Tai Chi for health & wellbeing
So far I have delivered two Chair Chi workshops in the aged care sector. One for a nursing home and one for a retirement village. Next week I have two more sessions booked so my workshops are starting to take off.
And what a pleasure it is in working with elderly people.
It was fun and inspiring not only to share the Chi exercises but also the wonderful conversations and stories during the session.
There is no mystique to Tai Chi Chuan. What is difficult is the perseverance. It took me ten years to discover my chi, but thirty years to learn how to use it. Once you see the benefit, you won’t want to stop.
While practicing my Chair Chi exercises this morning I focused on the theme of grounding.
Grounding is the ability to stabilise yourself by allowing the Chi to flow through your legs and deeply into the ground. It’s similar to a tree stabilised by its deep and spreading roots.
I was working on a Tai Chi self defence application in front of a mirror the other day which involved a low kick, parry and strike at virtually the same time.
As I did this I noticed and felt off balance performing this Tai Chi application.
Why?
Well, I was too focused on the strikes and paid little attention to balance just like most beginners would do.
To correct this mistake I focused on sending the Chi down the supporting leg and deep into the ground rather than in the direction of the striking hands and kicking leg.
As soon as a I did this I felt anchored to the ground and the following repetitions felt smooth and natural.
It just goes to show that no matter how many times you practice a skill you still need to be observant and be able tap into the feel of a techinque so you don’t drift into errors.
Add sitting on a chair Chi Kung exercises to your training so you can get a better understanding and feel for Chi.