Feeling

In the previous post I discussed my approach to Tai Chi presentations I deliver.

That is – demonstrate a skill, get participants to do it and then ask an open question such as ‘do you feel any sensation in any part of your body’?

Usually I get someone answering the question.

But sometimes no one answers and what follows is silence.

And that silence can feel like an eternity.

Rather than give in to temptation and make excuses I simple move on and say something like ‘just practice more in your own time and see how you go’.

This is a practical approach as usually in a speech or presentation I only have a maximum of ten minutes to introduce, demonstrate, get participants involved and ask the open question.

If I was running a workshop I’d have much more time to teach and develop the flow of Chi so most participants can actually feel it.

So even if a participant in a presentation does not feel the Chi at the very least they have been introduced to Tai Chi and challenged to practice and see what happens.

And if they do practice I’m confident that most will feel and believe.

They say that ‘seeing is believing’ but in Tai Chi I’ve found that ‘feeling is believing’.

Whenever I run Tai Chi presentations I first demonstrate a skill and then get the participants to perform the skill.

Then I always ask ‘do you feel any specific sensation in your body’.

I never ask a questions like ‘do you feel the chi in your hands’ because that insinuates that they should be feeling something in their hands. A leading question such as this is biased and will not always get an honest answer due to politeness.

But asking a question such as ‘do you feel any specific sensation in your body’ is unbiased and usually I get one or more people saying they feel something and can describe where they feel it.

If they feel something then there is no need to try and convince someone in words.

Because feeling is believing.

Feeling Is Believing – Part 2

Feeling Is Believing – Part 1