I continue to change my views on what I believe Tai Chi is and what it is not. It's not simple, that's for sure - but it's not mysterious either. (which I suppose is the "busted" bit) Okay, there's a subtle level to it, but unless you're willing to devote your whole life towards single mindedly cultivating it, I suspect it's unlikely you ' ll ever attain it, whatever it is, and the rest of us would be better making do with more modest goals.It's therefore better not to think beyond where you're up to with your practice, otherwise, by trying too hard, you risk becoming attached from the outset to an egocentric goal that will ultimately subvert your progress.
Unfortunately, it's the promise of attaining this subtle level, this super human status that has spawned a thousand myths a million gurus (nine out of ten of whom are probably charlatans) and their books containing their "secret" teachings and their experiment weekend seminars. But this isn ' t Tai Chi it's consumerism: the art of convincing you to part with your money in exchange for something you can comfortably do without. This is not to say I'm immune from the seductive charms of at orientally flavoured book cover and possess by now a shelf full of those secret teachings. I ' ve been so on seminars, only to come away thinking that the essence of what I ' ve learned over the course of a tedious day could have been amply disseminated in a ten minute chat or a single sided handout.You don ' t learn Tai Chi from books or blogs like this, or seminars. You learn it by practicing what you know - even if it's only a few moves - over and over, and, in the practice, you learn what it feels like to be yourself, by feeling yourself from the inside out.
Practicing Tai Chi slowly and with a relaxed awareness lulls you into a psychological state called mindfulness - in other words, meditation, and meditation is the number one weapon in the stress buster's armoury.Meditation - however you achieve it – is good for you.
Exercise is good for you too: running, swimming, cycling, aerobics, kick-boxing, dancing, walking,... anything that gets you moving: they all hit the spot - but what Tai Chi does is a focus on the specifics of what it is that maintains your health. Okay, you can run Marathon if you want to, or lift weights to build your muscles and make of yourself really strong, but such extreme are not the essential thing if all you want to do is maintain a reasonably fit and healthy body that will preserve its vitality, flexibility and function into old age.
There are three components that keep us in good shape: the first is the blood. Our blood needs to contain plenty of oxygen, and to circulate the body efficiently. Tai Chi encourages deep breathing, which gradually increases our lungs ' capacity. A greater production capacity increases the amount of oxygen you can get into your blood with each breath, and this in turn reduces the need for the heart to beat faster when we exert ourselves.The result of all this is that, at times when we do have to move powerfully and over a sustained period of time, it puts less of a strain on the heart (lower heart - rate) and we find ourselves no longer gasping for breath as much as we used to do if you ' re involved in any other form of sport, practicing Tai Chi on the side will do wonders for your stamina.
The second component in maintaining good health is the lymphatic system. Lymphatic fluids circulate the body, collecting waste and disease-causing agents, which are then filtered out by the lymph nodes. The lymphatic system relies entirely on normal body movements, including breathing, to drive the fluids around. Tai Chi movements and deep breathing, stimulate the system and get it working efficiently, expelling toxins and optimising our natural immunity.
The third component is bioelectricity, what might sometimes be referred to loosely as "Chi". This is controvertial, but from a practitioner's point of view it is so interesting. Bioelectricity is looked upon skeptically in mainstream western medical circles.The body generates on electromagnetic field - I don ' t think there's much of an argument there, but the traditional western view is that this is simply a by-product of the human body's nervous system. The traditional Chinese view however is based upon the premise that the electromagnetic field is structured, and instrumental in maintaining the body's function. So, even more contentious is the premise that it is possible not only to manipulate the structure of the electromagnetic field by such practices as acupuncture and Tai Chi, but that one can also access an energy potential from the natural environment, and store it in the body, in order to maintain and enhance its vitality.
Speaking from my own experience, I ' ve used acupuncture to good effect.It felt weird and it worked. I have therefore felt unusual tingling sensations during Tai Chi that are reminiscent of mild electric shocks. At this stage in my practice then I'm inclined to say there are more reasons for taking the idea of component of electromagnetic - what might also be called Chi - seriously, and working with it, than rather dismissing it.
The layout of the so called acupuncture channels or meridians, as depicted by Chinese medicine have been verified by physical measurements - their presence identified as points of lowered electrical resistance (ref.)(Becker - the body electric).In the Chinese view, the meridians are of vital importance.Tension in the muscles, injury or persistent emotional problems, will increase the resistance of the meridians, thereby impeding the bioelectric current, upsetting the body's balance and ultimately our health.
The practice of Tai Chi is said to run, "opening them up", keeping relax the areas in which the meridians resistance to a minimum and ensuring an optimum state of balance, so the body is given the best fighting chance of maintaining its own health.
The student must make of this what he wants.The meridians that run up the arm and terminate in the fingertips are said to be the most sensitive and regular practice of Tai Chi does eventually result in physical sensations in the arm and specific finger.I don ' t know what these sensations are exactly, but as to whether or not they exist if you practice, you can feel them and they are unlike anything else you will have experienced.This has the effect of tempering one's skepticism and keeping the mind open to the possibilities.For the student, it's perhaps best not to bother too much with what might or might not be going on here except to know that it feels good when it happens, that it's a sign the body is correctly aligned, relaxed, and that we are performing the movements properly.
That's all there is to it then.
If you're thinking you should be getting more exercise but don ' t fancy killing yourself in a gym I suggest you stop thinking about it, and stop reading about it, except to scour your local directory for a class and then give Tai Chi a try!
Practicing Tai Chi is the only way to learn it.
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