Nearly every tai chi and qigong teacher seems to have a blog, and they’re almost
all pretty good – you can learn something of value from each of them. This blog, whose primary audience is my own students, will be a
repository of information for reference, as much or more than it will be a
collection of my own thoughts. That
said, it’s inevitable that something of the author comes through any such
resource, simply because of the things he or she chooses to share with their
audience.
One of the problems with starting a tai chi blog for students is knowing where
to start. The teacher must look from the
perspective of the student, and keep his or her needs in mind. What’s the first thing a student needs to know
about tai chi? Is it the forms? The breathing? The applications? The jargon? The history?
The underlying philosophy? There
is much to learn and it can be daunting looking at everything at once.
I think the first thing the student ought to know about undertaking the study
of tai chi, qigong or indeed any long-term pursuit, is the fact that it is
a life-long pursuit which will become increasingly rewarding as the months and
years of study go on. Because of this,
it’s not necessary to know everything at once, or even to be very good at
anything at first. It is simply
necessary to begin somewhere, in earnest, with an open, receptive mind and a calm,
inquisitive spirit. Trust the process,
and trust the journey.
Take your time and be patient & forgiving with yourself. We spend a lifetime adapting ourselves to the
world around us – how we move, how we work, how we interact with the things and
people around us – and we develop habits of movement, work and interaction
which may or may not be beneficial to our well-being. Anyone who suffers carpal-tunnel syndrome or
chronic back problems knows exactly what I’m on about.
Tai chi, in addition to being a martial art, has as one of its goals the
un-learning of bad habits, and replacing them with ways of moving, working and
interacting that are healthy, natural and stable. We don’t grow into our bad habits overnight
and we won’t undo them overnight.
I’ll leave you with the following quote from the late Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo:
“Every day you have to eat. Every day you have
to practice. I wish you would practice every day and, make this training a part
of your life. Practice every day and you will improve. Create continuity and
use your will to continue. This training will improve your body and mind making
your work easier and your life better. You will have happiness and a wonderful
life.”
