Training

Training at home may seem like a chore at first. If this is the case, do not force yourself to practice. Give it time. Do only what you feel like doing...

Eventually you forget that there was a time when you did not do tai chi. The tai chi seeps into your everyday body usage and you begin to do things differently, with more awareness.

Again, this becomes habit. For the tai chi to work, you must relax and be receptive to it. If your enthusiasm grows you will exercise because you want to. Not because you think that you ought to.

Variety of applications

If you understand the underlying physical principles of tai chi, you can explore a wide variety of possible applications and insights.

Your body is trained to naturally, unconsciously employ the essence of tai chi in any given situation, rather than plan and think. It is all a question of habit.

Habit

If you repeat something often enough it becomes unconscious. Unconscious behaviour is known as 'habit'. We all develop habits throughout our lives.

Some help us to avoid making mistakes and forgetting things. Other habits are not so useful; they can actually hamper your fitness.

Living in harmony

Most martial arts meet conflict with resistance.

Tai chi is different; it requires the student to blend, to join, to avoid blocking the path of force.

This process is called 'yielding', and the joining may be seen as 'mutual arising'.

It is the completion of the yin/yang diagram.

Given the prevalence of conflict in our culture and the common urge to fight, the challenge of non-contention is daunting.

By overcoming fear and using the physics skilfully, a tai chi person can meet the incoming attack softly, redirect the force and avoid unnecessary violence.

A person may choose to apply this methodology throughout all aspects of their life.

Reflection

Being alone offers you the opportunity to let jumbled thoughts settle.

Things that may be bothering you can be considered calmly.

If you wander without purpose, doing whatever pleases you or needs doing, you may find that your worries drift also.

Simple chores like cleaning, washing dishes or ironing become profoundly soothing.

Time alone is a chance to catch up with yourself, to consider how you are living your life and to let your thoughts fade...

Dependence

Television, friends, family, work are all ways in which we avoid being alone.

There is a vast industry of distractions intended to keep people entertained.

It is important to question this dependence upon outside things.

Being alone

It is healthy to spend some time alone in your own company.

Modern life can easily become hurried and people are caught in a stream of incessant activity.

Taking time to be alone is very important if you want to relax fully.

 Silence is the ornament of the learned and the clock of the ignorant.

(Mohammad)

Quiet places

Most people have minds that are like adverts chattering noisily: worrying, flitting and unsettled.

By breathing deeply and naturally, you become quieter inside.

By moving slowly and calmly, you are aware of what is happening as it happens.

There are quiet places in this world. Places undisturbed by incessant noise. Seek them out.

They will assist you in becoming quiet inside.

Walk along the surf at 6:00 AM.

Unplug the phone, sit in a quiet room and read without disturbance.

Wander through leafy woods and fields.

Notice things...

What is silence?

Silence occurs when the mind becomes quiet and still.

This process cannot be forced. The mind must naturally settle and relax.

Tai chi creates a situation where your attention is absorbed with where you are and what you are doing, so the mind becomes quiet automatically.

Unlike concentration, you allow the mind to open and become expansive.

You feel, hear and see everything around you.

The chattering of your thoughts will begin to fade.

Be

Perhaps you are exactly where you are supposed to be.

This is your life, why not make the best of it?

There are opportunities for joy, adventure and fun to be found all around you.

You just need to see.

It may take some courage to act, but this is your life - you make it what it is.

Waiting for change

Reality does not require acceptance.
It is.
Whether or not you want it to be.

Knowing this, you may as well just relax and enjoy the journey.

You are where you are, and any change to your circumstance will either come from the outside or from within yourself.

Waiting for change from without is a little desperate - if you have dreams, they are your responsibility.

Struggle

So much time can be spent struggling against what is. The reality of our lives is the reality.

Everything that we may dream or imagine is simply an idea.

Plans, hopes and dreams are what we want, they are not what is.

How you choose to regard your life is up to you - your perception can bring you sadness or joy.

Fate?

Taoism recognises that life has an elusive nature that can be observed but not understood.

You may seek to have control over life, yet so much escapes you.

Can you change the following:

Where you were born and into what circumstances?

Your appearance, height and other genetic factors?

Aging and death?

Whether you find a lasting relationship with the 'right' person?

In moments of darkness and pain

remember all is cyclical.

Sit quietly behind your wooden door:

Spring will come again.

(Loy Ching Yuen)

Quality

Students are encouraged to learn what their natural range of movement is and to work safely within their capacity.

Most people put their body under subtle stress throughout the day without realising it; the strain builds up gradually and eventually causes damage.

It is important to improve existing mobility and strength without making things worse.

Awareness is essential when practising tai chi; the student must learn to use the optimal body structure at all times.

This structure will ensure that no adverse wear and tear occurs.

Correct use of the body when lifting or applying pressure is also considered.

Even a small period of home practice every day will begin to improve your health.

Tai chi

Dr Paul Lam, an expert in using tai chi for arthritis advocates a soft approach rather than 'no pain, no gain'.

He emphasises the importance of:

1. Higher stances

2. A lot of qigong to improve breathing, relaxation and healing

3. Looking deeper into the art of tai chi in order to improve students awareness and understanding

Dr Lam has the support of arthritis foundations worldwide.

Not knowing

If you think you know what tai chi is about, then that very knowledge will hamper your progress.

Knowing assumes familiarity and understanding.

To learn, it is crucial to let go of what you think you know. Learning is a process, not a conclusion.

Teaching & learning

The aim of our school is not to give you an evening's workout.

We seek to pass the skills onto you.

That way, you know tai chi for yourself and you can practice at home whenever you like.

The joy of learning

Gaining skill is an occasion for enthusiasm and fun.

If you are studying something you enjoy, it should not feel like hard work.

As your abilities improve and your insight deepens, you recognise how much you have learned.