It takes a lot of maturity to strike
a balance here. You have to try hard but you have to have the patience to
accept that time is an essential ingredient, and as important as they are,
effort and determination in whatever quantities cannot replace hours,
months, or years of practice. It is not easy to be patient.
(Dave
Lowry)
Be prepared to study
Studying taoism will aid your search for real tai chi immensely.
Tai chi is an opportunity to put the insights and observations of taoism into
practice.
Look for teachers who are well-versed in taoism and can readily show how tai chi
uses taoist approaches.
Time spent researching taoism represents an investment.
Unravelling the mysteries of Tao Te Ching and Chuang Tzu is a fascinating and
rewarding endeavour.
Find the essence
Finding the essence of tai chi involves spending a lot of time practicing
and contemplating the art.
This does not mean hours of daily training and high repetitions.
Quality is more important than quantity.
You need to get to know your art really well. Observe it. Feel how it moves.
Determine what works and what does not work. And why.
Sensitivity, patience, endurance and awareness are all vital.
When your tai chi becomes part of who you are and how you move, you are really
getting somewhere.
You should start making connections, having insights, discovering unexpected
truths.
You appreciate the wonder of the art, the potential of what you are studying.
Do not stray
There will be a tremendous temptation to collect forms, accumulate drills
and qigong exercises.
Do not bother.
Pare your material down constantly. The larger your curriculum, the less you
understand it.
Specialise.
Meditation
Meditation is not about
sitting for long hours.
It is about
presence, about being in the immediate moment -
wide awake and aware of what is happening.
You can sit all day long and never reach a condition of
meditation.
Ideally, your tai chi should have a meditative component to it.
You can also benefit from working on meditation exercises independently from
your tai chi practice.
Zen
An exploration of zen can really help your tai chi.
Some people find zen to be a little odd or perhaps harsh, but zen offers
surprising stillness and calm.
It is all about finding the essence of things.
Zen continues the work of taoism by drawing your attention to the here and now.
You appreciate life, cultivate good, honest relationships with people and find
peace within yourself.
All of this feeds back into your tai chi practice.
Tai chi in your area
People ask us to recommend other classes and schools. We cannot do this.
Every tai chi
school has its own agenda. Each
school has its own values, concerns and interests.
These are not necessarily compatible with other schools.
Our advice is to explore what is available in your area. Try out some
classes.
You may find something you like. Something that appeals to your values,
concerns and interests.
Look for the virtue. The tai chi-ness of 'tai chi'. If you can find it, enjoy
the journey.
Page created 6 July 1998