Tai Chi, a challenge to your physical and mental memory

Because there are so many facets to Tai Chi, we are often asked -
"What can I do to help me remember my Tai Chi training?" So, we began the week wanting to present tools for helping our students better retain the information we share with them on a weekly basis.

Learning Styles
There are several different scientific models that have been presented regarding human learning styles / characteristics. For the purpose of this commentary I will use the VARK Model

• Visual learning (learn by seeing)
• Auditory learning (learn by hearing)
• Reading/writing (learn by processing text)
• Kinesthetic learning or practical (learn by doing).

Fayne and I try to integrate each of these tools into our teaching program so as to give every person a chance to learn within their strengths. We demonstrate the movements, (visual) we speak or call the form (auditory) we suggest our students take notes and provide this Blog on a weekly basis (reading/writing) and we try to use our hands to gently guide students into more relaxation or better posture during their classroom training. Ultimately, the student must come to understand their personal learning style or styles (it can be more than one) and use those tools as effectively as possible to aid their own learning.

Ownership of Training
Over the years one thing we have learned is that while we do everything we can to provide a training environment that is conducive to the different learning styles, the one variable we can not affect is the students ability to integrate the information. This is where the old adage "you get out of it what you put into it" comes into play. I personally have seen some students excel in our Tai Chi programs while their classmates struggle and falter in the same environment with seemingly the same level of attention during class. I have meditated on this this observation for some time and think the answer lies in ownership. The students that take responsibility for their training and development do well while the ones that expect me to "teach them" when they are clearly not listening or "show them" when they are clearly not watching struggle to grow in their Tai Chi. We can only show students the path to more effective Tai Chi we can not walk the road for them.

Personal Training Time
Another aspect to establishing this important teaching partnership is taking some personal training time. We often suggest that our students stay 5 minutes after class to integrate for themselves what we cover that day in class. It may not seem like much but 5 concentrated minutes of personal integration time can really improve your memory and retention. Especially if it is done right after the material was presented. An additional 5 to 10 minutes a day can really support your classroom work as well. Many of the students that have taken this approach find they miss that personal training time very much when their schedule gets hectic. In addition, they find that over time it tends to grow in length as they come to appreciate its affect on their training and personal well-being.

Tai Chi, Tai Chi, Tai Chi - with intent...
Redundant practice may not seem like much fun but it is an important part of training because it helps the body to create muscle memory. Developing this memory is critical to reaching higher levels of Tai Chi. If the body "knows" what to do, the mind and spirit are freer to explore the Tai Chi principals more deeply. One of the exercises we did this week was for us to perform Commencement Form together, very slowly, with me calling, in extreme detail, the principals at play within that movement. Many of the students commented that this brought their concentration into a higher level and they noticed things that they had never noticed before; tension, alignment, posture, breath whatever it was, they noticed. It seemed to be the difference between just going through the motions with no intention and taking time to really feel the movements and truly experiencing Tai Chi. I explained to them that eventually each movement of the form is to be practiced with this level of intent and awareness and I think some of them began to realize just how challenging true Tai Chi training can be.

Tai Chi, an Instruction Manual for the Body
As I drove between classes this week I realized that Tai Chi training could be described as an instruction manual for the body. Fayne and I have three children and even as "Certified (sometimes certifiable) Parents" we still have not received an instruction manual for the body, how it works and how to treat it with the respect it deserves. We see so many people that are trying to live a healthy lifestyle doing great harm to their bodies by taxing them to their limits and creating an environment where the body is in a constant state of duress from over work, physical stress and strain. Our Tai Chi training and teaching has done more to help us understand the human body than any textbook ever has. You learn to feel the movements and stay within what is your comfortable range of motion. You learn to ask for flexibility and strength not demand it and most importantly, you learn how to release and relax the tension that can overwhelm any body.

It is not necessary to abuse the body into health, only to ask for it respectfully, on a consistent basis; like we do everyday, in our Tai Chi training.

Tai Chi's true nature is perfect in its imperfections

I want to wish everyone a Healthy, Happy Valentine's Day!

The week we were exploring the concepts of forgiveness and acceptance in our Tai Chi practice.

If you try hard enough, your Tai Chi will never be perfect
If perfection is what you seek from Tai Chi training, you are barking up the wrong tree. Perfection is a perceived view and has nothing to do with reality. Nothing is perfect. NOTHING. In nature, true perfection lives within the imperfections. A fresh spring leaf is beautiful. It is seemingly symmetrical but if you look close enough it is very asymmetrical. Does this knowledge make it less beautiful to you? I hope not. As deep as you go in Tai Chi training you will never find perfection. Nature, like Tai Chi, obtains perfection in a simple celebration of each imperfection. When I work with a student, I am not trying to make their Tai Chi look like mine, I am trying to help them find the Tai Chi within themselves.

The true nature of things
The Tai Chi spirit is based on Taoist Philosophy, which focuses on being one with nature and accepting everything for its true nature. Trying to make an oak tree into a willow is to go against the very fabric of what makes a tree, a tree. Would it frustrate you if the tree were to disobey your request for this very challenging change; away from its true nature? What if you were to want a river to flow the other way? Would it frustrate you if it was less than cooperative? Whether you are a newbie, a seasoned veteran or somewhere in between, Tai Chi can be very frustrating. To watch Tai Chi, it looks deceptively simple, to train it is a redundant and slow
process and to truly flow in Tai Chi form takes a lot of time and focused, relaxed attention to many little details.

Do you get frustrated when you practice Tai Chi?
Tai Chi training is very much about accepting your true nature and working within those soft boundaries. In whatever stage of training we find ourselves, there are times when we are asking for more than our true nature can give. If you find yourself frustrated by something in your training, it is time to look inside and see the true source of the frustration. It lies not in your teacher, or in the shoes you choose to wear, or the noise in the next room but more in how you perceive your true nature to be. "I know I am better than this!" " I know I can learn at a faster pace than he is teaching!" My wise and wonderful teacher once told me, when you turn a "sharp angle" to the world it will turn back on you. As I meditate on this piece of advice I find myself realizing that when I have made someone upset or I am upset myself it is because I am expecting more than they can offer or that I can offer in a given situation. Learning to accept this has helped me to be more understanding and compassionate, closer to my true nature.

Acceptance, letting go and being in the moment
Because Tai Chi practice lives in the moment, if you are truly in that moment you cannot be frustrated. It is only when you try to make something happen (future) that your expectations get the best of your practice. For example: Imagine yourself consistently trying to take too big of a step, in form practice, and repeatedly losing your balance. Soon you will find yourself very frustrated, even if you perceive that you are improving your strength and balance by training in this manner. However if you accept your current nature (and strength) lives in a smaller, more stable step and allow yourself time to grow (like a tree) then you will find a deeper sense of satisfaction and the strength will come naturally, in its own time. I think this concept is one of the hardest for anyone to grasp as they begin to train in Tai Chi. It may be why many people give up on this practice before it has a chance to really prove itself.

Bigger, better, faster, more!
We live in such a fast paced life with an "I want more...NOW!" attitude that we can no longer see out true nature. Everything seems to be about the future with no regard for the present moment. My house is small, how can I get to that bigger house? That car is cool, how can I get that cool car? His Tai Chi form is really smooth and graceful; I want to be that smooth and graceful... NOW! ;-) Our entire society is based on commercialism and an external reward system. Respect, power and comfort all live with the wealthy. Where does this leave our spirit? I wonder why the incidence of alcoholism, drug use and suicide is so high among the wealthy? Personally, I feel it is because they are working against their true nature. External happiness is a house of cards that has your heart in a constant state of "expecting it to fall" where you will lose everything. If I do not teach my children anything else, I sincerely hope that they will walk into life understand that true happiness lies within their own hearts and has nothing to do with external gains.

The devil is in the details
I know I have performed the "commencement Form" for my teacher at least 1200 times over the years. Yet each time we meet I am open to the fact that he will want to see it again. Why? Because I know in my heart that he has love for me and wants me to grow in the form. So I remain open to his desire to share his knowledge with me and allow whatever pace he sets to be "just right" for me. This may seem like a passive approach to training but in fact it takes a lot of concentration, respect and love for myself and my teacher to allow this process to unfold in its true nature. Because I am fully present and open to the process, each time we meet for training he has some beautiful observations that make this simple set of movements better. Notice I did not say "Right" or "Perfect" just better; closer to my true nature.

The paths we takes in Tai Chi training may be similar but the results will be natural, imperfect and very personal; like each of us.

SHHHH...Listen, its Tai Chi

In my opinion, the most fundamental principal in Tai Chi training is what we translate as "listening". We still our minds and open our senses to a point where we can truly "hear" our bodies communicating with us. This principal is able to integrate into and enhance every other aspect of training and therefore I feel is the single most important and challenging of the principals to learn.

Principal Focus
Each of the twelve principals we focus on in Tai Chi training utilizes listening skills to their benefit. When we focus on grounding energy, we use listening to concentrate our attention into the three points on the feet. When working on posture, (Needle in the Cotton) listening is there to help us "feel" our way to better postural alignment. Minding the Breath gives us a chance to listen to something we hardly ever pay attention to unless we are "out of it"; breath that is. ;-) Learning to release tension only happens when we become aware that we are tense. For example, if you walk around with a clenched fist all the time it will feel perfectly natural to you until someone points out that it is tight and shows you what a relaxed hand "feels" like. Only then can you truly recognize the difference.

The science of "Listening"
Scientifically, we are talking about proprioception. Specially designed cells that provide information back to our brain regarding where our body is located in space. This feedback of information is always there but we often discount it and depend on other senses (especially vision) to support our balance and alignment. Only by "tuning in" to this important information can we improve our overall body awareness.

My shoulders are tight?
Many new students come to us with a very restricted "closed off" awareness of their bodies. They do not realize how tense, or how misaligned they are until we begin training, drawing awareness to their specific challenges. In some cases they are able to affect change immediately and others take time to get back in touch with their bodies to the point where they can affect positive change in these areas. Students affected by neuropathy often take months to get their senses back to a point where they can begin to understand this training tool. As another example; I can usually tell which shoulder a women carries her purse on by simply looking at her alignment. The shoulder that carries the purse is typically high and tight, especially if she carries a heavy purse.

The eyes have it
In general; we have become very dependent on our ability to "see" for balance and coordination. Just try Tai Chi walking slowly across the room first with eyes open, then with eyes closed to "see" my point. In our work with older adults experiencing balance challenges we have learned that many falls happen in low or otherwise challenging light conditions; people become visually disoriented and lose their sense of balance. Through a series of simple exercises, I have fun showing my students how dependent they have become on their eyesight. Once they understand this point, they begin developing their own ability to "listen" to their bodies more intently thus affecting positive change in their balance and coordination.

The Tai Chi principal of "Listening" is truly to become SimplyAware of your own body. So still your mind, open your heart and listen to your Tai Chi. It has a lot to tell you about yourself.

Can Tai Chi REALLY develop strength?

There are many ways to develop strength in the body. There are also some myths that should be reviewed in the context of this discussion.

FALSE Myth: You have to use weight training to build muscle.
If you want to "Bulk up" then yes, the more weight you use, the bigger your muscles can become. Keep in mind that if you stop lifting the heavy weights, for even a short period of time, those muscles will reduce in size very quickly. Layoff training for 6 weeks and you can lose up to 40% of that developed muscle. As an alternative, you can use less weight, add more repetitions and gain muscle tone, but the same holds true, walk away from that training routine for a little while and you will return to your normal muscle density and size.

Why do we "deflate?"
Our bodies are geared for survival. If we were stranded in the jungle with little food, our bodies would adapt to that environment by becoming more efficient in many ways. We would lean out and become more adept at conserving our energy. If we had to climb trees to get food then our muscles would develop to make that task easier. Over time, our typing muscles would become weak and feeble. ;-) From a survival perspective, large muscles are inefficient. It is like driving a Semi Truck in a fuel conservation race. The bigger and bulkier we are the more fuel (calories) we need to maintain our energy levels. So in an effort to be more efficient, as soon as the body no longer feels a demand for all that muscle mass, it begins to reduce it for the sake of efficiency.

How then do you build lasting strength?
Consistent, reasonable demands. No matter what training you choose being reasonable and consistent are keys to maintaining your strength. Anything you do consistently will build up the necessary muscles. Look at Professional Speed Skaters, huge thigh and large glutes are hallmarks for the demands of their sport. Soccer players have strong legs but are lean, built for quick stops, starts, bursts of speed and hard accurate kicks. You get the picture.

So Why does Tai Chi work to build strength?
The beauty of Tai Chi is in its gentle, consistent nature. It is gentle enough to do every day and yet produces a consistent demand for strength on our bodies. Moving slowly does several things for your body. It activates and maintains a dynamic tension in the muscles, as you move slowly from form to form, you are forced to actively transfer the dynamic tension to other muscles groups which they do not like. ;-)

Soft Knees, consistent height...
All Tai Chi forms begin with a sinking movement which effectively sets the height at which you are to perform the entire collection of movements. By keeping the knees soft, your feet stable and your posture tall you maintain a very active core. There are serveral muscles groups that make up our core, some of which do not activate unless the demand is consistent and prolonged. Tai Chi effectively provides those muscles with the stimulus they need to become active, thus creating a deeper core strengthening opportunity.

Deep breath, and a smiling heart = A relaxed body and more strength
One of the wonderful things about Tai Chi is that it places a consistent demand for relaxation on the body. Who does not need that! ;-) Think of it in terms of an 80/20 Rule for strength. Let 20% of the muscles do 80% of the work and those 20% will get stronger. The beauty of this concept is that the 80% group, while relaxed, increases circulation, releases joint tension and stretches the tendons and ligaments in the associated muscles. BONUS! 500 points!

The deep breathing and smiling heart serve to aid the body's work towards relaxation. It is a known fact that deep breathing releases chemicals that help muscles relax. The aerobic (with air) aspect of Tai Chi is often overlooked but is a critical part of effective training. Additionally, it also helps us to build our endurance without all that pesky cardio. ;-)
The smiling heart, my favorite and THE most challenging part of Tai Chi training is equally important in strengthening the body. In working with my students to illustrate this point, I have a neat little exercise we do. We start out with small Tai Chi Walking steps and they are instructed to add 1" to each step they take across the training floor. Typically, by half way across the floor they are winded and exerted. It is at this point that I have them turn inside and meditate for a moment on something that truly warms their heart. Consistently, they find that once they have this mental and heart energy in place, they can continue almost effortlessly with the long, challenging step; when just a moment ago they could not imagine another challenging step. The feedback on this exercise is very often the same, (aside from the grumping about it being hard) ;-) they each tell me that the smiling energy made a huge difference in reducing their level of tension and in decreasing the effort necessary to make their steps.


My students often laugh at the comment I make "If it is easy, then it is not Tai Chi".