Ai Chi – Aquatic Tai Chi – was created in the early 90s by Jun Konno , former trainer of the Japanese Olympic swimming team, who today directs the “Aqua Dynamics Institute” in Yokohama.
Ai Chi is an art that offers us the calm movements of Tai Chi “danced” in warm water at 35° and “low” 1.20 m. of height. The “form” includes 19 “kata” – forms – to be repeated three times for half an hour to an hour of practice.
The harmonic movements repeat the round shapes of the circle and follow the rhythm of breathing and slowly they transform us. The body calms down and the mind “lights up” to a new awareness that makes us feel more attentively everything that moves “outside” – the “work” of the water and the adaptations of the body to rebalance us – and “inside” of us – sensations and emotions.
At the beginning you learn the basic postures and movements, then you coordinate them with the breathing “patterns” and finally you repeat them until the “dance” makes us flow into states of great mastery and serenity. A Japanese proverb says: “Willow branches do not break under the weight of snow”, while the strong and rigid ones can fall. Ai Chi stimulates the flexibility of body and psyche that can no longer “break”.
here is another curiosity: “Ai” is a Japanese ideogram that means “Love”. Ai Chi is then a practice of compassion and love towards oneself, nature as a whole and towards others.
Jun wants to distinguish it from Watsu: “Oriental people love more delicate and more internal movements. Watsu, which is also popular in Japan, requires too much closeness between the giver and the receiver and creates discomfort for many Japanese. The practice of Ai Chi can then be the first step to then address the intimacy required in Watsu”.
Ai Chi combines the benefits of Tai Chi Chuan, which harmonizes body and mind by toning Chi – vital energy – with those provided by stretching muscles and meridians. It is easy, fun and very relaxing. The movements are performed slowly, continuously, gently and in a circular motion to conserve vital energy, calm the mind and promote concentration.
