Sadly, traditional tai chi requires years to learn and almost an hour a day to practice, and is therefore much too long and complex for most people living today's busy life styles. Dr. Keith Jeffery has developed methods that offer the benefits of tai chi in ways that fit into modern lifestyles, in just minutes a day.

His popular audio/video package, Tai Chi for Busy People, has been very successful. It has helped thousands of people learn and benefit from tai chi without the usual stress and time commitment.

His new video, 4 Minute Fitness, is even easier! It offers dynamic principles taken from tai chi, yoga, meditation and ancient chi kung combined with vital modern medical theory and key motivational techniques. Initial results have been very exciting, particularly with those dealing with chronic pain!

Both videos together present two of the easiest tools for learning body/mind exercise that you can find.

Our appreciation to Dr. Jeffery for graciously providing information on the benefits of Tai Chi.

Dr. Keith Jeffery has taught tai chi for more than 20 years. He has been presenting international motivational seminars for 4 years. Keith has extensive western medical background as a practicing companion animal veterinarian. He studied with some of the best tai chi teachers in North America, including Sam Masich and Chungliang Al Hyang. Also studied with Brian Biro (Author of: Beyond Success and The Joyful Spirit) in the motivational field.

Benefits of Tai Chi and 4 Minute Fitness:

Physical Benefits

• Increased flexibility - particularly in the often forgotten spine. Maintenance of flexibility in spinal joints is 'oh so important'.
• Full range of motion in a lot of your joints - motion is lotion, as they say. Better yet - use it or lose it!
• Increased strength, particularly of the leg muscles
• Better balance, fewer falls
• Improved posture
• Improved immune functioning. (Why? Mental stillness and reduced stress help immune function, as does exercise.)
• Improved, deeper breathing - leading to increased oxygenation and vitality of all tissues, improved immune functioning, deeper relaxation
• Many people have reduced pain - particularly noticed in shoulders, back, legs and knees
• Increased vitality, energy and life - and an increased awareness of the ever-present 'chi'.
• Enhanced coordination, and improved fine motor skills.
• Decreased blood pressure
• Decreased breathing and heart rates

Mental Benefits

• Reduced stress
• Increased relaxation
• Increased concentration and mental focus
• Improved memory
• Increased sense of happiness and contentedness (is that a word?) and inner peace
• Greater ability to 'be in the moment', to pull out of the craziness of everyday living
• An often profound sense of being here, now. (Wherever you go, there you are...) In other words, reducing the tendency to live in the past, or worry about the future.
• A higher level of happiness

Chronic Pain
Tai Chi is recommended as an adjunct therapy for chronic pain. It is a low weight-bearing exercise, offering stretching, toning and relaxation of the body in ways no other exercise can match. The gentle full range of motion movements are very therapeutic

As well, the mental peace and the stress reduction aspects offered by tai chi can be equally important in dealing with pain and tension. Most importantly! 99.9% of North Americans breath poorly. Proper breathing is considered the most effective way we can assist in our own healing. Both videos teach easy, effective breathing techniques, which are practiced within the movements.