Labor Day is the day we Americans are supposed to rest from our labors. Being Americans we are known both for our work ethic, that has contributed to one of the highest rates of heart disease in the World, and for our play. When we play, which isn’t all that often for a lot of us, we play every bit as hard as we work. The play contributes to healing the “dis-ease” we’ve caused through the other excess of work.
Tai chi players, it is said, should practice every day. The thing to remember is that everyone needs a rest now and then, even tai chi players. It doesn’t have to be today, but don’t feel you have to push yourself every single day. The other side to this coin is that we often tend to beat ourselves up for not practicing enough. This worrying also causes “dis-ease” that we then work to heal through our practice. Just let your practice be what it is and enjoy it. Through this practice you’ll find you will want to play tai chi even more often.
It’s Labor Day, and although I will get some work done today, it’s also time for me to play. I’ll leave you with this.
“Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another.”
Anatole France, from The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard
Your thoughts?
John
P.S. I found this picture on my Master’s site, Master Cui Zhongsan. It’s from when he lead 34,000 Chinese in the standardized 24 form set on August 8 of this year in celebration of National Fitness Day in China. http://www.yongniantaiji.com/index_cn.htm
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Sheld (36 comments)
880 days ago
Absolutely, one must take time for the body to recover when training.
Though I would think that even on a day off, you can still work at your Tai Chi if just by thinking about it from a relaxed perspective for new angles, and even,IMHO, feeling with sencitivity in everything you do, so even when you are not training, you can be training.
John Crewdson (479 comments)
878 days ago
Sheld,
Those are some good points. “Training when not training” is a tenet of tai chi and I think something that develops naturally when we practice regularly.
John
mark small (4 comments)
858 days ago
What about entrainment?… Neuro-peptides somatically cohere or resonate with peptides in the heart and gut, according to Dr. Candice Pert. In the language of Chinese systms, mind intent combines with chi and jing arises to prompt shen to your head top. This, it seems to me, is the work at play within us.
John Crewdson (479 comments)
857 days ago
Mark,
Yes we do tend to entrain with those around us and this affects the body as well. Tai chi should be about playing, but I think we periodically need a break… even from play.
John
Dottie (2 comments)
540 days ago
I must say… Between the picture and the thought of 34,000 people all following the same set… I’m blown away!
John Crewdson (479 comments)
539 days ago
Dottie,
Yea seeing that many people do tai chi at the same time is pretty interesting.
John