Tai Chi clothing is important for the flow of chi through the body’s meridians. Soft, light, and flexible clothing such as linen, cotton, or silk is recommended. Linen is durable, while silk and cotton are comfortable. Standard Tai Chi clothing is black or white, but other colors may be used. Proper attire helps practitioners focus on balancing chi.
The type of Tai Chi clothing a person wears can be just as important as mastering the Tai Chi form. According to Tai Chi teachings, clothing has a direct correlation with mental state and spiritual energy with the chi that flows through the body’s meridians. Clothing such as jeans and jackets, and even the tightness of the fabric will restrict the flow of chi in the body as you move during the martial art. In Tai Chi, it is generally recommended that a person wear soft, light, and flexible clothing, such as linen, cotton, or silk clothing. A key feature among linen, cotton, and silk clothing for Tai Chi is that they do not impede martial arts movements.
One of the marked differences between the type of Tai Chi clothing and that of cotton or silk is its ability to regulate body temperature. Linen is also good for its durability and strength, as it can generally withstand any wear and tear that may occur during Tai Chi exercises. These attributes are what make Tai Chi linen clothing generally suitable for an experienced practitioner of the martial art.
Cotton and silk, on the other hand, are generally best worn on warmer days, such as during the summer. Historically, silk was plentiful in China, and this spawned many silk uniforms. Many Tai Chi masters will still traditionally wear silk uniforms. Silk and cotton share similar qualities, such as comfort, but silk is expensive to make and cotton is not.
Standard Tai Chi clothing comes in either black or white, thus offering fewer distractions to other people practicing the martial arts form. The color restriction, however, is not final. Some martial arts schools may prefer other colors to be used for Tai Chi uniforms. More modern variations of Tai Chi attire can come in the form of printed T-shirts. Typically, these types of clothing will have the various Tai Chi symbols or perhaps the logo of the school printed on the fabric.
While Tai Chi recommends proper clothing, it is not necessarily enforced. Proper Tai Chi attire generally serves as an aid in keeping a practitioner away from distractions. This generally helps practitioners focus more on balancing the flow of chi in the mind and body rather than external distractions.
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