Tai Chi could be your answer to a Healthier Stronger You
Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese art form of moving meditation, energy cultivation/conservation and self-defense. The practice of Tai Chi can bring powerful benefits to our lives ranging anywhere from better balance of our bodies and emotions, to complete healing of terminal illness. Modern medical science is steadily accepting the proof of the interdependent nature of our minds, bodies and emotions, and how these parts of ourselves can no longer be treated separately with any high degree of success.
Tai Chi is a practice in balancing internal energy, and works with the very center of our being. This center is where we breathed when we were in the womb of our mother, and as infants and toddlers. As we grew up and became more so called sophisticated, we breathed higher in the lungs, which isn’t so bad, but as the demands of modern living increased, our natural ability to breathe deeper and fuller decreased. This caused our cells to die off faster and to age us quicker.Many of us went from supple to hard, and then from agile to stiff.
Breath is energy, and this breath energy is called Qi (pronounced Chi).
The exuberance experienced during and after the practice of Tai Chi is due to the feeling of energy enhancement, as well as the opening and freeing up of joints. Oftentimes people mention that joint pain has been reduced during practice, and in many cases completely eliminated. In addition to increased energy and joint pain relief, many practitioners feel a sense of deep relaxation. This is where the term “relaxed force” comes from. There is really no mystery to why Tai Chi practice brings about better health and a feeling of well-being. We’re simply doing what nature intended; breathing from our bellies and moving with natural rhythm. Maybe this is why dancing feels so good.
Stress! The #1 killer
If you're experiencing higher than usual levels of stress, and finding it more difficult to cope with the enormous changes on our planet, you are not alone. The resiliency of human beings is being challenged like never before.
Stress can be a killer; there are more stress related illnesses in the world today than ever before. The pressures to keep up with all the demands on our time, our energy, our relationships and even just to "fit in", are becoming more severe. It's almost like we're being turned upside down, churned up, reconfigured, and tested to see if we're hardy enough to represent some new paradigm shift.
Good News Alert!
Trying times can give us new tools to reach deeper into our creative minds. Rest assured, within these times are incredible opportunities to learn, to heal, and to become stronger and more self- confident than we’ve ever been before.
Reduce your stress by unblocking energy
Stress is the cause as well as the result of sluggish, stagnant or even blocked energy in our minds and bodies. A simple analogy can explain this. If we have a water hose with water flowing through it, and we kink the hose, the flow of water will be impeded. The tighter we squeeze the hose closed, the more impeded the flow of water becomes. We must relax our grip and open the hose in order for the water to flow strong again. This analogy can also be used to explain how stress can reduce energy flow and therefore reduce natural vitality. When we lose natural vitality, life can become very dull.
Tai Chi, the practice in letting go of resistance to change
Life is change, and change is movement. Stress constricts energy and can cause us to resist change, even the change we hope for. Stress can inhibit creative thinking and immobilize our intentions. This can put us in a state of mental and even physical paralysis (resistance). Further, this can set us up for even greater amounts of stress, and if we don't find dependable ways to reduce this amount of stress, we can become extremely vulnerable to sickness and disease.
Tai Chi practice opens energy pathways in our minds and bodies by way of certain structural alignments, deep rhythmic breathing and focused movement. Success in Tai Chi practice depends on a strong desire for personal wellness, as well as the willingness to be patient in the process of change. Many of us have quite a momentum in the neglect of our wellness, so it will take some time along with some focused effort to slow down this momentum and change course. We could equate this with a long, fast moving train going downhill; it’s going to take some time to slow it down.
Tai Chi, the art of Internal Kung Fu
We hear a lot about the art of Kung Fu these days. The bridging between China and America has brought new philosophies and practices to both nations. Our cinemas are filled with dramas and even some comedy involving Kung Fu and many other martial arts. But most do not portray the more authentic aspects of the art. We mostly see these ridiculously long fight scenes between opponents unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks, smashing each other in the face and coming back without a scratch. This is not authentic Kung Fu, or perhaps it can’t be, because if it was, it wouldn’t be so fancy and pretty, and then very little money would be made. However, most of us would admit that it’s exciting to watch.
Kung Fu is a martial art, but the true meaning of the word is energy/time. In other words, anything that uses energy and takes a fair amount of time to accomplish is considered Kung Fu. Other words associated with Kung Fu are focus, diligence, patience and perseverance. Kung Fu is a big part of Tai Chi practice because it involves these attributes, especially patience and perseverance. These are needed to affect intended change (the change we hope for).
Qigong, the essence of Tai Chi practice
Qigong is a Chinese word that means energy work or, energy involvement. Qigong is the essence of Tai Chi practice. Without the element of Qigong, the Tai Chi movement would be like an empty dance of independent body parts with no substance, no real meaning. In Jade Dragon Tai Chi, the element of Qigong is strongly emphasized through the practice of meditation, deep rhythmic breathing and relaxed but focused attention. All this contributes to a strong life energy, which inspires action toward the achievement of one's life goals. This is personal empowerment, the driving force that inspires higher accomplishment.
Bring out your Inner Warrior with the practice of Tai Chi
When you feel the urge to be strong and to put forth the effort to change old self-defeating ways; this is emergence of your inner warrior. We all have an inner warrior but many are not in the habit of trusting and exercising it. Your inner warrior is that part of you that gives you the feeling of hopefulness; that inner voice that tells you that you can if you really try. It is the added strength you feel when your mind is open to possibilities. Your inner warrior gives you the needed boost to push past those times of uncertainty, self doubt and fear. The inward conviction and outward expression of your inner warrior will attract to you people and circumstances that will assist you in achieving your goals and realizing your dreams. Your inner warrior is your self-defense mechanism; that part of you that becomes alert when an enemy threatens to overcome you. This enemy can be something as simple as a poor me attitude, or as complicated as the perception of impossibilities.
Tai Chi in a nutshell
Tai Chi practice balances internal life energy in order to harmonize external life experience. When our life energy is strong, we can experience health, well-being and personal empowerment. When it is weak, we can experience ill health, a sense of lack, limitation and insecurity. Tai Chi is a powerful practice in getting energy moving and making it stronger and more vital. The more vital our life energy, the more fulfilling our life experience.
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