John’s Tai-Blog @ Camp Tai ChiTai Chi and anything I can relate to Tai Chi … like life

Tai Chi, A “Secret Key” To Happiness

We all seem to be striving for that future state of happiness. We work long hours so we can have our dream homes, dream cars, go on dream vacations and ultimately experience our dream retirements.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t strive for these things. They have their place and each has it’s own value. I know when I’ve achieved something noteworthy, like buying a new house or having the kitchen remodeled, I feel pretty good about it and also gain a feeling of happiness from achieving it. It feels good.

What if you could not only experience that happiness for brief periods when you accomplished something you wanted - be it planting a special tree in your yard, finding a particularly comfortable and cool looking pair of shoes, or being promoted - but could also get that feeling for a little while each day? Wouldn’t that make life a little better, a little more worth living?

Sounds good doesn’t it? Imagine yourself feeling happy: no worries, no concerns, no outside pressures. That state of mind when realized, reduces stress levels, helps reduce blood pressure, relaxes the body, fortifies the mind, and strengthens the immune system.

Great, so how do you get there? It’s actually much simpler that you might think. It comes from a state of mind you can easily learn to adopt at different times during the day, and the more often you do it the more you find yourself feeling good for no particular reason. The key is to ‘let’ yourself experience it and to do this, all you do is let go of your worries and concerns for a few moments. It’s called mindfulness.

One way to to experience this state is simply by closing your eyes and focusing completely on the sounds in your environment. By this I mean the sounds, not what makes the sounds. When your mind runs off thinking about what the sound means, let go of that and just listen for other sounds. Focus on the direction of the sound, it’s pitch, it’s volume, while at the same time listening for other sounds.

Using your focus in this way for 5 minutes can give you an incredible sense of well being. This is what practicing tai chi does for you and it’s one of the reasons why people become addicted to it. On top of feeling better on an emotional level because of that state of mindfulness tai chi cultivates, it also strengthens the body in a multitude of ways.

So whether you’re interested in tai chi or not, find something you can focus on completely, several times during the day. The simplest way to do this is to focus on one of your senses completely without analyzing any of what you experience. The brief sense of well being you experience will make the rest of your life seem even more worthwhile. The good times and the not so good times will take on more meaning when your stress levels are lower and you can keep things in perspective.

Oh and one more thing.  When we’re not stressed out we tend to make better decisions, leading to even lower stress levels.  Your thoughts?

John

P.S.  I found this pic here:  http://www.computerarts.co.uk/tutorials/3d__and__animation/sound_and_vision

Happy New Year, Year of The Tiger

With this year’s beginning falling on the Western Valentine’s Day, I guess you could say this is the year of the kissing tiger, at least in the West.  I for one am eagerly looking forward to this year.  Being an Ox, I’m happy for my year to be finishing up.  It’s been said that the year of one’s own birth animal is generally a trying year.  For me this has definitely been the case.

The Year of the Tiger is a year symbolizing growth.  I hope this year turns out to be one of true growth for World economies, your personal life, and of course for all areas of my own life.  I therefore wish you 恭賀新禧 (gōng hè xīn xĭ), Happy New Year - a year filled with happiness, love and prosperity on all fronts.

John

__________________

The following description for the Year of The Tiger comes from http://www.yearofthetiger.net/:

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2010 is the Year of the Tiger, which commences on February 14, 2010 and ends on February 2, 2011. The Tiger is the third sign in the Chinese Zodiac cycle, and it is a sign of bravery. This courageous and fiery fighter is admired by the ancient Chinese as the sign that keeps away the three main tragedies of a household. These are fire, thieves and ghosts.

Tigers are physically powerful, gracious, independent and brave, they are extremely bold animals. They are friendly and loving but can also selfish and short tempered. Tigers seek attention and power; frequently they are envious in a relation. Tigers live dangerously which often leads to trouble. They are intolerant, take risks and are always searching for excitement. Tigers are also instilled with a good dose of courage.

The Tiger has an overpowering attraction and is very kind and always takes on the character as protector. The Tiger flourishes by power and attention and takes advantage of all circumstances it gets itself into. The Tiger is a natural leader and loves to be the centre of attention. As a rebel it goes up against authority and speaks out about wrongs in society, and willingly puts up objections. Even if you don’t agree with the beliefs of the tiger you admire his way to protest.

Just as how their counterparts in the jungle are impulsive, so too are individuals born in the Chinese Year of the Tiger. When people think of tigers, it is their vigor and power that comes to mind first. But it has also been noted that tigers are known to share and are unselfish animals. The reason people admire the tiger is due to the fact that they are ferocious and domineering on the outside, but they are just as noble and distinguished on the inside. These are the same personality attributes that persons will have who are born in the Year of the Tiger.

People that are born in the Year of the Tiger are generally well liked because of their charismatic personalities. Often, failing at a given duty or being unproductive in his personal or professional life can cause a Tiger to experience a deep sense of depression. A Tiger is always at their happiest when they endeavor to climb the ladder of success. Attaining the top spot is his foremost purpose; being in a position of power is her ultimate goal. They are quick learners, need to be challenged and often prefer to work alone. Some Tigers tend to change careers more frequently because they get bored quite easily. They are natural born leaders and perform at their best if working towards positions of power and influence. So once there is no further room for progression, they will often move on to something else.

Anyone that is born in the Year of the Tiger is usually straightforward and outgoing by nature. They will never give up no matter how aggravated they may become. But, they are also full of suspicion and at times will take hasty action. Never lose sight of the fact that Tigers are smart and instinctive.

People born in the Year of the Tiger always take pride in being different from others, and normally demonstrate their originality best in their homes. Their homes are typically filled with exotic possessions. It is no surprise that one of the Tiger’s favorite gemstones is the cat’s eye, but tigers also love the sparkle of rubies and diamonds. They like to spend money, and also to share it. They can be very impulsive spenders because they know they can at all times make more.

The Year of the Tiger is the third year in the cycle of “Heavenly Branches”. Customarily, it is called “Yin”. Those born in the Year of the Tiger are compatible with the horse, dog, and dragons. The year 2010 is another Year of the Tiger. It is the ji-chou year. Jji is the sixth of the Ten Celestial Stems and yin is the third of the Twelve Terrestrial Branches and marks the Year of the Tiger.

Were you born during a Year of the Tiger?
You were if you were born in one of these years:
1902, 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, and 1998.

P.S.  I found this tiger image here:  http://media.photobucket.com/image/tiger/HellWard3-WellsideGossip/Tiger.jpg

Random Acts of Tai Chi

Master Cui Zhongsan tells us that trough tai chi chuan (taijiquan) we make the world a better place.  The true spirit of tai chi is to protect and take care of yourself and the world around you.  It’s not to fight or constantly look for ways you “think” you’ve been slighted and to strike back.

When tai chi is practiced in its truest form, an attacker is deflected with as little damage to them as possible.  This doesn’t mean to allow someone to hurt you or those you care about, but it also doesn’t mean to attack someone with a vengeance just because they were hurting, lost control, and lashed out at you.

One of the best ways to take care of the world around you, and therefore yourself, is to help make the world a better place to live.  Become truly selfish and help those around you whenever you get the chance, it will make your private world a better place as you look for reasons and ways to help others.  Your world will take on a different color.

Don’t stick around long enough for people ask why you’ve helped them, just quietly leave them wondering.  It will leave many of them feeling indebted to someone they don’t even know, with no way of returning the favor.  We all feel the need to reciprocate, so what better way to leave someone than to leave them looking for a way to payback the kindness.  The only avenue they’ll have is to help someone else.

Walk away from conflict whenever you can.  Perform random acts of tai chi (kindness) and watch your world change for the better.

Your thoughts?

John

The Secret of Tai Chi Comes From Within

Tai chi really is all about listening to your body.  To paraphrase my friend and Duhism Master, Bob Tzu, ‘let psychology deal with the rest.’  I leave you with the eloquent words of the master himself.

It’s always me, me, me, me, me

“I’d listen to my Inner Child more if it didn’t speak in that whiny little kid voice.”

Bob Tzu

Your thoughts?

John

P.S. Visit Bob Tzu at www.Duhism.com

I found this great picture of Kirk Douglas and his inner child here:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1021219/Kirk-Douglas-91-unleashes-inner-child-ride-playground-slide.html

A Lesson In Tai Chi

When you attack someone, what happens?  Do they usually just stand there or do they fight back in some way?  Instinct generally prods us to defend ourselves.

You naturally see this in martial arts schools.  Most students want to believe their school is best and some are eager to prove it.  Most arguments of this type don’t escalate beyond words, but it always amazes me when a student from one school walks up to a student from another and begins talking about how great their school is - by inference how bad every other school is - then this same student gets upset when the other stands up for their school,  inferring that no other school could possibly match them.

A rare few teachers encourage this type of “My teacher can beat up your teacher” behavior.  However, many more do little to discourage it.  Being too dogmatic and making sure that everyone knows you’re way is the right way often proves to be nothing more than showing your own insecurity.  We only really care what others think of us when we are uncertain of ourselves.

When tai chi, and other martial arts, were needed to defend one’s way of life people understood the importance of secrecy.  If someone could study your style, they might find a weakness to exploit. That meant you weren’t around to defend the village any longer.

Tai chi is a defensive art when studied through martial intent.  Your opponent comes to you.  The best way to defend yourself is to have your opponent underestimate you.  If you are humble, an attacker may believe you are not capable.  This makes your job easier; easier is better.  Practice being humble, you’ll find it easier to get along with others and, if you’re lucky, you might be able to stop taking your blood pressure medicine too.

Your thougths?

John

Tai Chi’s Arrow of Truth

You’ve probably heard me say it before, but a tai chi master is said to be able to respond so quickly to an attack, it’s as if they are reading their opponent’s mind.  You could say they’re human lie detectors, able to sort out diversionary attacks from real threats.  All right maybe you haven’t actually “heard” me say it before, but you’ve read me saying it.  It’s a figure of speech, so lighten up.

What got me thinking about this today?  I was doing one of my favorite things, scouring the internet for little known and interesting facts… yeah I’ve hear it all before and some day I do plan on getting real a life.

The story I was reading was on LiveScience.com, one of my favorite stomping grounds.  The title of the story is “Airports Could Get Mind-Reading Scanners”.  Imagine walking through an airport and thinking, “Gee, I wonder if they’ll notice my underwear is made of highly explosive fabric?”  Suddenly security surrounds you, rushes you into a side room and quickly disarms you… how embarrassing.  OK I’ll admit that may be a little far fetched, and maybe you personally wouldn’t be thinking that, but you get the idea.

As it turns out these “Mind-Reading Scanners” aren’t exactly that, but the technology is still pretty impressive.  You see the idea is to place images that only certain groups of people would recognize, in unlikely locations around airports.  Sophisticated computer monitored cameras would see people reacting to these images and alert the authorities so they could be questioned.  Wait till the lawyers get a hold of this one; talk about profiling. 

Next time you’re running through the airport and suddenly think “Oh no!  I don’t think I turned my heat down!”  If you happen to be looking in the wrong place at that moment, you could miss your flight.  I think the moral of the story is clear.  When you’ve got a very important trip and you can’t afford to miss your plane, arrive at the airport at least 4 hours before your flight… just in case.  If you are pulled aside, be nice to those in uniform and tell the truth.

Who better to sum up this post, with an age-old proverb, than our Middle Eastern friends:

“When you shoot an arrow of truth, dip its point in honey.” ~ Arab Proverb

I’m not quite sure how this proverb relates to airport security, or tai chi for that matter, but you gotta admit it’s got a certain ring to it.  Your thoughts?

John

P.S.  You can read the LiveScience.com article here:  http://www.livescience.com/technology/mind-reader-scanner-100128.html

I found this image of Achmed the Dead Terrorist here:  http://media.photobucket.com/image/achmed%20the%20terrorist/jnoble87/Misc/silenceIkillyou.jpg