Tai Chi...

[fajrdrako]

I started Tai Chi classes at the beginning of September. The first few classes were great. Then I missed two classes because I had a cold, and ever since I went back I felt that I was struggling to catch up - confused about what I was doing, and not progressing well. Until tonight. Tonight was terrific. I didn't do it very well, in the sense that I'm still a beginner, but I did it well enough to feel happy about it, and even proud. Progress! And growing self-confidence.

Comments

[toraks.livejournal.com]

Yay! :-D

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It makes me quite eager to practise, which is good. And for the next class, and the practice set scheduled for the weekend after next. As the teacher said last night, "People who do Tai Chi are busy." But, I thought, but, but, I'm already busy! Groan.

[toraks.livejournal.com]

Hee hee! Good for you for making the time for it then! And enjoy! :-)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It's one of the reasons I'm not getting much reading and writing done. I need longer days. And I need more sleep.

[filkferengi]

Woot!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

[g] Gotta do some practice today... to keep up the progress.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

You have achieved a gestalt. It's nonlinear. Yay.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Well, it's certainly not linear, but I'm not sure it's a gestalt. Not yet. But it might be going that way, like a crystal forming. It's more like a developing body memory, where I no longer have to think quite so hard about each component part of the movements.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

You're practicing your kinesthetic and proprioceptic senses into better form, you mean?

Am I right in thinking that, when one is moving well with one's tai chi exercises, having learned them past the point of having to keep thinking about what to do next, that one is then moving through them without thinking conscious thought at all? Or am I wrong?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I suppose doing it without conscious thought would be a meditative ideal - I'm sure my teacher would say that's best. Beulah said she did it daily for years or decades and always thought of the names of the forms as she did them. I don't know the names yet, so I don't do that. Maybe it's individual with each practitioner. Doing things without thought is good meditation for some, excruciating stress for others.