Thursday

Clutter

How you live is a reflection of how you think.
If your house is littered with junk, messy and cluttered, then ask yourself what inspired this.
If your home is a showcase for metal, glass, plastic and gadgetry, then it will be most evident to other people.
You cannot hide who you are.

Wednesday

Being empty

In Western culture, emptiness is considered to be something negative.
It has the connotation of absence.
When a person claims to 'feel empty', they are usually expressing displeasure and seek to find what they lack.
People look outside of themselves in a desperate search to fill this inner void.
In Taoism, it is different.

Tuesday

The training is friendly and relaxed yet still effective. There is no pressure put upon the individual. You train at your own pace and progress as you wish. Everyone in the class is treated the same, there are no favourites or cliques.
(Paul B)

Sunday

Tai chi is often described as "meditation in motion," but it might well be called "medication in motion." There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice, which originated in China as a martial art, has value in treating or preventing many health problems. And you can get started even if you aren't in top shape or the best of health.

Tai chi differs from other types of exercise in several respects. The movements are usually circular and never forced, the muscles are relaxed rather than tensed, the joints are not fully extended or bent, and connective tissues are not stretched. Tai chi addresses the key components of 
fitness — muscle strength, flexibility, balance, and, to a lesser degree, aerobic conditioning.
(Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publication, May 2009)

Saturday

Fix yourself up

Instead of accepting inevitable deteriorationwhy not aim to slow it down?Medical research has proven that a small daily commitment to tai chi practice can produce tremendous results over time. The training is concerned with re-energising the body.
Tai chi is all about finding balance between action & inaction, activity & rest, doing & not doing, mobility & stability, work & play, self & other.

Friday

Tai chi is the one exercise that can universally help solve our growing health crisis. It has stood the test of thousands of years. We have a generation of baby boomers with increasing health problems; old people who are sick, in pain, fearful, and cranky; a middle class that is increasingly incapable of affording most of the drugs that are prescribed for their ailments; children that are flaccid, diabetic and asthmatic. People of all ages are addicted to drugs, alcohol, sugar, cigarettes, and caffeine. Stress follows almost everyone like a shadow.
(Bruce Frantzis)

Wednesday

Long-term exercise

According to the book The Blue Zones it is important to think of exercise in terms of what you can reasonably do long-term.
The ideal form of exercise is moderate enough that you can do it for the rest of your life. It needs to be joint-friendly, provide a gentle workout and be sustainable.
This sounds rather like tai chi, doesn't it?