Since World Tai Chi & Qigong Day we have spent a lot of time in class focusing on many different principals. Smiling from the heart, deep relaxed breathing, gaining range of motion, building strength and increasing circulation. With so many things to focus on, it can be very overwhelming at any level of Tai Chi and Qigong training. Even in my own training, I can honestly apply all 12 principals to my Tai Chi form for about 6 to 8 movements before I begin to lose concentration and focus. It has taken me many years to gain an understanding of the principals much less integrate them effortlessly into the forms. Of course, this is MUCH better than I have been able to do in the past but I still have much to learn. I LOVE IT!
This week, I asked students to choose their own principal to focus on during our Qigong warm ups and then again during form training. I asked that they pick ONLY one and stick with it as much as they could to help create a single-minded focus. After the Qigong warm ups, I asked each student what principal they had chosen and whether they had been able to stay focused. I was surprised and pleased to hear that many were very clear (and accurate) about what they needed to focus on for themselves. I did have some students (not many) that chose to "forget" to do the exercise or picked a very simple focus to avoid the effort involved in what they probably know they really need. This is understandable, it takes effort to focus intently and sometimes we just "don't wanna"...
Comfort versus discomfort...
We tend to stray away from the areas of training that make us uncomfortable. If something is frustrating we try to avoid it. If something is physically hard, we try to minimize it and "sneak past it". How much fun is that? I have always said that the areas of training that make us the most uncomfortable reap the greatest rewards if we work to explore and understand them to a deeper level. If your training becomes frustrating, boring or disappointing, recognize that these feelings are defense mechanisms for the difficult work that may lie ahead. Just like you would approach a dangerous curve on a winding roadway, slow down, breath and move forward, one mile marker at a time...
Something to work on...
Before you begin your practice time, select one principal that you feel you really need to explore more deeply. Stick to it through your entire practice, even if you have to keep reminding yourself to do so, keep at it. Intent focus can make some movements more difficult and others will seem effortless; keep at it, relax, breath and most of all SMILE!
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