Where Are You On Your Tai Chi Journey?
When I was in my 20′s, I worked hard on my forms, but Chi did not come and frankly it really was not important to me. If it did, it was only for fleeting moments. And now that I look back on it, that recognition was a significant event.
In my 30′s I turned within and sat quietly and listened. My forms were rote and purely physical – they kept my now sedentary lifestyle from freezing my body up entirely.
In my 40′s I continued to listen within, but also tried to brute force my forms and probably injured myself more than anything else. Then someone worked with me to listen WHILE I did my forms… Chi was there all the time, I just didn’t see it.
In my 50′s the Chi came when I was willing to devote the time to my forms… In movement, in breath, in stillness – it’s there, it always was, it always will be.
How about you? Where are you on your journey? When and where do you find your center?
Look for the Extraordinary in Your Ordinary Tai Chi Practice
I practice Tai Chi and Qi Gong every day (well almost everyday…) Anyway, when something becomes a habit, doing the laundry or exercising and I hate to say it, Tai Chi too, I have a tendency to just go through the motions, get done what needs to happen and move on… I don’t really pay as much attention as I should, it’s automatic.
Well, occasionally I have a breakthrough and see things that I did not previously observe…
I was watching a YouTube vid on Tai Chi Walking (link on a previous post) and what the guy was saying has really affected not only my Tai Chi, but the way I move in daily activity.
To put a foot forward (this is Qi Gong to be hard to explain, but what the heck…) To put your foot forward but keep you weight back until your front foot is fully planted, and then, and only then roll forward into the step, really keeps you grounded, more focused and balanced. Another thing, is when you roll forward, don’t extend beyond your knee. We studied this in Karate and Kung Fu, but not to this level of observable detail…
So he mentioned it, it watched this video for – well no more than 10 minutes and there you go. The extraordinary in the ordinary… I just need to pay attention – One moment at a time.
Easier said than done…
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Walking Through My Day – The Tai Chi Way
Moving in Tai Chi and moving as we go through our day, shouldn’t be different, however for me there is…
When I walk through my day, I am not MINDFUL of the movement! Not good?
Well, you might say – it’s instinct you idiot! Everybody (most everybody) knows how to walk… Well yes this is true, but in practice, to further the flow of Chi, Chi has to follow the mind, and if you’re not paying attention, who knows where it’s gonna go!
The center is below the navel – the dan tien and to move from there is different. To walk with your center in mind, you don’t over extend your movement. As in sparring; my weight is never beyond my circle, never extended past my knee when advancing; to do so would put me “off balance”. Internally Chi is “dispersing”, it’s not concentrated and focused.
So walk from the center, stay back and put your foot in front of you, not on top of it, don’t be in a hurry.
There’s a great YouTube video on this concept – seems like a together guy - Steven Hua
Until next time… Rick
Don’t Hold Your Breath… or Your Chi
Occasionally my teacher will quietly say …. “Don’t forget to breathe” as we practice Qi Gong or Tai Chi… Sometimes I think she’s reading my mind! I get so caught up in movement, balance etc. etc…. all the other important stuff, that I find myself holding my breath!
I think back to instances when sparring and doing the same thing, and you know, whenever I held my breath, I completely lost the flow of the moment, the follow through, the technique that would have scored the point. Worse yet, forcing the breath also leads to tension an injuries… don’t I know it!
Have you ever noticed when you are in a tense situation that you hold your breath? How about it just becoming shallow, not cleansing and kind of jagged?
In my opinion, Chi flows with the breath and the mind, so if you are holding your breath, you are really holding and blocking the mind and your natural energy from the natural course…
Be mindful of it and then let it go…
