Mindfulness & Tai Chi
Tai Chi is a study of mindfulness and your movement.
There is a deep awareness of your body waiting to be accessed. All it takes is turning attention to observing yourself in motion. When we focus our minds on our bodies we can notice a hundred details in the simplest of movements. We start to notice where we are weak and where we are strong. We see the power that comes from alignment and the strain that follows mis-alignment. We feel where the body’s potential for free and powerful movement has become limited or distorted.
How you move directly relates to quality of life and health. If injury doesn’t tie us up, stress often will. Whatever the reason, once our movement becomes limited our quality of life declines. As we lose range and complexity of motion we start to avoid challenges. We narrow to physically familiar movements and the diminishing process continues. Under used areas of the body become weakened and stiff; they become stagnant.
We are naturally resilient. These stresses and stagnation can be compensated for. We are able to continue. Eventually though, a weak link breaks. We refer to this state as “Getting Old” and condemn ourselves to it somewhere around 30 to 40, maybe 50 years of age. Then we settle in for the decline.
Feeling grim yet? Well you don’t have to.
Remember, we are naturally resilient. And our bodies tell us everything we need to restore our movement. What feels stiff needs to be gently worked, stretched and massaged. Where we feel weak we need controlled challenge, pushing our bodies to develop without overloading them. We miss these subtle cues when our minds are distracted or in thought.
How Mindfulness Is Involved:
Tai chi is practiced with presence of mind and the intention to move without restriction. It provides the gentle work to clear out stagnation and the controlled challenge to develop strength. The practice of being aware, through intentional movement unlocks surprising physical abilities as our skill of alignment and coordination deepens.
Start by following this video. —
Practice this at home every day. Go deep into the body with your awareness.
Enjoy the sense of power and relief as you unlock your body.
As you practice know that doing more tai chi is not better.
Deeper tai chi is better. Every time you do a movement you are learning a richer awareness of your body. You actively observe every motion looking for tension you couldn’t see yesterday. Each breath you take in deeply releasing any resistance to the inhale. The exhale becomes an effortless letting go of the the air and any tension you have uncovered in the body. We move into the areas that are weak with smooth control and focus.
Think of the practice of tai chi as a conversation with your body. You are learning to listen better. Understand more. And respond to the needs you find.
By better understanding our selves and bringing body and mind into harmony we create a state of well being.
Enjoy the practice.
Enjoy the process.
Enjoy your life.