; (4) another self-described as never having been very
physical and worried about “losing touch with my body”; (5)
one with hip and knee pain secondary to arthritis “that was
getting pretty painful” who was “hoping to get stronger and
get moving again”; (6) one primarily for gait issues related
to balance and strength, “I was beginning to stumble when I
walked and I thought this might help”; (7) one self-described
as having become “fairly sedentary” and thought “it might
be a way to get moving again without causing problems with
my knees and shoulders”; (8) another with “problems with
my legs, especially my knees”.
3.3. Experiences of Taiji and Qigong. In this section we
present interview data within the Layers Model.
Layer 1 (Simple Benefits). In Layer 1, interviewees report
simple changes stemming from their practice of Taiji.
These are single-category statements. These reported changes
typically refer to a physical benefit that was related to the
individual’s primary motivation for participation in the
study.
My balance was already pretty good but I could
still see an improvement. Climbing stairs—I
know I said on the questionnaire “yes, I’m
confident about it.” Still ... now I feel more
... confident ... balance has improved ... my
strength has improved. (Jamie)
Positive changes in physical function were reported by all.
Helga made it clear that physical benefits do not have to be
dramatic for useful improvement to be noted.
I realize at my age that deterioration is setting
in .... I think if you’re just holding your own,
you’re lucky .... I fatigue a lot easier, sooner
.... I can realize I’m losing ground on that, and
yet .... It has helped ... not a pie-in-the-sky
sort of thing ‘cause my arthritis is continuing to
deteriorate in my knees, but I find that I have
more strength in my legs and better balance.
Positive changes in strength and balance were cited by
seven of the eight. (The one exception reported no initial
strength or balance deficits.)
In the beginning (doing the Qigong) some of the
muscles in my legs would really, really hurt ...
and now I can’t make it hurt anymore ... and

Journal of Aging Research 5
Tab le 1: Layers diagram, Layers Model, possible category combinations.
Layers Model Possible statement category
combinations∗Layers diagram
PSimple benefits diagram
M
Layer 1 (five possible single-category statements) E
So
Sp
P+M
Complex benefits diagram
P+E
P+So
P+Sp
Layer 2 (10 possible double-category statements) M + E
M+So
M+Sp
E+So
E+Sp
So + Sp
P+M+E
Immersion diagram
P+M+So
P+M+Sp
P+E+So
Layer 3 (10 possible triple-category statements) P + E + Sp
P+So+Sp
M+E+So
M+E+Sp
M+So+Sp
E+So+Sp
P+M+E+So Complex integration diagram
P+M+E+Sp
Layer 4 (5 possible four-category statements) and
one possible five-category statement
P+E+So+Sp
P+M+So+Sp
M+E+So+Sp
P+M+E+So+Sp

6 Journal of Aging Research
Tab le 1: Continued.
Layers Model Possible statement category
combinations∗Layers diagram
All four layers All Statements in all 31 categories
Full layers diagram
∗Statement categories: P: physical; M: mental; E: emotional; So: social; Sp: spiritual.
I’m standing three times as long .... Now I can
put my socks and jeans on just like I always used
to, standing up instead of sitting down. (Grace)
You learn to stand on one foot, and I can do that
so much better now. Believe it or not, I couldn’t
do it all before. (Arlene)
Pain relief was another issue motivating participation;
improvement was noted by seven of the eight (the eighth
reported no initial pain), especially Jamie. “I’m at the point
where I don’t have any pain ...and I’m back to being as active
as I was. Quickness is back—I don’t have to be slow and
careful.” Improved flexibility was noted by three respondents,
for example, “I was having stiffness getting in and out of bed,
and I don’t have that anymore. I mean I can just roll over and
roll out of bed, everything’s fine now” (Ruth).
This layer also contained some benefits coded as mental,
with four participants reporting improved ability to concen-
trate.
Layer 2 (Complex Benefits). In Layer 2, interviewees express
their sense of the benefits of Taiji in a more complex
way, mostly combining the mental and physical dimensions.
All the interviewees reported a carryover of benefits into
everyday life. “I go up the stairs better. I’m very aware of
where my feet are ...before, I don’t think I really knew where
my feet were unless I was looking” (Anna).
Because of Taiji you are more aware of how you
stand, how you sit, how you move .... It has
really helped me ... in the daily things I want to
get done and being more focused; and of course
the more focused you are, the better it goes, the
better job you do, and the quicker you get it
done .... Let’s say I’m in the kitchen preparing
ameal... it goes much smoother and it’s easier.
In other words everyday things are better, easier.
(Grace)
Increased relaxation and calmness were also mentioned
by all eight as valuable and useful effects. In this double-
category layer, interviewees also talked about more inher-
ently complex issues such as energy level and sleep.
Ihavemoreenergy.... The Taiji practice
continues to keep my energy level up higher
than it would be otherwise, certainly higher than
it was. I’m able to do more than I used to and do
whatIusedtodomoreeasily.(Grace)
Jamie reported that, “My sleep is better ....Ilovethefull
night’s sleep ....I used to wake up at 3:00 every morning and
couldn’t go back to sleep ...now it’s fine.”
Respondents described experiencing the beginning of a
body-mind connection from different perspectives.
You know, early on, in the Qigong ... I had this
mental picture of these endorphins that go to
your brain and make you feel better after you
exercise, so I would be sitting there thinking,
“OK you little endorphin, go down to that knee,
work yourself in there and make yourself at
home.” I tried to send them to various parts
of my body, and after a while, I could feel it.
(Helga)
A number of physical-mental category statements relate
to an increased awareness of a heightened mind-body
connection.
I’ve become much more aware of my body
.... I’ve observed muscles loosening up that I
probably couldn’t have identified as even being
there before ... they stay relaxed more ... and
I’m usually aware of when they start to tense up,
and I can “untense” them. (Anna)
The greatest thing ... is becoming aware of my
body. It has really helped my posture. I can tell
now when I’m slumping—it just doesn’t feel
right. (Sally)

Journal of Aging Research 7
Every time I do the Qigong I have this rush
of heat going through my body—it amazed me
the first time it happened. I imagine my blood
going through ...I relax the muscles because I’m
thinking I want the blood to have lots of space
for flowing through ... it’s using your mind to
connect more clearly to the body. (Jaime)
A sense of improvement in functional ability was fre-
quently expressed along with a positive emotional response
to the perceived physical improvement.
It is amazing how much everyone in the group
has improved on that one leg standing, and it
makes people feel so good that they can do that!
I remember when we were first tested and they
asked me to stand on one leg with my eyes
closed. Well, I thought that was the craziest thing
to even think about! Now I can do it for 30
seconds plus without any problem. (Grace)
Layer 3 (Immersion). In Layer 3 there are triple-category
statements, most of which were mental-physical-emotional.
In this layer, respondents remark that the relevance of Taiji
has permeated many aspects of their lives. Interviewees
frequently made statements that added an emotional com-
ponent to the physical-mental benefits they experienced,
usually commenting on how very good the mind-body
connection felt to them. “I feel, my body feels sort of though
it’s being worked on from the inside out, and it feels so very
good to do that” (Jamie).
Each interviewee had her/his own experience of a
layering of the physical-mental-emotional categories. All
reported experiencing significant changes in self-concept and
confidence and a more holistic sense of overall abilities and
potential.
I notice that, well I notice me more .... There
are times in Qigong that—I hear myself shift to
adifferent place .... This experience of being
lined up, when things get lined up differently
inside me—there is this most unusual sensation
of like everything coming together, it’s like
something goes ahhhaah .... It’s a full body
sensation that’s almost spiritual. (Anna)
All were more optimistic about themselves and about
their own aging process. Each of the eight expressed the belief
that she/he had significantly improved her quality of life,
increased her/his lifespan, or both.
I will keep doing this—it’s wonderful! My
husband is just astounded that I’ll devote three
[group] sessions a week to it .... I have the
sense that I’m not going to go downhill nearly as
quickly as I might have. It’s a very positive way
to feel. (Grace)
All of these participants talked in some way about
seeing themselves differently, as having more potential, more
confidence, and not worrying so much about what cannot
be changed. According to Jamie, “I feel more upbeat ...more
optimistic ... more hopeful .... I’ve upped my lifespan from
80 to 100. How’s that!”
Interviewees spoke of Taiji permeating many aspects
of daily life including social contexts. Anna talked about
how she was much more able to handle stressful family
encounters.
I got so I could turn that stuff[negative feelings]
offfaster ...before Taiji there were times when I
could hardly get rid of it at all ... [now] it’s like,
I am not letting this stop me—Irefuse![talking
about a particularly recent stressful encounter]
...and I took care of it in terms of getting past it
in less than 5 minutes!
At this level, participants also express a deeper sense of
integration that begins to include spirit into the mind-body
sense of self.
I look forward to the standing Qigong, and the
release of everything around you ... I imagine
that I’m standing in water, in the ocean ...it has
such a calming effect on me and this helps me so
that I can get up and go. (Helga)
At this level, these elders began to express a sense of
surprise at the scope of the benefits they felt. Many of them
mused about the mechanism—how it works—and began
thinking that it might be more complicated than they had
previously thought. There was a clear sense of surprise
that such a simple activity could produce such exceptional
benefits and have such broad application.
Icouldn’tbelieveit.Atfirst,Imeanitlooked
like, “Why should we even do this?!” But I
can see now after doing it that it is giving me
strength. I mean it’s the ability to walk better,
sit better, turn better ... it isn’t just a forceful
strength, it’s a strength within, it’s an inner ...it
has caused my body to follow through with my
mind when it says to do something. (Ruth)
I do not like to exercise. That is NOT my favorite
thing, and I am not a disciplined person .... but
this is something ... it’s just so different from
individual exercise. I mean it IS individual, but,
you just receive so much from this ... it’s very
different to quiet your mind and not be thinking
about things .... I don’t know how to explain it
...it can be very spiritual. (Sally)
I quit Curves when Taiji came along. I’d rather
do Taiji. There’s just no comparison between
the two, no comparison. That’s strictly exercise.
This is something entirely different .... It’s
just absolutely amazing what it does to your
body and mind .... and you don’t realize how
important it is until you go through it ....
People who haven’t done it, until they actually
do, they really don’t believe you. (Arlene)

8 Journal of Aging Research
I’m really interested in trying to figure out why
it’s so useful and so successful .... I’ve been
so active all my life—it surprises me that the
standing could be so helpful. I don’t have to
hike up a mountain .... In fact, climbing the
mountain wouldn’t be as effective ... Icando
it in a hotel room, just about any place ....I’ve
done it at the airport, looking out the window.
(Jamie)
Echoing Jamie, many of the participants expressed the
importance of finding it very easy to integrate into everyday
life. “It’s available anytime and anywhere I want to do it ...
whenever the spirit moves me” (Harry). “It’s almost like this
little magic pill or something that I can now say to my mind
“Quiet, calm, you can do this,” and it’s like, wow, I can do this
anyplace” (Sally).
Layer 4 (Complex Integration). Layer 4 expressions involve
a complex integration of multiple categories: four or five
dimensions overlap in the interviewees’ statements, notably
mental-physical-emotional-spiritual. This layer involves a
sense of Taiji as an organizing, integrating experience.
Interviewees spoke of transformative changes, along with
a firm commitment to continuing Taiji practice for very
different reasons than when they began.
This is a life change for me. I want to continue
to do it for as long as I’m able, because I think
it’s extremely helpful. When I talk to people I
say, “I’ve started Taiji and it’s changed my life.”
(Jaime)
I can’t imagine Taiji not being in my life now.
It has just been such a delight and such a
revelation. (Sally)
This has affected every area of my life ...it’s been
exhilarating in many ways .... I’ve experienced
a variety of feelings and sensations that come as
total surprises to me .... I never plan to stop. It
contributes too much to me in too many ways to
ever stop. (Anna)
In Layer four, these respondents experienced Taiji as
an opportunity to learn, grow, and nurture themselves; it
became an important tool for them in their daily lives.
My personal experience with it is that partic-
ipation in Taiji has affected every area of my
life. It’s, to me, Taiji is spiritual, it’s emotional,
it’s psychological. It affects all of those, and it’s
physical. It has basically solidified a whole bunch
of stuffI have been dealing with most of my life.
(Anna)
Respondents frequently and explicitly linked spirit to
body and mind and emotions and reported a conscious sense
of a more connected spirituality.
The thing that comes close to being spiritual
for me is the closing Qigong movement, where
you raise your arms and you gather in energy.
I can see myself getting just a little piece of
that cosmos out there ... and also the power
of cleansing yourself as you push that energy
in and down through you; you reach out into
the ultimate universe and gather a part of it
inside. This to me is separate from God in
my own beliefs, but it’s something that offers
an opportunity for my spirit to express itself,
connecting myself ... to a spirit within that is
part of a bigger whole. (Helga)
Respondents reported that this enhanced mind-body-
spirit connection was very meaningful for them. Grace
described this linking of the spirit with the physical-mental-
emotional as a very new experience for her.
TheTaijigivesyou... a way to create a spiritual
moment that is also very healthful in a physical
way .... I can’t say I’m more spiritual, but I’m
more aware of my spirituality .... Ineverin
my whole world would have thought, you know,
when we’re doing our meditation, and you look
out there and see the beautiful trees, and you
know that’s God’s energy, and it’s going to be
part of me ...like when we do that washing your
organs, and gather that energy with our hands
... and I can actually feel my fingers growing—
that’s God’s energy washing through me ...that
sense of being very spiritual and physical at the
same time ...it’s just not comprehensible to the
world!
At this level, interviewees observed that the Taiji philos-
ophy (actively cultivating tranquility, wisdom, energy, and
health through a mind-body-spirit connection) permeated
their thinking. They reported experiencing a significant
increase in their capacity to feel healthier; all conveyed more
optimism about themselves, about aging, and about their
quality of life.
Because of this, I am learning some new trust
in myself that’s spiritual in some respects ....
Taiji has supported a whole place of believing in
myself and listening more strongly to my own
thoughts, rather than trying to fit into some
other way of thinking. (Anna)
At this level, some expressed a strong appreciation for
their fellow students and the group aspect of the experience.
Anna, the most social of the eight, was the most eloquent
about this.
Every person in this group contributes some-
thing to me—to me personally, as well as to
the group. There’s just this real safety of all
of us with each other ... we’re just joyful ...
everybody’s very peaceful.

Journal of Aging Research 9
In this layer, interviewees reflect on the complexity of
the whole process, marveling at how so simple a thing could
be “affecting everything.” For all of them, musings about
the mechanism, about how it all might work, became more
complex, surprising, mysterious and indirect than previously
thought. Helga was the most philosophical:
There’s something that has to be fundamental,
something universal—the movements and the
mental attitude seem to provide people with
an avenue for their own self-expression, their
internal expression. Not the outside, but how
you feel on the inside ... it probably comes
from the base of the understanding of that
person of him or herself ...and what they think
of their own improvement ... and it may be
improvement of many, many fronts or different
fronts for different people.
Anna, as the free spirit of the eight, had the loosest, most
freewheeling interpretation of her experience. She viewed
it as a complex phenomenon that she experienced with
surprise, enthusiasm, and a zen-like trust.
Who knows what all this is about? I don’t even
trytointerpret.Thisiswonderful!...Andit’s
affecting everything! .... I’m going to live the
rest of my life differently .... I’m so glad I’m
doing this!
Another hallmark of this layer is a strong sense of grati-
tude for the experience.
I think that this is just grand! To learn something
when you are in your late 70s that you can
use for however long you happen to live—I
mean what greater gift could you expect? You
know you don’t think about 70-year-olds really
learning new things that they can carry on
... this is so unexpected. This has made me
feel much younger, much younger—let’s say 10
years .... Someone who hasn’t done this has no
comprehension about how much better it has
made me feel (Grace).
4. Discussion
We found that although each interviewee had his or her own
unique experience of Taiji and Qigong there were strong
commonalities among the eight respondents. All began with
motivations related to physical problems and concerns, and,
all reported significant functional improvement. All also
reported experiencing benefits in at least three other dimen-
sions, and all reported integrated mind-body experiences
that were, in their own subjective assessments, powerful and
unexpected. Ultimately, all of the interviewees felt that these
complex integrative experiences were the most important
and meaningful outcome of their participation in Taiji. And
so as they practiced Taiji and experienced more complex
benefits, their motivations to continue shifted accordingly.
All eight of our interviewees referenced at least four
individual dimensions in describing their experiences. Six
respondents referenced all five dimensions in their obser-
vations. Six reported a spiritual experience from their Taiji
practice, with five of these six expressing surprise about
that. Two reported no spiritual experience, with one of
these stating that he/she was “not religious”, and the other
stating that spirituality for her/him was a separate issue
tied to their Christian religion. One of these two reported
that a “sense of peacefulness” was his/her most important
Taiji experience, and the other talked about the unique and
special importance of Taiji as “both and inner and outer
experience”—wordings very similar to the other six who did
report spiritual experiences. Seven of the eight respondents
made complex four-dimensional statements that referenced
four dimensions in one expressed thought (See Tabl e 2 ).
Five respondents (four in the first group and one in the
second) made complex five-dimensional statements; four of
these five were our only participants with advanced degrees.
Educational level here may represent verbal fluency or actual
differences in experience, or both. Otherwise there was no
appreciable difference between the dimensional content and
coding of the two sets of four interviews, thereby providing
corroboration for our interpretive model [40,41].
Our findings are not intended to be a definitive expli-
cation of Taiji’s effects but to further the exploration and
discussion of its multifactorial properties. The Layers Model
gradually emerged as both an organized, descriptive display
of the data and a model that captured the meanings and
significance of our respondents’ statements [43]. Our initial
visual conception of the Layers Model was as a three-
dimensional spatial model showing how the five dimensions
overlap to create all 31 categories (a Venn diagram); the
present two-dimensional spatial diagram evolved from that
as a simpler and clearer illustration of only the layering
effect, as that seemed to optimally illustrate our findings.
A strength of the model is that it can function both ways.
Because the model emerged from data specific to this project,
its usefulness beyond this study is yet to be determined.
One possible limitation is that at higher levels of complexity,
it may be measuring verbal fluency as well as subjective
experience. We feel the strength of the model is that it
illustrates and illuminates the multidimensionality of our
respondents’ experiences—a quality that appears to be the
hallmark of their experience. This finding resonates with
previous interview studies of Taiji/Qigong which allude to
participants’ description of a wide variety and complexity of
experience and/or strong carry-over into everyday function
as important benefits [19,27,28]. Other limitations of our
study include the small sample size, the purposeful selection
process, and the subjective nature of the data analysis.
Further studies are needed to substantiate the usefulness of
our interpretive findings.
This study raises questions about the nature of both
our respondents’ experiences and the nature of Taiji itself.
The challenges of measuring complex interventions like Taiji
and Qigong has been theorized in several recent studies
[44]. It seems possible that the multidimensionality our
respondents described may be inherent to the practice of

10 Journal of Aging Research
Tab le 2: Corroborative analysis: number of interviewees in each group who referenced specific dimensions∗and specific combinations of
dimensions.
Group P M E So Sp P+M+E P+M+E+So P+M+E+Sp P+M+E+So+Sp
Most information rich
(n=4)
(Anna, Grace, Helga,
Jamie)
4444 4 4 4 4 4
Corroborative (n=4)
(Sally, Ruth, Harry,
Arlene)
4444 2 4 3 2 1
∗Dimension categories: P: physical; M: mental; E: emotional; So: social; Sp: spiritual.
Taiji and Qigong, as the effects they noted appear to be
similar to the effects cited in traditional Taoist texts as the
expected results of Taiji practice [29,45]. In this sense
it may be that practicing Taiji allows a practitioner to
experience him or herself in the light of its philosophy
and intended effects. It may also be that the age of our
participants positively impacted the multidimensionality of
their reported experiences in that their advanced age and
cumulative life experiences facilitated a broader appreciation
of the phenomena they experienced. In that sense, Taiji
may be a uniquely suited exercise intervention for an aging
population.
5. Conclusion
The results of this study suggest that elders who practice
Taiji and Qigong are likely motivated by a variety of positive
multidimensional mind-body-spirit effects that are holistic
and broad in scope, and it is the integrative multidimensional
nature of these experiences that may come to be the
mostattractivemotivator.TheLayersModelillustratesa
potentially useful way to capture and analyze the relevant
qualitative factors that may be inherent to the complex
experience afforded by the practice of a conscious mind-
body activity such as Taiji. Our study supports the idea
that qualitative studies serve an important function in
bringing a more informed understanding to the complexity
of factors impacting health, aging, and physical activity that
may influence peoples’ motivations for pursuing mind-body
approaches such as Taiji and Qigong.
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