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.
I agree. Sometimes I feel like putting up a sign ‘Don’t Think’ before a Tai Chi session.
I think talking about chi and energy conjures images of magic fairy dust in people who have not experienced Tai Chi or similar internal arts. I like to remind people that “chi” is not a type of energy like electricity, but is more generic, like the word “energy” itself. When we speak of chi, we might be talking about mindfulness, intent, potential energy, kinetic energy, the structural forces created by the combination of gravity and skeletal positions, etc…When they stop thinking they have to believe in invisible magic to get anything out of Tai Chi, maybe that will help them realize some benefits… Ironically, that’s when they’ll start feeling the REAL magic of Chi.