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

Tai Chi And The Mona Lisa… The Same Only Different?

What do you think of when you think of tai chi?  Do you think of simple beauty, grace, elegance, or just “Man that’s slow”?  It’s an unusual comparison, but it’s not a stretch… at least in my warped mind it isn’t.

The similarities between the Mona Lisa and tai chi might surprise you, but then again maybe not.  People who know little or nothing of tai chi tend to discount its value, that’s definitely not the case with the Mona Lisa though… anymore.  So how can I compare the two?  Keep reading.

Tai chi and the Mona Lisa have some distinct similarities:

1. Both are beautiful to look at.  Tai chi when a skilled player does it, obviously.  When done by someone with little grace or skill it can be a little like watching a sloth climb out of a tree, boring yet strangely interesting.
2. A master of the art created the Mona Lisa.  Master Yang Luchan created Yang Tai Chi, although it is in a constant state of flux as it passes from generation to generation.  Some generations alter it more than others.  ;~)
3. Both are considered timeless classics.  Some people think this because it takes so long to complete one move in tai chi… Everybody now! “As the time keeps slippin’ away - that’s O.K., cause I never meant to be here that long anyway.”
4. Both are pretty old.  I think tai chi is older than the Mona Lisa but I haven’t really checked.  Besides, by the time you’ve learned all you can about tai chi you’re probably going to be as old as the Mona Lisa… but I’ll bet you won’t be a wallflower.  OK, so that part’s kind of a difference not a similarity.
5. And last, but definitely not least, and I’ll bet you didn’t know this one.  The man who commissioned the Mona Lisa refused it.  Tai chi is often discounted or refused by people who think it’s too boring or that it can’t possibly do much for them.  I have to say though, I’ve NEVER heard anyone say they wished they had never taken up tai chi ;-)>.

So there you have it.  Tai chi and the Mona Lisa, almost indistinguishable, unless of course you actually look at them.  To quote Flow, “Little joke… very little, there it goes - poof!”

Your thoughts?

John

Time Bandits Attack Camp Tai Chi

I’ve been attacked recently, in a good way of course.  The Time Bandits have gotten the better of me, and I’ve decided it’s time to do something about it so I can spend more time practicing and living life.

As life gets busier these days, and more and more demands are made on my time, I’m finding it difficult to write 3 posts every week.  I know how disappointed both of you will be, but I really must be cutting back for a bit.  In a few months I’ll be coming back to writing 3 times a week, after I’ve put a couple of projects behind me over the Summer.  So while you won’t hear from me quite as often for the next few months, you will still hear from me once a week until I can once again devote more time here at CampTaiChi.com.

Who knows, maybe my posts may have a bit more substance for a while.  ;-)>  Thanks for your support and I still look forward to hearing from all of you.  I leave you with this apt quote from Albert Einstein.

“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.”

Your thoughts?

John

Love of Tai Chi

I just read a quote on Steven Moore’s Tai Chi Heartwork.  At first glance this may not seem to be related to tai chi, but I think it relates in a very profound way.

“Unconditional love is not a sentiment but a willingness to be open.”
John Welwood

Our emotions are interconnected.  They are a part of us and of all we are.  If we cut them off we suffer for it.  If we want to feel deep love, we must also be willing to feel despair, and anger, etc.  If you really want to be able to feel the energy in your body, work with it, and reap the benefits, I think you also need to be willing to open to all the possibilities life has to offer.

Unconditional acceptance of the concepts we learn in tai chi is important, at least for a time.  Not because they are all necessarily valid, but because if we don’t “try them on for size” we never discover the deeper meanings.  Play with the concepts you learn as well as those you discover on your own, and you’ll find yourself discovering deeper truths about life.

When you open to the possibilities in one area, you open to the possibilities in other areas as well.  When you allow things to take their own course, you may discover treasures you never thought possible, like unconditional love.  Also remember, that even if you can open to a possibility, it doesn’t mean you’ll experience it all the time. 

Your thoughts?

John

P.S.  Visit Tai Chi Heartwork here:  http://www.taichiheartwork.com/

I found this heart image here:  http://www.snohomishcounty.redcross.org/Volunteer.php

American Tai Chi, The Same… Yet Different “Part 1″

Chinese and American perspectives are often quite different, tai chi being no exception.  One big difference is that the Chinese think of the cycle of life as moving in circles.  Americans think of the cycles of seasons but of life overall in linear terms.  While Americans thing of our life span in seasons, beginning with birth and ending in death, the Chinese tend to think of the cycle of life in terms of birth, death and rebirth.

I’ve been told that unless I can understand the Chinese culture, I can’t fully understand tai chi.  I believe this is true as far as understanding it in the same way a Chinese tai chi player would.  However, I also think that the American perspective may hold some benefits, and that those benefits can’t necessarily be understood by someone native to China.  Isn’t it possible we could each have a number of valid and meaningful understandings, understandings that the other will never fully grasp?

We each have cultures unique unto themselves.  As spirituality has been adopted by a larger and larger part of the American population, the understanding of our personal energy and it’s uses, have also become a larger part of our collective psyche. Since we’re approaching the same thing from a very different perspective, we may discover the same principles via a different route.  If we’re really lucky we may even discover something new… or maybe not.

This topic is one I could probably write a book about.  Today however, I’m going to leave the discussion open.  What are your perspectives on this topic, regardless of your national background?

Each of us has a different perspective and I’d like to explore this further.  “Part 2″ remains to be written by all of us, but it won’t be published in linear terms, meaning it won’t be my next blog post.  This is my meager attempt to think in “Chinese”, circular terms. 

Your thoughts?

John

P.S.  I found this great pic here:  http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasBooks/Chinese-Heart-of-Texas.htm

Why Tai Chi Isn’t Fun

Unless you’re into self-torture you do only the things you really have to do, and the rest of the time you do things you think are fun.  You know; you watch your favorite TV show, head over to the pub, play a game, fiddle around in the garden, wax your car… wait someone actually thinks waxing their car is fun?  All right you get the idea.  Why then would anyone who doesn’t like tai chi, do tai chi?

We do the things we do because we feel good when we do them.  Our favorite TV show makes us laugh, sparks our imagination, or allows us to live vicariously through our favorite character.  When we head over to the pub, it’s to hang out with friends or dull our senses so we don’t have to think about our problems.

What about those activities that require skill?  We didn’t start out being good at them did we?  We stuck with them long enough that we developed skill.  Maybe the reason we stuck with them didn’t even have anything to do with building skill, but that reason kept us in the game.  The reason we play these games now is either because we’re good at them or we enjoying being around the other people.

This brings us to art of tai chi.  If tai chi is so good for you, and if it feels so good to do, why don’t more people stick with it?  I constantly hear people say things like, “I really like tai chi, but it can’t do it now because…”.  If they really found it that fun, wouldn’t most people find a way to keep doing it?  They think of it as a chore, something they should do because it’s good for them.

When I talk with people who “used to do tai chi”, they almost always say something about not being all that good at it.  I think a big part of the issue is, most people confuse simple with easy.  Tai chi is simple, but it ain’t easy.  Often, people who have never done tai chi say it looks so easy.  Most people who used to do tai chi say it’s hard.  I believe that more people would stick with it if they could get past the “it’s too hard” stage.  How do the people who stick with it get past that stage, to the stage where they do it because it feels good, and then to the stage where it magically becomes fun?

I think this has a lot to do with finding a school where they can identify with the people.  Every school is different.  Some schools push the students really hard so they’re really sweaty and tired by the end of class; other schools focus more on the social interactions between the students.  If you really think you’d like to do tai chi, find a school that fits what you want, and chances are you’ll find a way to stick with it long enough to develop some skill.

I can hear the gears turning now.  “Let me see if I have this right.  If I torture myself with tai chi for long enough, I learn to like it?  That sounds like my mother trying to get me to clean my room… no I’m not trying to get you to think about me like a mother.

Why do I want you to stay with it?  I want you to stay with it because of what it does for your quality of life.  If you’re younger, tai chi is a great stress reliever and really does help keep you in shape.  If you start young, your quality of life can stay better longer.  If you’re older, tai chi helps you to remain flexible and keeps you in shape, not to mention what it does for your balance and overall state of mind.  So, don’t give up.  Get out there and find a school you like.

I leave you with words to live by from the infamous faux-losopher, Bob Tzu:

A faux-losophy I can live by:

Your thoughts?

John

P.S.  I found this pic here:  http://www.hollowayfoundation.org/off-label.htm

Visit the Tzu here:  http://www.duhism.com/1628/a-faux-losophy-i-can-live-by/

An Incredible Lightness of Tai Chi

Today I’m going to simply leave you with a concept.  I think this ties in with tai chi because in the practice of tai chi we seek to find the energy within ourselves, and to direct energy sent in our direction, while causing the one sending it as little real pain as possible.  I guess you could say we’re seeking the light within ourselves.

“Light exists, darkness doesn’t. Don’t spend your moments fighting the darkness. Pursue the light with all the energy of your heart!”

Your thoughts?

John

P.S.  I found this quote here:  http://www.taichi4all.com/quotes.php

I found this Chinese lantern pic here:  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lantern_Festival.jpg#file