Master Yon G. Lee leads his class through an exercise, his sweeping arm and hand motions and gliding steps guiding the rest of the group. The motions, graceful and light, make the musky room at the Malkin Athletic Center (MAC) seem like the stage for a slow-motion modern dance.

Lee says many of his students come to the Tai Chi class for a relaxing break from work. The slow movement calms them after a stressful day.

"I would say about 80 percent of people come here for balance, to get away from stress," says Lee. " It keeps them focused."

Tai Chi, which has been practiced for over 2,000 years, is one of the original systems of martial arts. Thousands of Chinese, who believe that Tai Chi preserves health and prevents aging, still use it as their daily exercise.

For most people, Tai Chi is an exercise that helps them focus and manage stress--which is now reaching its annual peak at Harvard, with the holiday season and exam period right around the corner.

"You stop thinking about anything else. It helps me concentrate, makes me feel balanced," says Sae Takada '03.

Most of the students, like Takada, are beginners who have been testing the soothing effects of Tai Chi since the semester began.

"I wasn't really into anything athletic," says Takada, "But I wanted to do something that was relaxing and had some martial arts significance to it."

Tai Chi is "so multi-level" that it can serve different people's needs, Lee says. "It's a very natural process. It develops your inner strength, balance, and most importantly, inner peace."

And the most remarkable thing about Tai Chi, according to Lee, is that it only takes a few minutes a day.

Tai Chi exercise sequences are cumulative, so they can be broken up into short segments and performed easily during any point in the day.

"This gives you a cardiovascular workout without going through the sweating of aerobics," Lee says.

For Takada, it is precisely this flexibility that lets her enjoy Tai Chi.

Takada, a pianist, often experiences stiffness in her shoulder. She says that basic Tai Chi exercises--specifically the "double cranes in flight" and the "separation of heaven from earth"--help her alleviate the discomfort.

"It's just five minutes, and it does wonders," she says. "I do it every morning now."