One of humanity's greatest dreams has been to never grow old. For centuries in China, philosophers and alchemists sought for this elixir of life. Their studying the secrets of life and death evolved into a kind of physiological alchemy of mind and body. This ancient art has been handed down through generations in the form of Taijiquan, often referred to simply as T'ai chi.

The Chinese findings mirror today's scientific literature in explaining the causes and cures for disabilities and disease associated with normal aging. We all hope to maintain our health and independence throughout our lives and most of us want to feel that we have done our part in the healing process. As directors of the T'ai Chi Project, we hope to make these techniques available to a larger number of people than in centuries past by applying them through our practical scientific approach to the ancient art of Taijiquan (T'ai chi chuan).

We are research scientists and educators that have spent over twenty years involved with research in aging and physical activity. Our diverse backgrounds and experiences have allowed us to create a unique research and learning environment in the T'ai Chi Project. Joe's background is in behavioral sciences and he graduated from the City University of New York in 1976. He was first introduced to Taiji as an honorary member of the Oriental American Society at Brooklyn Tech in 1967. After receiving a bachelors degree in accounting and finance, Jacqui's 15 years in the field of exercise led her to a 1998 masters degree in Physical Education from the University of Northern Colorado. Her elections and appointments to national, state, and local leadership positions have allowed her to specialize in the behavioral determinants of physical activity.

We first started working together in 1989 as co-directors of a training certification program for fitness instructors for the University of Denver's Institute of Gerontology and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. In 1993, we managed to secure a $100,000 grant to research and develop an exercise program for older adults that combined techniques from western exercise therapy and selected exercises from Taijiquan. Using a team of scientific advisors and computer searches of the biomedical literature, we compiled a program of exercises that offered the greatest benefit to older adults, and ultimately for everyone.

The success of this project led to an invitation to the 1994 annual scientific conference of the Gerontological Society of America in Atlanta, Georgia. With the help and advice of Dr. Dennis Jahnigan, we had the good fortune of meeting and discussing our ideas with many top researchers in aging and biomedical research. Our heads swimming with ideas, we sat at the airport after the conference trying to synthesize all we had learned and been encouraged to do...and the T'ai Chi Project was born. Following Dr. Jahnigan's sage advice to focus our efforts on what would make the greatest difference in the lives of older adults, we envisioned a small, simple research project. We had no idea, sitting in the Atlanta airport, where our commitment would lead us.

AS THE T'AI CHI PROJECT ENTERS ITS SECOND DECADE of presenting and educating professionals and the public, we will continue to publish our findings and expand our scope with the hope that we will inspire more people to explore the psychological and physiological benefits of Taiji, Qi-Gong and Traditional Chinese Medicine.