• What is BME?
• How does BME work?
• Who can practice BME?
• Who can benefit the most from BME?
• How long does it take to learn and to benefit from BME?
• What equipment is required to practice BME?
• Why is BME also called “Taichi Light”?
• How is BME different from traditional Taichi ?
• Can BME keep me strong?
• What then are the benefits of BME?
• Who invented BME?

The Body-Mind Exercise (BME), aka Taichi Light, is a mild, easy-to-learn, daily self-renewal exercise for people of all ages. It is developed based on the ancient Chinese Taichi and Qigong traditions yet is very simple to practice and easy to learn. That is why it is also called “Taichi Light.” (The term Tai Chi could be spelled as either one word of two words.)

The exercise consists of 18 simple physical movements or poses arranged in a prescribed sequence. Each movement is repeated six times (or cycle) and then flows smoothly to the next. The entire exercise takes from 15 to 20 minutes, during which the exerciser would maintain an uninterrupted flow of deep breathing at the rate of one breath-in and breath-out per cycle. As each movement is performed, the exerciser would also concentrate his/her mind on a specific mental picture associated with that movement. All movements are performed in a dance-like slow motion. A minute of mindfulness meditation both before and after the exercise is recommended.

BME is suitable for all men and women of normal health, aged from young children to the elderly. It is also helpful for some in convalescence or in pregnancy with the permission of their doctors. Because the movements are not strenuous, elderly people can practice it to improve balance and coordination.

Because of its simplicity and the small amount of time and space it takes to practice, anyone who wants to maintain good health but doesn't have enough time, space or patience to practice the more elaborated routines can best benefit from BME.

With daily practice of 15 to 20 minutes, the average consistent practitioner should be able to memorize the movements within one to two weeks and be able to start enjoying and benefiting from it within a month or two. However, full benefits can be obtained only after long term and consistent practice.

There is no equipment required. All you need is two or three square meters of space, enough for you to spread your arms fully sideway and front and back.

That is because while traditional Taichi practice involves numerous complicated poses performed sequentially, BME only has 18 simple poses, each repeated six times. It is therefore much easier to learn and to practice.

BME is formulated based on traditional Taichi and Qigong principles, and includes some of the basic Taichi poses. It also adopts traditional Qigong practice's breathing and mindfulness principles. Traditional Taichi is divided into many different “schools”, such as the Chen Taichi, the Yang Taichi, the Wu Taichi, the Sun Taichi, and some of these schools are divided into sub-groups. Some Taichi practices also use fan, sword and other instruments. In addition, traditional Taichi routines could range from a dozen of moves to over a 100 moves to be performed sequentially. BME, on the other hand, consists of 18 simple moves, each repeated six times. A routine takes from 15 to 20 minutes to complete.

Unlike weight training, running and many other fitness routines, BME is not about physical strength or speed. It is about the harmony of your internal body functions and you mental stability and outlook.

BME helps promote good health, good spirit and a peaceful mind. The mild physical movements help stimulate blood and “chi” circulation, and invigorate the body's general vitality. They also help strengthen joints, improve the sense of balance and coordination, and improve the general pliability of the body. The continuous deep breathing provides the body with the vital oxygen intake, and helps increase the lung capacity over time. Deep breathing also has a calming effect on the nerves. The mental imageries give the mind a ”mini vacation” by focusing it on simple, happy and peaceful thoughts.

No one invented the movements used in BME. In fact, no one knows for sure who invented Taichi or Qigong, or when they were invented. It's a matter of legends and folklore. A widely accepted theory has it that early Chinese monks and Daoist priests developed some basic physical moves for self defense purposes by watching birds and animals in the wild. These moves were later refined and modified over the centuries by many practitioners, until they were systematically organized into routines and put in writing during the late Ming and early Qing dynasty (14th to 19th centuries). Since then, what was known as Taichiquan has been further modified by practitioners into various schools and routines. In the 1980's, famous Taichi master Lin Hou Sheng in Shanghai developed a new routine called “Taichi-Qigong in 18 Poses”, which was widely practiced in China and Southeast Asia. BME is a further modification of this routine into a form that is more easily understood by people in the English speaking world.