Being Present

One of my other interests is SCUBA diving. For me, a major plus for it is the fact that when I am on a dive, I am absolutely in the moment. I never, ever think about anything else. No dry land activity ever came close to it until I found Tai Chi.

Each class begins with a warm up to loosen the joints and allow Chi to flow. This is followed by a period of Tai Chi walking meditation. I usually end up being intensely.... I was going to say focused but that's not the right word. Unfocused is more like it. I am in an almost hypnotic state and I am usually disappointed to have to stop. When I am in the ready position, waiting to begin the form, that mindset is still with me and as I relax my upper body my fingertips are tingling.

My first run through of the early part of the form is intuitive and flowing but that is as good as it gets. When we reach the part that I am just learning, the mind gets in the way. Then as we go over it again and start to break down the movements, I am totally back in 'reality' and it is hard to get the feeling back again.

I want to enjoy the process and let things take their course, but I can't help thinking that it will be nice when Tai Chi is in my blood and I can complete the form without any thoughts intruding.
tai chi

The Benefits of Tai Chi Exercise

Don't take my word for the benefits of Tai Chi exercise. Read what the Mayo Clinic says about it.

Tai chi: Stress reduction, balance, agility and more - MayoClinic.com: "Tai chi appears to offer both physical and mental benefits no matter what your age. It's used to:

• Reduce stress
• Increase flexibility
• Improve muscle strength and definition
• Increase energy, stamina and agility
• Increase feelings of well-being

Tai chi hasn't been studied scientifically until recently. Preliminary research shows that for older adults, in particular, practicing tai chi regularly may:

• Reduce anxiety and depression
• Improve balance and coordination, reducing the number of falls
• Improve sleep quality, such as staying asleep longer at night and feeling more alert during the day
• Slow bone loss in women following menopause
• Reduce high blood pressure
• Improve cardiovascular fitness
• Relieve chronic pain
• Improve everyday physical functioning

I can attest to many of these benefits myself but one area where I am desperately lacking is flexibility. I really need to practice more. I have even bought something that looks like some medieval torture implement to try to get more movement in my legs. Anybody know any painless ways to stretch?

Out of Adversity

If you are always focused on the horizon, it is easy
to become despondent at your apparent lack of progress.
Sometimes you need to look back to where you started to
appreciate how for you've come. I am just back at work
after nearly a year off through stress and depression. I
was stuck in the mindset that it was the worst thing that
had ever happened to me. But with hindsight I realize
that it has been an amazing year of personal growth. It
forced me to take a hard look at my life and decide that I
had to make some changes. I have done a lot of soul
searching, reading, listening to audio programs and talking
to people whose opinions’ I respect. I have come out of it
with my passion for life restored and several new interests
that I believe will be life long. One of the best of these
is Tai Chi.

I had read that Qi Gong might be beneficial to my wife’s'
health, she has MS. I found it nearly impossible to learn
from books, so I decided to look for a teacher. I found
the choices to be limited in my area so I instead joined a
Tai Chi beginner’s class. This was a double benefit as I
could learn about the control of the flow of chi and be
able to help my wife and, I could get out of the house,
meet new people and start getting the exercise that I
sorely needed. It turned out to be a very lucky decision.
I happened on a good school with an excellent, experienced
teacher. She is able to teach all the essential aspects of
Tai Chi and also teaches a very simple, elegant form of Qi
Gong. I have read a lot about Tai Chi recently and there
seems to be the usual tendency to get into 'my style is
better than your style'. I have come to believe that the
quality of the teacher is more important than the style you
choose.

I have found that the benefits of Tai Chi are everything
that I was led to expect. I have already lost some of the
aches and pains I had from poor posture, my balance has
improved, I have better muscle tone and I have even lost
weight. And this is when I am inexperienced, barely
competent and have been very lax about practicing outside
of the weekly class. Due to beginning while I was in the
depths of my previous problems, I have found it very
difficult to learn and retain the form. At least I hope
it's because of that! Progress may be slow but I can look
back and see that there has been some. And I am in it for
the long haul and I intend to enjoy the journey.