Tai Chi with back pain: practicing with a changing body

This summer, I was on vacation in France. We had the most wonderful Airbnb with a terrace to practice on (see my state of my art 2026 video). I personally don’t like practising outdoors too much. But that terrace was just perfect for practice in the evening. I enjoyed it every day and Tai Chi with back pain was the furthest thing from my mind.

And then my lower back started hurting. A lot.

I suspect the mattress had something to do with it. I noticed the pain many times during the day: walking down stairs, getting up from a chair, all the small moments you don’t think about until they hurt.

Tai Chi with back pain: why I kept moving instead of sitting still

It would have been easy to just sit or lie down and wait for the pain to pass. But I know that for the pain I usually have, movement is the best thing I can do. Soft movement, that is.

So I resisted the urge to stay still, and I practised. My form wasn’t as fluid as usual, and some moves were harder than others. But I’m so happy to have Taijiquan, because it’s exactly what I need in moments like this. The long Yang form especially helps me. It gives me a structure to move slowly, relax, and witness my body.

Obviously this is not medical advice. I’m not a doctor or a physical therapist. If you’re in pain, get help.
It’s just that I know my body well enough that with this particular pain, I didn’t need to seek medical help immediately.
I did see my physical therapist after my vacation, though.

It’s easy to fall into the habit of not moving when moving means pain. I felt that pull too. I was on vacation, after all, and part of me just wanted to rest. Then I remembered this line:

“Train Taijiquan as if you are resting.”
— Feng Zhiqiang, Twelve Principlesof Taiji Nurturing (via David Gaffney’s newsletter, subscribe here)

I like that principle. I don’t have to choose between resting and practising. The practice could be the rest.

Twenty years with the same form

It certainly helps that I’ve been practising the long Yang form for many years. I feel comfortable in the moves. And it’s fascinating how I change. The moves remain the same, my body changes.

This time, watching myself struggle with parts of it, I felt curiosity more than frustration. A kind of tenderness toward my body. But there was also fear underneath it. I’m going through perimenopause right now, and some days I feel old in my bones. The question that comes with that is not comfortable: will this pain go away, or do I have to live with it from now on?

What this summer taught me

Thankfully, my pain lessened over the following days. I’m pain-free now. I like to think my practice played a part in that, the slow, steady movement. I can do Tai Chi with back pain, especially with the principle of resting while moving.

How do you feel about that? Have you practised your form for a long time and noticed the changes in your body? Feel free to write a comment or send me an email. I would love to hear from you.