Archives for 2010

24/7 Tai Chi

It’s been a very busy day.

A lot of rushing around doing shopping, work jobs and picking up a Karate Kid dvd from the local video shop.

I’ve realised now that there was little, if any, Tai Chi used to maitain my centre and not become stressed.

During the running around I felt like a nine pin in a bowling alley. The one that gets knocked and wobbles for what seems an eternity before it falls.

I need to be more focused and apply 24/7 chi whenever I feel tired and/or stressed.

And the best way to do that is do it in the moment, whenever needed, rather than wait until training.

Otherwise what’s the point of practicing Tai Chi?

The Write Chi

By Chris Leave a Comment

Recently I turned over a new leaf and my doona cover to get out of bed at 5.55am.

Yes, that’s a.m. not p.m.

Why?

Well, I’ve decided to finish my first draft of my screenplay and the early start is the only way I can achieve this.

The early start allows me to complete my 30 minute Chi Kung set, have breakfast and then do one of hour of writing before I start my paid job.

It also takes the pressure of trying to complete my 2-3 sessions of Chi Kung and Tai Chi throughout the day.

The Chi Kung set has been an enormous help for creative thinking and writing as it gets the chi to flow.

I think and feel better at that time of the morning and it also energises me at the same time.

It’s amazing what you can achieve when you practice the ‘write chi’.

Really Small Frame Tai Chi

By Chris Leave a Comment

Several years ago I travelled overseas by plane from Australia to Europe for a holiday.

Every now and again I did some Chi Kung exercises in my seat to stretch out, narrowly avoiding the flight attendant running over my toe or knocking my knee with the drinks trolley.

After several hours I needed to do some Tai Chi so I ventured to the back of the plane to practice and get the Chi to flow.

Well, it was an adventure because I had to manoeuvre my way through a fog of smoke that appeared from the back seats, just below the ‘no smoking’ sign. There was no point in telling the attendants as some of them were smoking as well.

I was probably better off practicing on the wing of the plane but it would have been a bit draughty so I decided to back myself against the wall and adopt a standing posture.

Embrace the tree posture didn’t work as I had passing traffic occassionaly bump into me. I was tempted to do so fajing but that would have been unsociable.

I settled for a standing posture with my arms to the side and visualised the movements from the form. I could feel the Chi flow again and eventually returned to my seat and made sure I tucked my long skinny legs in, to avoid the trolley menace.

I felt energised and was happy I was able to do my ‘really small frame Tai Chi’ in a confined space.

Wrong Journey – Right Destination

By Chris 2 Comments

Performing the Tai Chi form is like going on a journey without travelling too far to reach a destination.

Well, the other day I took the wrong journey and still ended up at the right destination.

I was performing my Tai Chi form at the The Convent in Abbotsford, during a break at the Australian Appreciative Inquiry Forum day.

It was a beautiful sunny day and the grassed courtyard was the perfect environment to practice my Tai Chi form. I was focused and relaxed and commenced my journey with the opening posture and ventured onwards as I had done thousands of times before.

Then it happened.

I lost my way.

During the journey I ended up facing the wrong way in ‘Wave Hands Like Clouds’, missed the path to ‘Parting The Wild Horse’s Mane’ .

When I had realised what I had done I created a couple of new paths to include the missing postures and continued on until I had reached the end of the journey at ‘Completion’ of the form.

You see, I had travelled part of a wrong journey but still reached the right destination as the chi had flowed. Just like it had many times when I had travelled the right journey.

Many years ago I would have been very annoyed with myself for losing my way in the form. But now it doesn’t matter.

If I occasionally go on the wrong journey, it’s okay, as long as I reach the right destination.

Tai Chi? It Doesn’t Work

By Chris 2 Comments

I heard him mutter ‘Tai Chi doesn’t work’ but I resisted the temptation to explain and justify why it does work.

He wasn’t disrupting the group and it was probably his first attempt at Tai Chi so I ignored his comment.

My attention was devoted to the room full of people who were actively engaged and enjoying the Tai Chi energizer I used as part of a facilitation day.

Ironically this fellow was right.

Tai Chi does not work.

Especially if you stop after one minute of practice.