Hi welcome to Talking Tai Chi with the teapotmonk.
Today we begin out journey and start our exploration of what is Tai Chi.
But instead of defining it - a rather meaningless task given the enormous cultural and linguistic issues involved, I'm going to begin with a question that is not only fundamental to all beginners of the art, but of equal importance to teachers, intermediate students and everyone seeking to improve their practice.
WHY LEARN TAI CHI?
A. Perhaps this is the question that begins our journey, but it is also the question to which we return again and again. Why learn, why practice for decades and why invest so much time and energy into this most noble of arts? Clearly, the answer will vary from person to person, but as a teacher im aware that a greater and greater number of students cite "health" as their primary motive. At times, health is referred to in physical terms, others mentally, spiritually, philosophically or even culturally. It is a complex picture, but throughout these podcasts we shall be looking into all of these interpretations.
but first let us step back from the specifics. Tennyson said that Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers." and Too often in Tai Chi we get embroiled in Details of knowledge, arguing over interpretation and authenticity. I'm going to do my best to avoid this tendency in these podcasts and instead, try to focus on the larger picture.
1. Letting go
When we begin to learn Tai Chi we embrace something unique in our lives. Tai Chi teaches us - in subtle ways - the benefits of slowing down, relaxing during tense moments and perhaps most importantly, to let things be. The concept of letting things be, or leaving alone is generally misunderstood as non-intervention, but this is only a partial interpretation. It doesn't mean - we don't get involved. Rather, that we choose the right moment with insight and patience. Well look more at this concept in later podcasts.
WHAT ELSE DOES TAI CHI TEACH US?
1. Stop the chatter
It teaches us that by emptying our minds we can find space for other things to approach. Often, we find this very difficult, as our present culture does not always look too favourably on emptiness and empty minds. Instead we are encouraged to fill up our heads with facts, dry knowledge that enables us to quote interesting stats, but says little about our capacity to keep quiet. .so to balance this tendency....tai chi shows us how to put aside a little time for ourselves....a time that is a genuine and qualitative moment that enables us to disconnect from the matrix - even if for just a short while. Consequently the spirit is replenished, the mind is quietened and our energy levels are recharged.
1. Go slow
Whilst the rest of the planet finds itself distracted by the communications age and consequently accelerates in order just to keep up, the Tai Chi practitioner slows down, steps back and watches as it all rushes by. Choosing the moment, the appropraite time to step in. We breathes deeply, and while we may be distracted by technology and the 10,000 things (see chapter on Philosophy) we are also diverted pleasantly by the texture of sunlight, the path of the moon or the movement of wind moving over water.
So in Conclusion.
Why do we learn tai chi? Yes we learn for meditative, spiritual and self-defense reasons - yet for many it begins, once more, with health. Physically, you are choosing to do something positive in life, something that will play a consistent, incremental and beneficial role in building your overall constitution, changing your posture, deepening your breath and improving your overall strength.
1.
Finally, it is good to learn something that will not disappear within a couple of years, Ending up redundant on a rubbish heap like like many an mp3 player,...it is good to practice something that has a value independent of the time in which we practice it.
Tai Chi has been around a long time an