I had the pleasure and luck to study tai chi, when I was in my 20s, with the estimable San Francisco tai chi master Simmone Kuo. As someone who's always been pretty much allergic to exercise, this was an incredibly special time for me. In the very early morning, every day, I would bus down to Chinatown and get buzzed into her tall-ceilinged, tall-windowed, austere but homey third-floor studio on Portsmouth square. She'd be eating a bowl of rice or sitting at her desk.

Energy radiated from her. I'd begin my warm-ups and within seconds she was by my side, gently and forcibly correcting the position of my knees or telling me to stay with the exercise longer. She loved to tease, and was unvarnished in her opinions, which she never kept to herself.

The warm-up exercises and the tai chi practice itself always set me off on my day with a skip in my step and a special feeling of friendship.

The New York Times today has a wonderful story about tai chi and its myriad health benefits — including stress reduction, better balance for seniors, and help with depression. Reading it set off a cascade of memories and renewed my awe for the simple, easy, graceful way in which tai chi balances you mentally and physically without the unpleasantness of jarring impacts, sweat, or a gym environment (you can do it anywhere!).

A few highlights from the story:

The graceful, dancelike progression of meditative poses called tai chi originated in ancient China as a martial art, but the exercise is best known in modern times as a route to reduced stress and enhanced health. After reviewing existing scientific evidence for its potential health benefits, I’ve concluded that the proper question to ask yourself may not be why you should practice tai chi, but why not.

It is a low-impact activity suitable for people of all ages and most states of health, even those who “hate” exercise or have long been sedentary. It is a gentle, calming exercise — some call it meditation in motion — that involves deep breathing but no sweat or breathlessness.

It places minimal stress on joints and muscles and thus is far less likely than other forms of exercise to cause muscle soreness or injury. It requires no special equipment or clothing and can be practiced almost anywhere at any time, alone or with others.

Once the proper technique is learned from a qualified instructor, continuing to practice it need not cost another cent.

The many small studies of tai chi have found health benefits ranging from better balance and prevention of falls to reduced blood pressure, relief of pain and improved immunity.

The latest and perhaps best designed study was conducted among patients with debilitating fibromyalgia, a complex and poorly understood pain syndrome.

One thing I want to share from a personal-experience standpoint is the importance and enduring value of the tai chi start-up exercises Simmone taught me. They are so excellent for overall joint and muscle flexibility, and breathing, that you could even forget tai chi itself, and keep this daily 6-step exercise regimen with you for life.

Simmone details these exercises in her book, Long life, good health through tai-chi chuan, which I recommend highly.