Discover the stress reducing, health inducing power of Tai Chi and Yoga.

It’s one thing to take vacation and put your feet up, maybe even crawl in a hammock and snooze in the afternoon breeze. It’s another to maintain that sense of relaxation and chill in real life, after vacation.

Here are some tips for extending the chill vibe you find on vacation back into your daily life—i.e., when you need it most!

Try Tai Chi

This ancient Chinese form of exercise—a rhythmic, repetitive series of gentle movements—is a practice you can do on your own and anywhere. It’s low impact both on your body and your budget—you don’t need a gym membership or special clothes or equipment—but it yields a high impact in terms of stress reduction and improving a number of health conditions, like high blood pressure, anxiety and arthritis.

Often described as meditation in motion, tai chi entails slow, fluid movement through a series of postures. The practice also requires concentration and deep breathing, which promotes serenity as well as improves balance and focus.

If you want to give it a try, Roper St. Francis Advantage offers an inexpensive six-week introductory class, as well as a Tai Chi for Arthritis class.

Yoga

Another ancient Eastern practice that has become mainstream in recent years, yoga is a wonderful way to strengthen body and mind, and stretch into a more relaxed state of being.

There are many forms of yoga—from Bikram style hot yoga to “Power Yoga” to all varieties of Sanskrit names that may make you intimidated. Don’t be. Most yoga studios follow the same basic tenets of yoga: focus on breath, balance and centeredness, and will likely offer an introductory or gentle level class for beginners.

Through stretching, breath work and working on grounding postures, yoga leaves you feeling more focused and expansive, and has been shown to reduce stress, improve sleep and lead to an overall enhanced sense of well-being.

Roper St. Francis Advantage offers a range of yoga classes, from Gentle Yoga to Yoga for Back Pain, all at lower cost than the typical yoga studio. It’s a great way to get toned and strengthen your core and muscles while also relaxing your mind.

To get the most out of your life, take time to chill. Try these two practices that will help you tap back into that relaxed bliss you found on vacation.

For a list of all upcoming Roper St. Francis Advantage classes visit our online calendar.