Tai Chi, Qigong and the Treatment of Depression and Anxiety

The affirmative feeling to witch the Nietzsche’s thought
aim is marked by forces. These, when they act set in motion all
sorts of oppositions and resistances...


Introduction
to be a subset of tai chi, although some scholars consider the two to be close cousins. Qigong is incorporated into the tai chi movements, but tai chi involves more than just qigong. Tai chi, also called taiji or taijiquan [54], is also a martial art, a gentle exercise routine, and an art as well as a sport. Both tai chi and qigong are forms of moving meditation. Although they are usually done from a standing position, certain routines and exercises can be performed from a seated position. Several styles of tai chi have evolved over the centuries, but the various styles have much in common. From a health perspective, the main styles all produce similar benefits because they all cause qi (pronounced chee) to flow and they all increase flexibility and strength.
Chen style tai chi is the oldest of the main styles. It originated in

Methodology
The PubMed.gov database was used to find studies on tai chi, qigong and the treatment of depression [64]. They found that mind-body exercises (tai chi, qigong and yoga) had significant benefits for COPD patients with anxiety (p = 0.04) and depression (p = 0.000). Sub-group analysis found that 30-60 minutes of exercise for 24 weeks of health qigong or yoga had a significant effect on anxiety for those over 70 who have had COPD for more than 10 years, and that health qigong sessions of 30-60 minutes, 2-3 times a week had a significant effect for patients suffering from depression who were over 70 years old and who had COPD for less than 10 years. They also found that the beneficial effects on long-term sufferers from COPD were less than those experienced by short-term sufferers of COPD.
Zou et al. [66]  Many studies have found that the practice of qigong can have a positive effect on the reduction of depression. However, its underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. So et al. [68] conducted a study to systematically review and meta-analyze the existing literature on the use of qigong to reduce depression.
They identified nine studies that covered both neurophysiological and psychological mechanisms. Five of the studies concluded that qigong was effective in reducing depression (p < 0.05), while four studies found no significant change. However, two studies were excluded in the meta-analysis due to insufficient information on the depression scores, and one of the insignificant studies had a p value of 0.053, which indicates significance at the 10 percent level.
They also found a significant effect on reducing diastolic blood pressure in some cases (p < 0.05), while the effect on cortisol levels and systolic blood pressure were not significant. Their review concluded that qigong was effective in reducing depression through activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
Various qigong exercise sets were used in the studies they After 24 weeks, the tai chi group had significantly better scores for depression, and also had significantly better mean heart rate, RMSSD, HF, LFnorm and HFnorm scores (p < 0.05).
These differences were not present in the control group. The researchers concluded that tai chi can be effective in reducing depression in older individuals. Zou et al. [70] studied the effects of meditative movements (tai chi, qigong and yoga) on major depressive disorder (MDD). They examined the meta-analysis of 15 randomized controlled trials (RCT) that used tai chi, qigong or yoga as intervention for MDD. Ethnicities varied, as did duration (4-12 weeks), session length (20-210 minutes) and the number of sessions per week (1 to 6).
They found that meditative movement had a significant effect on depression severity (p < 0.001) and anxiety severity (p < 0.001). The use of meditative movement interventions resulted in significantly improved treatment remission rate (p < 0.001) over passive controls. The study concluded that meditative movements for the treatment of MDD may provide a useful alternative to existing mainstream treatments such as drug therapy and psychotherapy.
Osypuik et al. [71] explored the hypothesis that body postures in tai chi, qigong and related mind-body practices might be a biological factor that contributes to improvements in psychological wellbeing, the underlying premise being that posture affects mood.
They found various studies that concluded that standing upright resulted in a better mood than being slumped over. The authors suggested an experimental approach to verifying their hypothesis.
Liu et al. [72] found that the practice of the Yang-24 tai chi form improved anxiety and depression and upregulates miR-17-92 in coronary heart disease patients after percutaneous coronary intervention. The tai chi group practiced tai chi over an average of 10 months. At the end of that time, the changes in their anxiety subscale were significant (p = 0.002), as were the changes in their depression subscale (p = 0.008). Luberto et al. [73] found that the practice of tai chi by patients with heart failure improved their depression symptoms and quality of life indexes. Lopez et al. [74] found that group tai chi and qigong classes taken by cancer patients and caregivers experienced significant improvement in global distress. Zhang et al. [75] performed a meta-analysis and evaluation of tai chi chuan on anxiety and depression on 14 experimental studies. They found that depression and anxiety were significantly reduced in both the younger and older adult groups, but that older adults benefitted more from tai chi than did younger adults.
Kong et al. [76] summarized a number of clinical trials that implemented tai chi as a treatment for depression. Their basic finding was that the practice of tai chi can relieve symptoms of depression. They also point out that the complexity of some tai chi movements might have an adverse effect on clinical use and suggest a simplified version might be more beneficial. They mention the Yang-8 form as one possibility. Its movements are easier to perform than some of the movements in the Yang-24 form, and the 8-form does not take as long to complete as the 24-form. They also suggest customizing a tai chi regimen to fit different maladies, since different tai chi movements have differential effects on the various body organs. A regimen that might be appropriate for depression, for example, might be suboptimum for the treatment of certain other ailments.
Zhu et al. [77] examined the long-term effects of tai chi intervention on sleep and the mental health of females having dependence on amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS). The tai chi form used in their study was the Yang-24. Each session began with a 10-minute warmup, followed by 40 minutes of tai chi exercise, and ending with a 10-minute cooldown. They found that the practice of tai chi had positive effects on the quality of sleep, fitness and depression. They suggest that the practice of tai chi might be an inexpensive and potential supplementary treatment for ATSdependent individuals. These studies all seem to indicate that the practice of some form of tai chi or qigong can be beneficial in the treatment of depression and anxiety. Although the Yang-24 tai chi form and the baduanjin qigong set seem to be the most frequently used forms used in these studies, they are not the only forms.

Regardless of which set of forms is chosen, qi (energy) is generated
and assists in the alleviation of anxiety and depression.