I have been practicing Chi for 25 years and have been teaching Tai Chi for 14 years, and it has been enjoyable from the very start. It is a very low impact exercise and a means to calm the mind. Out of that comes an energy that, at first, seems strange. It needs to be experienced to appreciate. At the end of my daily practice I began to feel the strange energy. I didn’t understand it, at first, and would walk away from it. Then I realized it was something to savor.
As I continued to practice, the energy would continue to slowly build. It became apparent to me that cellular energy began to coordinate with the surrounding energy until eventually my energy became coherent in ever growing ranges. Instead of my movements being isolated in certain areas, the coherence continued to grow throughout my body. From a single posture the coherence began to grow and become coherent thought the practice. I found that if I needed to get out of the zone, it became much easier to immediately return.
As I practice Tai Chi, my thoughts are exchanged one for another and without lingering on anything distracting. That allows my deeper mind to sort out my life experiences and to solve the conflicts from a meditative perspective. I am able to take that practice into daily living and step away from emotional trials. I have studied under different masters and with different styles of Tai Chi. I have come to realize it is not the family style, nor the length of the form, nor the number of movements nor the form of Tai Chi, but the general way Tai Chi is practiced that is important.
I don’t rule out any particular style but find, for a lot of people, a long form can be distracting from the benefit. Therefore I have developed a series of essential movements that I practice repeatedly. It helps people start at any time and still appreciate the many benefits. It helps to practice with abandon in a relaxed, smooth and continuous way. In my classes we keep talking down to a minimum. When new people attend, it is used as an excuse to go over the basics and as a review for the others. Questions are welcome particularly at the end of the class. Observation and attention to one’s own kinesthetic are important tools for learning Tai Chi.
Come join us at the Timbers of Shorewood for your enjoyment and relaxation at 2:30 p.m. on Mondays. We are normally prompt and the class lasts one enriching hour. Please check with your doctor for any possible limitations. Anyone is invited to sit or take a break at any time.