Page 518 - Total War on PTSD

have consistently used various forms of “meditative” movement as exercise to promote the ability of the brain to change and adapt to conditions experienced by the body.
Plasticity, reprogramming, and making new neural pathways can be accomplished by practicing Tai Chi, because it contains a multilevel approach that activates the brain for health, healing and even higher consciousness. Indeed, practitioners have cultivated the dynamic qualities found in Tai Chi to enhance physical and mental abilities well-beyond normal, and to further their learning paths. In terms of rehabilitation, these same qualities make it the "supreme ultimate" exercise to access the brain and to activate the nervous system to change, to even heal itself, through movement.
Similar benefits can be achieved in many other types of exercise if they contain certain mind-movement principles. Running, walking, ballroom dancing (highly recommended, goes well with Tai Chi), tennis, golf, and everyday activities can be enhanced.
I remember loving the idea of the old 1960s TV series “Kung Fu” with David Carradine. I needed his peaceful heart amidst conflict and confrontation — yet I also needed to be a fierce warrior who could protect myself. I experienced my own PTSD after being serially abused as a child. I can truly say I have accomplished a sense of peace, strength and well-being far beyond my dreams since starting Tai Chi nearly 40 years ago. Rest assured, however, that benefits can be experienced immediately with the right practice, plus they build up over time. Knowledge, ability and skill are cumulative with time and effort. This is known as one’s “gong Fu.”
Six ways Tai Chi and Qigong Effect Brain Function Rhythmic and synchronous movements train the brain:
The first two, rhythmicity, and second, synchronicity, have been linked to brain activation during memory acquisition and learning, as well as neural information coding,
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