All the traveling, performing and flesh-pressing that goes along with releasing a new album can take a toll on an artist’s health. Jim Lauderdale has a new album, Honey Songs, but he also has an ancient Chinese secret for shrugging off the stress of promoting it: Tai chi.

The graceful, flowing movements of tai chi have been described as meditation in motion. “With all the travel I do, tai chi has helped ground me and keep me in shape through the rigors of the road and writing and recording,” says Lauderdale. “The main purpose is to develop your internal energy, or chi. It’s also very good for you. It’s low-impact exercise with remarkably good results physically.”

Tai chi has been toning bodies (and minds) for centuries, but Lauderdale learned about it from a magazine 14 years ago, and has been sold on the practice ever since. “I started going to some workshops, and my interest started growing,” he says. “I went to China a few times, and I’ve had the fortune of studying with some really good teachers.”

Even if you’ve never tried this ancient martial art form, you’ve probably seen it on TV. Typically it’s depicted as a group of people slowly gliding through poses in unison. “There are several different styles,” says Lauderdale, “and they each have a series of choreographed movements in long, intermediate and short forms.”

As with most exercise, the key to seeing results is consistency. “I practice every day,” says Lauderdale. “It’s kind of my hobby, but ideally I try to work out an hour to an hour-and-a-half a day. I do it inside if the weather is bad, but I like to go outside and do it at a park. It’s something I really enjoy, and I recommend it to everyone.”