Martial Arts, does it have a calming effect on people who are bi polar?

Question

In all honesty, I am thinking of joining a Tai Chi class in town however I do not want to commit myself to something that I will not have the patience for what is your experience?

I have tried yoga, lol I have the balance for it but the lady who taught it was..... militant... not exactly calming in this town .

Answer 1

Yes, I think that you should give it a try, at least.
Tai Chi is very relaxing and not particularly demanding on mind or body. I practised Tai chi for six months but had to give it up due to university commitments.

Tai Chi Chuan is a Chinese form of exercise derived from Taoism, one of China's oldest belief systems. The practice of Tai Chi Chuan is beneficial to health and it is also a subtle, sophisticated and scientific method of self-defence.

Tai Chi Chuan enables people to survive through fitness and self-defence.
Advantages of practising Tai Chi Chuan is good exercise which enables us to develop a healthy body as well as an alert mind. It is a system of exercise suitable for people of all ages. It can be practised in a relatively small area either indoors or outdoors. When performed in a slow and relaxed manner, the Tai Chi Chuan Hand Form offers a balanced drill for the body's muscles and joints through the execution of complex manoeuvres in conjunction with deep regulated breathing and the contraction and expansion of the diaphragm. Deep breathing also promotes a greater intake of air into the lungs than usual. Thus a greater amount of oxygen is available for consumption which increases blood circulation. In so doing it also expands the blood vessels which serve the heart and intestines. The performance of the Hand Form creates a tranquil state of mind through concentration on the movements. In the long term, Hand Form stimulates the central nervous system, which increases the well-being of all the organs of the body. As our muscles move when practising Tai Chi Chuan, they exert pressure on our veins, forcing our blood to flow towards the heart, improving our circulation. The graceful movements of Tai Chi Chuan can lead to changes in our disposition, making us more even-tempered and slow to anger. Good luck!
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Answer 2

Well, my experience in this area is quite extensive. Since I'm both an instructor and Bi-polar. I've got 26 years invested in martial arts, 21 of them were without meds and five and counting are on. Martial arts will not have a calming effect on you. When you're going through a manic phase, most times you can become OCD about something, someone, etc. Since the mania is overbearing (mostly because of that negative adrenaline rush) then if you happen to have a compulsion at that time, that can relieve it. While the aggressive action in martial arts can give you temporary relief from the manic episodes, spending that energy and getting it out. It will not really "calm" you per say. It will just get you through for the moment, once you stop. The mania will build again. The opposite is true as well, once you come off the manic and dive to the depressive state, then you will become more irritable and quick tempered. Neither of which lend themselves to good training. You will also become more careless in your techniques and risk injury to yourself and others.

So to answer, yes it can alleviate some bi-polar symptons for the time. (much the same way completing a compulsion can,) but no it is not a good permanent solution. I've lived quite a bit of my life off meds, and the last few on. Seek some medical help, don't get too involved in the "psychology" of it because it is a chemical imbalance in your brain, not an "emotional" issue (although you may have some emotional issues once the "grey skies" are gone and your left with the wreckage that's left over and your normalized a bit.) Also, yield to it. Don't let it control you, but don't be stupid enough to think that you can control it. Learn to live with it.. it's both a blessing and a curse. After all, for bi-polar people our minds tend to work "outside the box," multitask like nobody's business, and problem solve at the drop of a pen, of course there's the manic-depressive mood swings that no one likes. Also take a look at sleeping and eating patterns. Most times after a short night of sleep, you will wake up with a lot of manic energy, but crash quickly in the middle of the day, only to discover that around night time.. you'll run manic again. Vice versa, after a lot of sleep, you can wake up in a depression state, and then shift gears halfway through the day and "bam" you're in that multi day manic phase. Just learn your body and how you react to the way it's treated.

I love martial arts, always have. So for me being bi-polar played no part in my ability or desire to train. Matter of fact it has made me more of a fighter because of the struggles I've endured simply to get up and go out. But that would be true for anything I love to do. Good luck

PS-I'm no doctor. My experience with it is this though. Nothing will keep it under control. I've had some friends get off their meds only to drop back into the "craziness." Don't be fooled into thinking that simply because you start to get back to normal on meds it means it's time to drop them. If you're going to do that.. the old adage is true "it would have been better never to start."

Answer 3

Not a fighting or sparring based Martial art - if anything that will provoke someone with bi-polar. I suggest something that is mainly fighting - like Tai Chi, or Qi Gong.

Answer 4

no it doesnt but once you get bipolar under control ma is a good way to keep it under control.tai chi wil help a bit but a more aggresive ma will be of more value.bipolar is a medical condition and ma will help as far as it will help you control it which will help reduce the amount of drugs and any other medical intervention you need.just a suggestion but try learning pressure points in conjuntion with karate.pressure points and self massage(you have to know the meridian lines)can help lots with bipolar.

Answer 5

NO BUT I HAVE A CALMING EFFECT ITS CALLED ME EMAIL AT [e-mail]

Answer 6

the right system with the right teacher
An art is only as good as the person representing it.

Answer 7

yoga or pilates is pretty relaxing