IS TAI CHI MORE THIS…THAN THAT?

IS THE ZEBRA A WHITE HORSE WITH BLACK STRIPES, OR IS IT A BLACK HORSE WITH WHITE STRIPES?

TAI CHI IS OFTEN CAUGHT UP IN SIMILAR DISCUSSIONS THAT RESULT IN FIXATION ON A SINGLE PATH RATHER THAN AN OPENNESS TO THE HORIZON AHEAD

AT TIMES, A MORE PLAYFUL APPROACH IS REQUIRED

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People say it’s good to do Tai Chi surrounded by nature. whats wrong with doing it IN A LAUNDERETTE ?

It’s true that it feels different in nature than doing it in an underground car park or a launderette, because when you practice, you are engaging in an intimate dialogue with your surroundings. Now you may enjoy chatting with a washing machine, but personally, I prefer a conversation with the wind, whispering secrets through the trees.

TREES WHISPER
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THE TAI CHI SERIES

A teapot with a yin-yang symbol and a red-orange yin yang on design

I hear a lot that Tai Chi IS GOOD FOR BALANCE, BUT surely a set of stabilisers for my bike would be more practical.?

It’s less about stabilisers, see-saws or Bare-foot shoes. It’s a pursuit, not an Amazon product to be ordered and delivered. Think of it as a gentle weaving through this entangled tapestry. Balance is as delicate as a spider's web, yet strong enough to hold the weight of the world.

WEB

WHY DO TAI CHI practitioners obsess over every detail and angle OR EVERY MOVE (YAWN) ?

It may look to an outsider that we obsess over details, and that’s because we do.

Sadly, this puts a lot of people off after spending months learning a single wrist position. But there are other approaches, and it’s good to get a feeling for the moves at the beginning rather than get stuck in the quagmire of detail.

In this way, taking a broader approach is like the initial strokes of a painting. Each tai chi move is like a single brushstroke, painting a landscape of inner peace.

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A teapot with a yin-yang symbol and a red-orange yin yang on design
A teapot with a yin-yang symbol and a red-orange yin yang on design

What is this Tao business of which MANY speak ?

The Tao is simply the path, but not just one of least resistance, oh no, it should be one of curiosity too.

Like a river winding its way through green valleys, it searches for the easy route, avoiding at all costs the cul-de-sac, the straight and narrow, or the way that leads uphill.

But it also seeks out the route with a decent coffee shop along the way, perhaps even a route that offers shade,  a park bench to rest awhile, to pause and nibble a fig roll before heading off again.

This is the Tao of which I speak.

Black and white photo of a calm river flowing through a rural area with houses and trees on both sides.
A teapot with a yin-yang symbol and a red-orange yin yang on design

What is this GROUNDING IN tai chi business about?

Coffee beans are not exactly what we are referring to when we work on our grounding skills, though I appreciate the metaphor. Grounding in Tai chi is more about standing or moving whilst remaining well balanced and connected to the floor. It juxtaposes feeling as light as a feather whilst rooting yourself to the earth as an ancient oak tree. This is achievable by following a series of small postural guidelines, learning to relax the large muscle groups, and breathing in a coordinated and harmonious way.

MAN AND TREES