nzric
08-Dec-2003, 08:59 PM
I swear, I only came onto this forum in a random internet surf - now I'm hooked!
This is my 200th post, so I thought I'd make it a tai chi thread. I fell into tai chi as well - I was dragged along to a class by a friend of mine in London - I had no idea what I was getting myself into and I found it was the perfect match for my life and my psyche.
As well as getting me up and into sports/fitness (which has done amazing things for my health - especially once I cleaned up my act back in Australia), it has taught me a lot about what Chinese culture and philosophy has to offer. The martial side is a plus but although I couldn't practice a watered-down, non-martial tai chi, I think the martial aspect is just a minor part of everything I've gained.
Although I think I'll always be wary of the idea of chi, taiji has made me see there is much more to things than just western medicine. I've seen the benefits of acupuncture firsthand, and I've felt the chi circulation when I am "in the zone" while doing the form. Whether it's self hypnosis, just another interpretation of normal physiological processes, or actually chi, jing and shen, in the end it doesn't matter. We all know it helps so it's worthwhile to focus on it whatever your view.
What has tai chi taught you, that you wouldn't have seen/done otherwise?
This is my 200th post, so I thought I'd make it a tai chi thread. I fell into tai chi as well - I was dragged along to a class by a friend of mine in London - I had no idea what I was getting myself into and I found it was the perfect match for my life and my psyche.
As well as getting me up and into sports/fitness (which has done amazing things for my health - especially once I cleaned up my act back in Australia), it has taught me a lot about what Chinese culture and philosophy has to offer. The martial side is a plus but although I couldn't practice a watered-down, non-martial tai chi, I think the martial aspect is just a minor part of everything I've gained.
Although I think I'll always be wary of the idea of chi, taiji has made me see there is much more to things than just western medicine. I've seen the benefits of acupuncture firsthand, and I've felt the chi circulation when I am "in the zone" while doing the form. Whether it's self hypnosis, just another interpretation of normal physiological processes, or actually chi, jing and shen, in the end it doesn't matter. We all know it helps so it's worthwhile to focus on it whatever your view.
What has tai chi taught you, that you wouldn't have seen/done otherwise?